Bout.csv

Flexible foraging strategies under seasonal constraint in an African alpine rodent<br>DescriptionThis dataset contains the raw behavioural and plant nutritional data used in the study titled “Flexible foraging strategies under seasonal constraint in an African alpine rodent.” The data were collected from free-living African ice rats (Otomys sloggetti robertsi) in the Maluti–Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, during summer and winter.<br>File List| File Name | Description ||--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|| Bout.csv | Feeding bout durations (in seconds) across distances, seasons, and sexes. || Distance.csv | Feeding distances from burrow, by season, sex, and individual identity. || Frequency.csv | Frequency of feeding bouts at various distance categories. || Plant composition data.csv | Nutritional composition of plant types: fibre, protein, nitrogen content across seasons. || Site.csv | Feeding site preference (burrow vs. in situ) per individual, per season. |<br>Variable Definitions<br>Bout.csv- ID: Individual identity- Sex: Male/Female- Season: Summer/Winter- Distance: Foraging distance from burrow (cm)- BoutDuration: Feeding bout duration (seconds)<br>Distance.csv- ID: Individual identity- Sex: Male/Female- Season: Summer/Winter- DistanceCategory: Distance category (cm)<br>Frequency.csv- ID: Individual identity- Sex: Male/Female- Season: Summer/Winter- DistanceCategory: Distance category (cm)- Frequency: Number of feeding bouts<br>Plant composition data.csv- Season: Summer/Winter- PlantType: Grasses/Herbaceous/Wetland/Helichrysum- Fibre: Acid detergent fibre (%)- Protein: Crude protein (%)- Nitrogen: Total nitrogen (%)<br>Site.csv- ID: Individual identity- Sex: Male/Female- Season: Summer/Winter- Site: Burrow/In situ (feeding site)<br>Notes- Distances are measured in categories (e.g., 1–15 cm, 16–30 cm, etc.) consistent with the methods described in the manuscript.- Behavioural observations were conducted following ethical guidelines with approval from the University of the Witwatersrand Animal Ethics Committee.<br>