Data from: On the scaling of activity in tropical forest mammals

Activity range – the amount of time spent active per day – is a
fundamental aspect contributing to the optimization process by
which animals achieve energetic balance. Based on their size and
the nature of their diet, theoretical expectations are that
larger carnivores need more time active to fulfil their energetic
needs than do smaller ones and also more time active than
similar-sized non-carnivores. Despite the relationship between
daily activity, individual range and energy acquisition, large-scale
relationships between activity range and body mass among wild
mammals have never been properly addressed. This study aimed to
understand the scaling of activity range with body mass, while
controlling for phylogeny and diet. We built simple empirical
predictions for the scaling of activity range with body mass for
mammals of different trophic guilds and used
a phylogenetically controlled mixed model to test these
predictions using activity records of 249 mammal populations (128
species) in 19 tropical forests (in 15 countries) obtained using
camera traps. Our scaling model predicted a steeper scaling of
activity range in carnivores (0.21) with higher levels of
activity (higher intercept), and near-zero scaling in herbivores
(0.04). Empirical data showed that activity ranges scaled positively
with body mass for carnivores (0.061), which also had higher
intercept value, but not for herbivores, omnivores and
insectivores, in general, corresponding with the
predictions. Despite the many factors that shape animal activity
at local scales, we found a general pattern showing that large
carnivores need more time active in a day to meet their energetic
demands.