In biology, the 'range' or 'distribution' of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found.
The term is often qualified:
★ sometimes a distinction is made between a species' 'native range' and the places to which it has been introduced by human agency (deliberately or accidentally), as well as where it has been re-introduced following
extirpation.
★ for species which are found in different regions at different times of year, terms such as 'summer range' and 'winter range' are often employed.
★ for species where only part of their range is used for breeding activity, the terms 'breeding range' and 'non-breeding range' are used.
★ when discussing mobile animals, the species' 'natural range' is often discussed, as opposed to areas where it occurs as a
vagrant.
★ geographic or temporal qualifiers are often added e.g. 'British range' or 'pre-1950 range'.
★ The
Cougar has the greatest range of any terrestrial mammal other than humans in the Western Hemisphere
See also
★
Colonisation
Bibliography
References
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