Spatial Ecology and Movement Patterns of the African Python (Python sebae) in Kainji Lake National Park, Niger State Using GPS Telemetry

This study characterises the spatial ecology and movement patterns of the African rock python Python sebae in Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), Niger State, North Central Nigeria, using implanted GPS telemetry. Python sebae is the largest snake in Africa and plays an apex predator role in the park ecosystem, but its space use, habitat selection, and seasonal movement behaviour within KLNP are entirely unstudied, creating a management knowledge gap. Ten adult pythons (six female, four male) were fitted with implanted GPS dataloggers and tracked at 12-hour intervals over one full year. Home range sizes were estimated using minimum convex polygon and fixed kernel density methods. Habitat selection was assessed by comparing used versus available habitats in radio-tracked paths using Manly selectivity indices. Annual home ranges averaged 24.6 km2 (range 8.4 to 67.1 km2), with females showing significantly larger ranges than males outside the dry season. Riverine gallery forest and woodland edges near permanent water were the most strongly selected habitats. Pythons showed distinct wet-dry season shifts in movement intensity, with larger displacements during the early wet season corresponding to breeding activity and prey availability peaks. Three individuals regularly crossed into farmland outside the park boundary during the dry season, creating potential conflict situations. The study provides the first GPS telemetry-based spatial ecology data for Python sebae in West Africa and informs KLNP management of specific conflict-prone areas requiring community liaison. Keywords: Python sebae, GPS telemetry, spatial ecology, home range, Kainji Lake National Park.