Flexible continuous-time modelling for heterogeneous animal movement

We describe a flexible class of continuous-time models for animal movement, allowing movement behaviour to depend on location in terms of a discrete set of regions and also on an underlying behavioural state. We demonstrate the ability of these models to represent complex behaviour and spatial heterogeneity, as found in real movement studies, while retaining tractability and the conceptual advantages of a continuous-time formulation. We discuss the relationship between the models defined here and a range of important applications, both when movement behaviour is the main focus and when it is essentially a nuisance process, for example in spatially explicit capture–recapture.

► Continuous-time models can represent movement coherently and consistently. ► We describe a general framework for spatial heterogeneity in movement. ► Models with heterogeneity can exhibit realistically complex movement behaviour. ► Many existing movement models are covered as special cases or approximations.