The Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), a near-threatened species reintroduced in the Negev Desert of Israel, exemplifies territorial polygyny where dominant males defend a territory near water sources and food patches for females to visit and breed with them. The constrain of water sources in particularly limits the possibilities to defend high-quality territories, which as a result limit the number of breeding males, negatively impacting the population's genetic diversity. However, it is unknown what are the different habitat related factors that promote the spatial location of territories and whether territories differ in the presence of conspecifics, and as a result – in males' reproductive success (number of offspring per male).

This project's goals are:

1) Find dominant males' territories based on approximations from non-invasive genetic sampling and genotyping of fecal samples collect from dung piles, known to be used mainly by territorial males.

2) Further characterize territories in terms of habitat factors (territory size, vegetation, topography, distance to man-made constructions) using GIS and relevant geographic layer.

3) Characterize territories in terms of presence of conspecifics, inferred by genotyping fecal samples collected within territories and using sex-specific markers.

We will link between the characteristics of the males’ territories (as described above) and their reproductive success (data that will be inferred from a long -term genetic study conducted in the lab).

Preliminary results indicated a negative correlation between the distance of males’ territories to a water source and their reproductive success, that should be further explored in relation to additional factors.

Photography credit to Aylon Steinberg