Ulf Hohmann
Encyclopedia
Ulf Hohmann is a German
ethologist
, whose studies about the raccoon
have played a significant role in the understanding of its social behavior
and its distribution in Germany.
, Ulf Hohmann completed his diploma
of Biology
in 1992. After the submission of his dissertation to Antal Festetics
at the forestal faculty of the University of Göttingen in 1998, he was the chairperson of the Gesellschaft für Wildökologie und Naturschutz e.V. (Society for wildlife ecology and conservation e.V.). In this role, he appeared in the media as expert for the increasing urbanisation of animals. At the moment (July 2008), he works for the Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz (Research institute for forest ecology and forestry Rhineland-Palatinate) located in Trippstadt
.
measurement of the movement patterns of the raccoons living in the Lower Saxony
low mountain range Solling
yielded the result that the social behavior of raccoons is gender-specific and that they often live together in small, loose groups instead of being loner
s like previously thought. Stanley D. Gehrt arrived at the same conclusion in his study done in Texas
in 1994 one year after Hohmann's initial query to Gehrt's doctoral adviser and raccoon expert Erik Fritzell about his discoveries. (→ Social behavior of raccoons)
The study was supplemented with the observation of the behavior of several raised and subsequently released raccoon kits. This work, started by the graduand Franziska Kalz in 1995, was accompanied by the wildlife photographer
Ingo Bartussek since spring 1996. Beginning in 1999, after the submission of his dissertation, Ulf Hohmann carried out the first study of urban raccoons outside of North America
in the Hessian
small town Bad Karlshafen
. In 2001, Ulf Hohmann published the monograph
Der Waschbär (The raccoon), giving a thorough overview of appearance and behavior of the species and the results of his studies in it. Besides numerous photos of Ingo Bartussek, the book also contains a chapter about raising raccoon kits written by the veterinarian
Bernhard Böer.
Working now for the Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz, Ulf Hohmann has recently concentrated on the research of boar
s, mainly of those living in the Palatinate Forest. His research on raccoons has been continued by Frank-Uwe Michler, who first worked together with Hohmann for his diploma in a study of urban raccoons in Kassel
from 2001 to 2002. Since March 2006, Frank-Uwe Michler is the leader of the first study of the range and behavior of the raccoons living in the eastern parts of Germany in the Müritz National Park
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
ethologist
Ethology
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
, whose studies about the raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
have played a significant role in the understanding of its social behavior
Social behavior
In physics, physiology and sociology, social behavior is behavior directed towards society, or taking place between, members of the same species. Behavior such as predation which involves members of different species is not social...
and its distribution in Germany.
Biography
Studying at the universities University of Tübingen and University of KielUniversity of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
, Ulf Hohmann completed his diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
of Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
in 1992. After the submission of his dissertation to Antal Festetics
Antal Festetics
Antal Festetics, exactly , is a Hungarian-Austrian biologist, zoologist and behavioural researcher. A student of Konrad Lorenz, since 1973 he is a university professor and director of the Institute for Hunting Biology at the University of Göttingen, since 1981 honorary professor at the University...
at the forestal faculty of the University of Göttingen in 1998, he was the chairperson of the Gesellschaft für Wildökologie und Naturschutz e.V. (Society for wildlife ecology and conservation e.V.). In this role, he appeared in the media as expert for the increasing urbanisation of animals. At the moment (July 2008), he works for the Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz (Research institute for forest ecology and forestry Rhineland-Palatinate) located in Trippstadt
Trippstadt
Trippstadt is a municipality in the district of Kaiserslautern, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
.
Research
Within the scope of his dissertation, Ulf Hohmann and several scientific assistants carried out the first systematic study of the German raccoon population from 1992 to 1998. The telemetricTelemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
measurement of the movement patterns of the raccoons living in the Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
low mountain range Solling
Solling
The Solling is a range of hills up to high in the Weser Uplands in the German state of Lower Saxony, whose extreme southerly foothills extend into Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia....
yielded the result that the social behavior of raccoons is gender-specific and that they often live together in small, loose groups instead of being loner
Loner
A loner is a person who avoids or does not actively seek human interaction or prefers to be alone. There are many reasons for solitude, intentional or otherwise, and "loner" implies no specific cause. Intentional reasons include spiritual and religious considerations or personal philosophies...
s like previously thought. Stanley D. Gehrt arrived at the same conclusion in his study done in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 1994 one year after Hohmann's initial query to Gehrt's doctoral adviser and raccoon expert Erik Fritzell about his discoveries. (→ Social behavior of raccoons)
The study was supplemented with the observation of the behavior of several raised and subsequently released raccoon kits. This work, started by the graduand Franziska Kalz in 1995, was accompanied by the wildlife photographer
Wildlife photography
Wildlife photography is the act of taking photographs of wildlife.Wildlife photography is regarded as one of the more challenging forms of photography. As well as needing sound technical skills, such as being able to expose correctly, wildlife photographers generally need good field craft skills...
Ingo Bartussek since spring 1996. Beginning in 1999, after the submission of his dissertation, Ulf Hohmann carried out the first study of urban raccoons outside of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the Hessian
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
small town Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
. In 2001, Ulf Hohmann published the monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
Der Waschbär (The raccoon), giving a thorough overview of appearance and behavior of the species and the results of his studies in it. Besides numerous photos of Ingo Bartussek, the book also contains a chapter about raising raccoon kits written by the veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
Bernhard Böer.
Working now for the Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft Rheinland-Pfalz, Ulf Hohmann has recently concentrated on the research of boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
s, mainly of those living in the Palatinate Forest. His research on raccoons has been continued by Frank-Uwe Michler, who first worked together with Hohmann for his diploma in a study of urban raccoons in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
from 2001 to 2002. Since March 2006, Frank-Uwe Michler is the leader of the first study of the range and behavior of the raccoons living in the eastern parts of Germany in the Müritz National Park
Müritz National Park
The Müritz National Park is a national park situated roughly in the middle between Berlin and Rostock, in the south of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It extends over large portions of the Müritz lakeland in the district of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte. Müritz National Park was founded...
.