Data from: Crocodile social environments dictated by male philopatry

Examining the social behaviors of solitary species can be challenging due
to the rarity in which interactions occur and the large and often
inaccessible areas which these animals inhabit. As shared space-use is a
prerequisite for the expression of social behaviors, we can gain insights
into the social environments of solitary species by examining the degree
of spatial overlap between individuals. Over a 10-year period, we examined
how spatial overlap amongst 105 estuarine crocodiles Crocodylus porosus
was influenced by season, sex and movement tactic. We discovered that
crocodiles displayed highly consistent spatial overlaps with conspecifics
between months and across years. Furthermore, male crocodiles that
exhibited a greater degree of site fidelity displayed more stable social
environments, while females and males that were less site-attached had
more dynamic social environments with spatial overlaps between
conspecifics peaking during the mating season. Our results
demonstrate how long-term tracking of multiple individuals within the same
population can be used to quantify the spatial structure and social
environment of cryptic and solitary species.