Factors Associated with Detection Probability and Site Occupancy of the Long-Tailed Skink (Eutropis longicaudata) in the Aluoi Area, Central Vietnam

Abstract

Lizard species are rarely detected with perfect accuracy, regardless of the method employed. Nondetection of a species at a site does not necessarily mean the species was absent unless the detection probability was 100%. We assessed the influence of site covariates (less disturbed habitat and disturbed habitat) and sample covariates (temperature, humidity, rainfall) on the occupancy of Eutropis longicaudata in the Aluoi area, central Vietnam. Based on detection/nondetection data over nine visits at 40 less disturbed sites and 39 sites with disturbed habitats, the distribution of E. longicaudata was estimated using site occupancy models. From the best model, we estimated a site occupancy probability of 0.595, a 12.05% increase over the naive occupancy of 0.531 at which E. longicaudata skinks were actually observed. The site covariate of the less disturbed habitat was an important determinant of site occupancy, which was not associated with the variable of disturbance habitats. In the combined AIC model weight, p(precipitation), p(temperature), and p(humidity) have 92%, 36%, and 21% of the total, respectively; providing evidence that environmental conditions (especially precipitation) were important sample covariates in modelling detection probabilities of E. longicaudata. In terms of occupancy probability, the combined weight for the ψ(less disturbed habitat) model and the ψ(disturbed habitat) model were 60% and 32%, respectively. Our results substantiate the importance of incorporating detection and occupancy probabilities into studies of habitat relationships and suggest that the less disturbed habitat associated with weather conditions influence the occupancy of E. longicaudata in central Vietnam.