In arid and semi-arid environments, burrowing mammals play a key role in increasing landscape heterogeneity through facilitative (positive) species interactions. The loss of burrowing mammal populations can consequently lead to negative effects cascading through the ecosystem; it is therefore critical to understand these facilitative interactions for conservation and management. For instance, accounting for facilitative interactions during translocation could improve success rates. To investigate the importance of burrow facilitation on San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni) translocation success, we designed a program for antelope squirrels using a natural experiment, with paired sites selected for the presence and absence of a burrowing facilitator, the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens). We radio collared 98 antelope squirrels from core habitat within the Carrizo Plain. We then translocated 68 to uninhabited lands in their historical range, half to a site with giant kangaroo rats and half without. We compared survival, dispersal and movement, and home range size across the three treatment groups. Our study highlights the importance of considering facilitative interactions when selecting release sites for translocation and planning restoration campaigns.

Patrick Anderson is a thesis-based master’s candidate in the Biological Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016 with a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation. He has worked seasonally with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He has previously worked with Utah prairie dogs, northern Idaho ground squirrels, and black-footed ferrets.