Predicting energy expenditure of caribou using activity counts: potential use in disturbance studies

Abstract

Estimation of daily activity of animals using mercury tilt switches in traditional radio-collars and satellite collars is widely accepted. In northern latitudes scientists rely almost exclusively on the use of radio-collars to gather data on caribou {Rangifer tarandus)(V'ank et al. 1985; Fancy et al. 1990; Fancy & Whitten, 1990), musko-xen {Ovibus moschatus) (Reynolds, 1989; Klein & Bay 1990), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) (Messier et al. 1992) during winter. There are disadvantages in using standard and satellite telemetry to acquire activity data, however. Standard radio-collars must be monitored continuously and activity estimated from changes in pulse rate and are useful only to differentiate between degrees of activity