momentuHMM: R package for generalized hidden Markov models of animal movement Methods in Ecology and Evolution

1. Discrete-time hidden Markov models (HMMs) have become an immensely popu- lar tool for inferring latent animal behaviours from telemetry data. While move - ment HMMs typically rely solely on location data (e.g. step length and turning angle), auxiliary biotelemetry and environmental data are powerful and readily-available resources for incorporating much more ecological and behavioural real - ism. However, complex movement or observation process models often necessitate custom and computationally demanding HMM model-fitting tech - niques that are impractical for most practitioners, and there is a paucity of gener - alized user-friendly software available for implementing multivariate HMMs of animal movement.