Data from: Importance of latrine communication in European rabbits shifts along a rural–to–urban gradient

BACKGROUND: Information transfer in mammalian communication networks is often based on the deposition of excreta in latrines. Depending on the intended receiver(s), latrines are either formed at territorial boundaries (between-group communication) or in core areas of home ranges (within-group communication). The relative importance of both types of marking behavior should depend, amongst other factors, on population densities and social group sizes, which tend to differ between urban and rural wildlife populations. Our study is the first to assess (direct and indirect) anthropogenic influences on mammalian latrine-based communication networks along a rural-to-urban gradient in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) living in urban, suburban and rural areas in and around Frankfurt am Main (Germany).

RESULTS: The proportion of latrines located in close proximity to the burrow was higher at rural study sites compared to urban and suburban ones. At rural sites, we found the largest latrines and highest latrine densities close to the burrow, suggesting that core marking prevailed. By contrast, latrine dimensions and densities increased with increasing distance from the burrow in urban and suburban populations, suggesting a higher importance of peripheral marking.

CONCLUSIONS: Increased population densities, but smaller social group sizes in urban rabbit populations may lead to an increased importance of between-group communication and thus, favor peripheral over core marking. Our study provides novel insights into the manifold ways by which man-made habitat alterations along a rural-to-urban gradient directly and indirectly affect wildlife populations, including latrine-based communication networks.

**研究背景**：哺乳动物通讯网络中的信息传递，通常依托于将排泄物沉积于固定粪场（latrine）中来实现。依据信息的目标接收者差异，这类粪场可设置于领地边界（用于群体间通讯），或是家域的核心区域（用于群体内通讯）。除其他影响因素外，这两类标记行为的相对重要性，应当取决于种群密度与社会群体规模——而这两项指标在城市与乡村野生动物种群中往往存在显著差异。本研究为首个针对栖息于德国美因河畔法兰克福市及其周边城市、郊区与乡村生境中的欧洲野兔（Oryctolagus cuniculus），沿城乡梯度评估人为活动对基于粪场的哺乳动物通讯网络的直接与间接影响的相关研究。

**研究结果**：相较于城市与郊区样地，乡村样地中紧邻洞穴的粪场占比更高。在乡村样地中，紧邻洞穴的区域粪场规模最大、密度最高，提示群体内标记行为占据主导。与之相对，城市与郊区野兔种群的粪场规模与密度随其与洞穴距离的增加而升高，表明群体间标记的重要性更高。

**研究结论**：城市野兔种群具有更高的种群密度，但社会群体规模更小，这可能使得群体间通讯的重要性提升，进而使群体间标记行为优于群体内标记。本研究揭示了沿城乡梯度的人为生境改造，可通过多种直接与间接途径对野生动物种群产生影响，其中包括基于粪场的通讯网络，为相关领域提供了全新的认知视角。