51
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Zaguri M, Hawlena D. Odours of non‐predatory species help prey moderate their risk assessment. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Zaguri
- Risk‐Management Ecology Lab Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Dror Hawlena
- Risk‐Management Ecology Lab Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
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McNicol CM, Bavin D, Bearhop S, Ferryman M, Gill R, Goodwin CED, MacPherson J, Silk MJ, McDonald RA. Translocated native pine martens
Martes martes
alter short‐term space use by invasive non‐native grey squirrels
Sciurus carolinensis. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Bavin
- Vincent Wildlife TrustBronsil Courtyard Eastnor, Ledbury UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
| | | | - Robin Gill
- Forest Research Alice Holt Lodge Farnham UK
| | | | | | - Matthew J. Silk
- Environment and Sustainability Institute University of Exeter Penryn UK
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn UK
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53
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Rafiq K, Jordan NR, Meloro C, Wilson AM, Hayward MW, Wich SA, McNutt JW. Scent-marking strategies of a solitary carnivore: boundary and road scent marking in the leopard. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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54
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Sievert T, Kerkhoven A, Haapakoski M, Matson KD, Ylönen O, Ylönen H. In utero behavioral imprinting to predation risk in pups of the bank vole. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2791-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In the predator–prey arms race, survival-enhancing adaptive behaviors are essential. Prey can perceive predator presence directly from visual, auditory, or chemical cues. Non-lethal encounters with a predator may trigger prey to produce special body odors, alarm pheromones, informing conspecifics about predation risks. Recent studies suggest that parental exposure to predation risk during reproduction affects offspring behavior cross-generationally. We compared behaviors of bank vole (Myodes glareolus) pups produced by parents exposed to one of three treatments: predator scent from the least weasel (Mustela nivalis nivalis); scent from weasel-exposed voles, i.e., alarm pheromones; or a control treatment without added scents. Parents were treated in semi-natural field enclosures, but pups were born in the lab and assayed in an open-field arena. Before each behavioral test, one of the three scent treatments was spread throughout the test arena. The tests followed a full factorial design (3 parental treatments × 3 area treatments). Regardless of the parents’ treatment, pups exposed to predator odor in the arena moved more. Additionally, pups spend more time in the center of the arena when presented with predator odor or alarm pheromone compared with the control. Pups from predator odor–exposed parents avoided the center of the arena under control conditions, but they spent more time in the center when either predator odor or alarm pheromone was present. Our experiment shows that cross-generational effects are context-sensitive, depending on the perceived risk. Future studies should examine cross-generational behavioral effects in ecologically meaningful environments instead of only neutral ones.
Significance statement
We exposed bank voles to odors signaling predation risk to assess the effects parental predation exposure on the behavior of their offspring. Besides predator odor, we also assessed the role of a conspecific alarm cue as a novel way of spreading the predation risk information. Pup behaviors were assessed in the open-field arena, a standard way of assessing animal behavior in a wide range of contexts. We found that also alarm pheromone increased the time pups spend in the center of the arena similarly to predator odor. While previous studies suggested that offspring would be more fearful, our results indicate that the cross-generational effects are very context-dependent; i.e., they differ significantly depending on which scent cue is presented in the open-field arena. This shows the need for better tools or measurements to translate laboratory results into ecologically meaningful frameworks.
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Monitoring canid scent marking in space and time using a biologging and machine learning approach. Sci Rep 2020; 10:588. [PMID: 31953418 PMCID: PMC6969016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For canid species, scent marking plays a critical role in territoriality, social dynamics, and reproduction. However, due in part to human dependence on vision as our primary sensory modality, research on olfactory communication is hampered by a lack of tractable methods. In this study, we leverage a powerful biologging approach, using accelerometers in concert with GPS loggers to monitor and describe scent-marking events in time and space. We performed a validation experiment with domestic dogs, monitoring them by video concurrently with the novel biologging approach. We attached an accelerometer to the pelvis of 31 dogs (19 males and 12 females), detecting raised-leg and squat posture urinations by monitoring the change in device orientation. We then deployed this technique to describe the scent marking activity of 3 guardian dogs as they defend livestock from coyote depredation in California, providing an example use-case for the technique. During validation, the algorithm correctly classified 92% of accelerometer readings. High performance was partly due to the conspicuous signatures of archetypal raised-leg postures in the accelerometer data. Accuracy did not vary with the weight, age, and sex of the dogs, resulting in a method that is broadly applicable across canid species’ morphologies. We also used models trained on each individual to detect scent marking of others to emulate the use of captive surrogates for model training. We observed no relationship between the similarity in body weight between the dog pairs and the overall accuracy of predictions, although models performed best when trained and tested on the same individual. We discuss how existing methods in the field of movement ecology can be extended to use this exciting new data type. This paper represents an important first step in opening new avenues of research by leveraging the power of modern-technologies and machine-learning to this field.
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56
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Rahimi S, Ragerdikashani M, Beheshti F, Baghishani F, Hosseini M, Saeedi N, Mirdoosti M, Negah SS. Alteration of the neurogenesis and long term potential of olfactory bulb in an animal model of PTSD. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2020. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2020-030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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57
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Wood TC, Moore PA. Big and bad: how relative predator size and dietary information influence rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) behavior and resource-use decisions. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Prey animals use the information that they extract from predator cues to assess risk. Animals can obtain information about the relative size of predators and their dietary constituents from odor cues that predators deposit in the environment. However, it is currently unknown how prey animals respond when presented with two or more pieces of information about a predator. Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus (Girard, 1852)) were exposed to odors from predatory largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802)) that were fed four different diets and also varied in size relative to the crayfish subjects. A series of analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that rusty crayfish altered their macrophyte consumption, foraging behavior, and shelter-use behavior depending on the relative size and dietary information presented by the largemouth bass. This study demonstrates that prey consider and respond to multiple aspects of a predatory threat when making resource-use decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler C. Wood
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
- University of Michigan Biological Station, 9133 Biological Road, Pellston, MI 49769, USA
| | - Paul A. Moore
- Laboratory for Sensory Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
- University of Michigan Biological Station, 9133 Biological Road, Pellston, MI 49769, USA
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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58
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Rafiq K, Jordan NR, Wilson AM, McNutt JW, Hayward MW, Meloro C, Wich SA, Golabek KA. Spatio‐temporal factors impacting encounter occurrences between leopards and other large African predators. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Rafiq
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Maun Botswana
| | - N. R. Jordan
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Maun Botswana
- Centre for Ecosystem Science University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Taronga Conservation Society Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - A. M. Wilson
- Structure and Motion Lab Royal Veterinary College University of London Hatfield Herts UK
| | - J. W. McNutt
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Maun Botswana
| | - M. W. Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle Newcastle New South Wales Australia
| | - C. Meloro
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
| | - S. A. Wich
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
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59
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Parsons MH, Deutsch MA, Dumitriu D, Munshi-South J. Differential responses by urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) toward male or female-produced scents in sheltered and high-risk presentations. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Wild rats (Rattus norvegicus) are among the most ubiquitous and consequential organisms in the urban environment. However, collecting data from city rats is difficult, and there has been little research to determine the influence, or valence, of rat scents on urban conspecifics. Using a mark-release-monitor protocol, we previously learned rats can be attracted to remote-sensing points when baited with mixed-bedding from male and female laboratory rats. It was thus essential that we disambiguate which scents were eliciting attraction (+ valence), inspection, a conditioned response whereby attraction may be followed by avoidance (–valence), or null-response (0 valence). We used radio-frequency identification tagging and scent-baited antennas to assess extended (>40 days) responses to either male or female scents against two risk presentations (near-shelter and exposed to predators). In response to male scents, rats (n = 8) visited both treatments (shelter, exposed) more than controls (0.2 visits/day treatment vs. 0.1/day; P < 0.05) indicating scents accounted for response more so than risk. Dwell-times, however, did not differ (1.2 s/visit treatment vs. 0.9 s/visit; P > 0.5). These outcomes are consistent with inspection (–valence). In response to female scents, rats (n = 7) increased visitation (5.02 visits/day vs. 0.1/day controls; P < 0.05), while dwell-times also increased 6.8 s/visit vs. 0.2 s/visit in both risk-settings. The latter is consistent with persistent attraction (+valence), but was also influenced by shelter, as runway visits (1.1 visits/day) were a magnitude more common than predator-exposed (0.1 visits/day). Further understanding and exploiting the mobility of city rats is necessary for improvements in basic and applied research, including city pathogen-surveillance and urban wildlife management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Parsons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael A Deutsch
- Medical and Applied Entomology, Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc., Lynbrook, NY, USA
| | - Dani Dumitriu
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, the Zuckerman Institute, and the Columbia Population Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jason Munshi-South
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Louis Calder Center—Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, NY, USA
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60
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McArthur C, Finnerty PB, Schmitt MH, Shuttleworth A, Shrader AM. Plant volatiles are a salient cue for foraging mammals: elephants target preferred plants despite background plant odour. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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61
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Avian and rodent responses to the olfactory landscape in a Mediterranean cavity community. Oecologia 2019; 191:73-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04487-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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62
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Suraci JP, Smith JA, Clinchy M, Zanette LY, Wilmers CC. Humans, but not their dogs, displace pumas from their kills: An experimental approach. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12214. [PMID: 31434976 PMCID: PMC6704098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic dogs are the most abundant large carnivore on the planet, and their ubiquity has led to concern regarding the impacts of dogs as predators of and competitors with native wildlife. If native large carnivores perceive dogs as threatening, impacts could extend to the community level by altering interactions between large carnivores and their prey. Dog impacts may be further exacerbated if these human-associated predators are also perceived as indicators of risk from humans. However, observational approaches used to date have led to ambiguity regarding the effects of dog presence on wildlife. We experimentally quantified dog impacts on the behavior of a native large carnivore, presenting playbacks of dog vocalizations to pumas in central California. We show that the perceived presence of dogs has minimal impacts on puma behavior at their kill sites, and is no more likely to affect total feeding time at kills than non-threatening controls. We previously demonstrated that pumas exhibit strong responses to human cues, and here show that perceived risk from human presence far exceeds that from dogs. Our results suggest that protected areas management policies that restrict dogs but permit human access may in some cases be of limited value for large carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Suraci
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Justine A Smith
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Michael Clinchy
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Liana Y Zanette
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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63
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Haswell PM, Shepherd EA, Stone SA, Purcell B, Hayward MW. Foraging theory provides a useful framework for livestock predation management. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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64
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Bedoya-Pérez MA, Smith KL, Kevin RC, Luo JL, Crowther MS, McGregor IS. Parameters That Affect Fear Responses in Rodents and How to Use Them for Management. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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65
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Bytheway JP, Banks PB. Overcoming prey naiveté: Free-living marsupials develop recognition and effective behavioral responses to alien predators in Australia. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1685-1695. [PMID: 30822357 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Naiveté in prey arises from novel ecological mismatches in cue recognition systems and antipredator responses following the arrival of alien predators. The multilevel naiveté framework suggests that animals can progress through levels of naiveté toward predator awareness. Alternatively, native prey may be preadapted to recognize novel predators via common constituents in predator odors or familiar predator archetypes. We tested predictions of these competing hypotheses on the mechanisms driving behavioral responses of native species to alien predators by measuring responses of native free-living northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus) to alien red fox (Vulpes vulpes) odor. We compared multiple bandicoot populations either sympatric or allopatric with foxes. Bandicoots sympatric with foxes showed recognition and appropriate antipredator behavior toward fox odor via avoidance. On the few occasions bandicoots did visit, their vigilance significantly increased, and their foraging decreased. In contrast, bandicoots allopatric with foxes showed no recognition of this predator cue. Our results suggest that vulnerable Australian mammals were likely naïve to foxes when they first arrived, which explains why so many native mammals declined soon after fox arrival. Our results also suggest such naiveté can be overcome within a relatively short time frame, driven by experience with predators, thus supporting the multilevel naiveté framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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66
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Misawa N, Fujii S, Kamiya K, Osaki T, Takaku T, Takahashi Y, Takeuchi S. Construction of a Biohybrid Odorant Sensor Using Biological Olfactory Receptors Embedded into Bilayer Lipid Membrane on a Chip. ACS Sens 2019; 4:711-716. [PMID: 30829476 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b01615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes an odorant sensor based on mosquito olfactory receptors (ORs) that is sensitive to the volatile organic compound octenol. The ORs and OR coreceptors were reconstructed in the lipid bilayer membrane in a chamber device equipped with electrodes. Using this odorant sensor, we obtained ion current changes caused by specific OR responses to octenol. We installed the odorant sensor into a mobile robot and succeeded in the demonstration of coupling octenol gas detection and robot actuation. We believe that this biohybrid odorant sensing system will be a key technology for future artificial olfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuo Misawa
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fujii
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
| | - Koki Kamiya
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
| | - Toshihisa Osaki
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Takaku
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, Konohana, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Takahashi
- Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, Konohana, Osaka 554-8558, Japan
| | - Shoji Takeuchi
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012, Japan
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
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67
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Predator-Prey Interactions in the Anthropocene: Reconciling Multiple Aspects of Novelty. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:616-627. [PMID: 30902358 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecological novelty, when conditions deviate from a historical baseline, is increasingly common as humans modify habitats and communities across the globe. Our ability to anticipate how novelty changes predator-prey interactions will likely hinge upon the explicit evaluation of multiple forms of novelty, rather than a focus on single forms of novelty (e.g., invasive predators or climate change). We provide a framework to assess how multiple forms of novelty can act, alone or in concert, on components shared by all predator-prey interactions (the predation sequence). Considering how novelty acts throughout the predation sequence could improve our understanding of predator-prey interactions in an increasingly novel world, identify important knowledge gaps, and guide conservation decisions in the Anthropocene.
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68
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Stryjek R, Kalinowski A, Parsons MH. Unbiased Sampling for Rodents and Other Small Mammals: How to Overcome Neophobia Through Use of an Electronic-Triggered Live Trap—A Preliminary Test. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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69
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Olfactory cues and the value of information: voles interpret cues based on recent predator encounters. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:187. [PMID: 30573941 PMCID: PMC6267667 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Prey strategically respond to the risk of predation by varying their behavior while balancing the tradeoffs of food and safety. We present here an experiment that tests the way the same indirect cues of predation risk are interpreted by bank voles, Myodes glareolus, as the game changes through exposure to a caged weasel. Using optimal patch use, we asked wild-caught voles to rank the risk they perceived. We measured their response to olfactory cues in the form of weasel bedding, a sham control in the form of rabbit bedding, and an odor-free control. We repeated the interviews in a chronological order to test the change in response, i.e., the changes in the value of the information. We found that the voles did not differentiate strongly between treatments pre-exposure to the weasel. During the exposure, vole foraging activity was reduced in all treatments, but proportionally increased in the vicinity to the rabbit odor. Post-exposure, the voles focused their foraging in the control, while the value of exposure to the predator explained the majority of variation in response. Our data also suggested a sex bias in interpretation of the cues. Given how the foragers changed their interpretation of the same cues based on external information, we suggest that applying predator olfactory cues as a simulation of predation risk needs further testing. For instance, what are the possible effective compounds and how they change “fear” response over time. The major conclusion is that however effective olfactory cues may be, the presence of live predators overwhelmingly affects the information voles gained from these cues. Significance statement In ecology, “fear” is the strategic response to cues of risk an animal senses in its environment. The cues suggesting the existence of a predator in the vicinity are weighed by an individual against the probability of encounter with the predator and the perceived lethality of an encounter with the predator. The best documented such response is variation in foraging tenacity as measured by a giving-up density. In this paper, we show that an olfactory predator cue and the smell of an interspecific competitor result in different responses based on experience with a live-caged predator. This work provides a cautionary example of the risk in making assumptions regarding olfactory cues devoid of environmental context. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-018-2600-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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70
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Hernández MC, Navarro-Castilla Á, Planillo A, Sánchez-González B, Barja I. The landscape of fear: Why some free-ranging rodents choose repeated live-trapping over predation risk and how it is associated with the physiological stress response. Behav Processes 2018; 157:125-132. [PMID: 30266620 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Live trapping is an essential element of field ecological studies. However, the act of trapping provides two types of conditional benefits (food from the bait when hungry, and refuge from a predator when threatened) against one type of drawback (confinement). Our understanding of how animals assess the two benefits against the lone risk determines how we interpret classic field studies in chemical ecology and wildlife management. Here, we studied wood mice responses to these risks and rewards of field trapping by examining experience through recapture and faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) as a physiological response indicator. Wood mice were live-trapped in two different plots subjected to two distinct phases: phase 1, absence of predator cues, and phase 2, in which traps were treated with red fox faeces. During phase 1, the recapture percentage was lower indicating that mice avoided traps while FCM levels in recaptured mice were higher. On the contrary, during phase 2, despite the total number of captures was lower we found an increase in the recapture percentage and FCM levels did not increase in recaptured mice. Our results suggest that under increased risk perception traps could be likely considered as a suitable shelter and thus, for some individuals the benefits of traps may outweigh their risks. In addition, we discovered that the effects of combining two stressors do not result in the addition of the response originated by each factor separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Hernández
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Á Navarro-Castilla
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Planillo
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C. Darwin 2, 28049, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain; Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - B Sánchez-González
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - I Barja
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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71
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Saxon-Mills EC, Moseby K, Blumstein DT, Letnic M. Prey naïveté and the anti-predator responses of a vulnerable marsupial prey to known and novel predators. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2568-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Pettersson H, Amundin M, Laska M. Attractant or Repellent? Behavioral Responses to Mammalian Blood Odor and to a Blood Odor Component in a Mesopredator, the Meerkat ( Suricata suricatta). Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:152. [PMID: 30083096 PMCID: PMC6064876 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well-established that the odor of mammalian blood is attractive to top predators such as tigers and wolves and aversive to prey species such as mice and rats. Recent studies have shown that the mammalian blood odor component trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal (TED) elicits corresponding behavioral responses in these two groups of mammals. Here we assess whether a mesopredator, that is, a small-bodied carnivorous mammal that is both predator and prey, is attracted to or repelled by the odor of mammalian blood and TED. To this end, we assessed the behavior of a group of 15 captive meerkats (Suricata suricatta) when presented with wooden logs that were impregnated either with horse blood or with TED, and compared it to their behavior toward a fruity odor (iso-pentyl acetate) and a near-odorless solvent (diethyl phthalate). We found that the meerkats displayed significantly more interactions with the odorized wooden logs such as sniffing and pawing when these were impregnated with the two prey-associated odors compared to the two non-prey-associated odors. Most importantly, no significant difference was found in the number of interactions with the wooden logs impregnated with horse blood and TED, respectively. These results demonstrate that meerkats, despite being small-bodied mesopredators, are clearly attracted to the odor of mammalian blood. Further, the results suggest that a single blood odor component can be as efficient as the odor of real blood in eliciting behavioral responses in this herpestid mammal, similar to previous findings in feline and canine top predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Pettersson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mats Amundin
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Kolmården Wildlife Park, Kolmården, Sweden
| | - Matthias Laska
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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73
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Prada LM, Guerrero-Casado J, Tortosa FS. European rabbits recognise conspecifics in their predators’ diets. Acta Ethol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-018-0295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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74
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Peers MJL, Majchrzak YN, Neilson E, Lamb CT, Hämäläinen A, Haines JA, Garland L, Doran-Myers D, Broadley K, Boonstra R, Boutin S. Quantifying fear effects on prey demography in nature. Ecology 2018; 99:1716-1723. [PMID: 29897623 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, it has been argued that the effect of predator fear exacts a greater demographic toll on prey populations than the direct killing of prey. However, efforts to quantify the effects of fear have primarily relied on experiments that replace predators with predator cues. Interpretation of these experiments must consider two important caveats: (1) the magnitude of experimenter-induced predator cues may not be realistically comparable to those of the prey's natural sensory environment, and (2) given functional predators are removed from the treatments, the fear effect is measured in the absence of any consumptive effects, a situation which never occurs in nature. We contend that demographic consequences of fear in natural populations may have been overestimated because the intensity of predator cues applied by experimenters in the majority of studies has been unnaturally high, in some instances rarely occurring in nature without consumption. Furthermore, the removal of consumption from the treatments creates the potential situation that individual prey in poor condition (those most likely to contribute strongly to the observed fear effects via starvation or reduced reproductive output) may have been consumed by predators in nature prior to the expression of fear effects, thus confounding consumptive and fear effects. Here, we describe an alternative treatment design that does not utilize predator cues, and in so doing, better quantifies the demographic effect of fear on wild populations. This treatment substitutes the traditional cue experiment where consumptive effects are eliminated and fear is simulated with a design where fear is removed and consumptive effects are simulated through the experimental removal of prey. Comparison to a natural population would give a more robust estimate of the effect of fear in the presence of consumption on the demographic variable of interest. This approach represents a critical advance in quantifying the mechanistic pathways through which predation structures ecological communities. Discussing the merits of both treatments will motivate researchers to go beyond simply describing the existence of fear effects and focus on testing their true magnitude in wild populations and natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J L Peers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Yasmine N Majchrzak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Eric Neilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Clayton T Lamb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Jessica A Haines
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Laura Garland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Darcy Doran-Myers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Kate Broadley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada
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75
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Wild Norway Rats Do Not Avoid Predator Scents When Collecting Food in a Familiar Habitat: A Field Study. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9475. [PMID: 29930280 PMCID: PMC6013492 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27054-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to avoid predators is crucial to wild prey animals’ survival. Potential danger is signalled, among others, by the presence of predator scents. These odors are used in research both to trigger and to study fear reactions in laboratory animals; they are also employed as repellents against pest rodent species. In our study, we assessed nine predator-derived odors for their effectiveness in eliciting avoidance responses in a free-living colony of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). The rats were studied in a field setting. Food was put in two compartments inside the experimental pen: in one of them, predator scent was introduced on experimental days. The rats did not avoid boxes with predator odor and did not display an increased latency of food-carrying behavior or any other fear-related behavior, such as freezing or increased grooming. The results confirm the hypothesis that the foraging of rodents in a well-known territory and in relative proximity to burrows and other shelters is not affected by indirect cues of predation risk, such as the presence of predator urine or feces. We have also concluded that in a well-established colony living in a familiar territory, predator scent holds little promise as rodent repellent.
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76
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Carthey AJR, Banks PB. Naïve, bold, or just hungry? An invasive exotic prey species recognises but does not respond to its predators. Biol Invasions 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1782-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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77
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Steindler LA, Blumstein DT, West R, Moseby KE, Letnic M. Discrimination of introduced predators by ontogenetically naïve prey scales with duration of shared evolutionary history. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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78
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Carthey AJR, Bucknall MP, Wierucka K, Banks PB. Novel predators emit novel cues: a mechanism for prey naivety towards alien predators. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16377. [PMID: 29180825 PMCID: PMC5703908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16656-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting enemies is crucial for survival and a trait that develops over an evolutionary timeframe. Introduced species disrupt coevolved systems of communication and detection in their new ranges, often leading to devastating impacts. The classic example is prey naivety towards alien predators, whereby prey fail to recognise a new predator. Yet exactly why native prey fail to recognise alien predators remains puzzling. Naivety theory predicts that it is because novel predators emit novel cues. Distantly related animals have distinct evolutionary histories, physiologies and ecologies, predicting they will emit different cues. Yet it also possible that all predators emit similar cues because they are carnivorous. We investigate whether odour cues differ between placental and marsupial carnivores in Australia, where native prey experienced only marsupial mammal predation until ~4000 years ago. We compared volatile chemical profiles of urine, scats and bedding from four placental and three marsupial predators. Chemical profiles showed little overlap between placental and marsupial carnivores across all odour types, suggesting that cue novelty is a plausible mechanism for prey naivety towards alien predators. Our results also suggest a role for olfactory cues to complement visual appearance and vocalisations as biologically meaningful ways to differentiate species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin P Bucknall
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Kaja Wierucka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia.,Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS (UMR 9197), Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, 91405, France
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia
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