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Garris SS, Pierson LM, Ferkin MH. Meadow voles differentiate between scents of different sources. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Scent marks are an important means of transmitting information between rodents, and they can be produced from several body sources. Previous studies have shown that scents from multiple sources can convey the same information; female meadow voles, for example, have three scent sources that communicate sex. However, possessing three separate sources that convey the same information is likely costly due to the metabolic energy required to produce these signals and the increased chance that eavesdropping individuals may intercept information present in these signals. In this study, we investigated if these scent sources could communicate other information, in addition to scent donor sex, by determining if male meadow voles could distinguish scent marks taken from different sources of a single female scent donor. This was accomplished with a habituation-test method, that allowed us to compare how male meadow voles differently investigate scent from a familiar and novel source of a female scent donor. Male meadow voles could distinguish between faeces and urine scent marks of a female, but could only distinguish mouth from urine and faeces scent marks when first familiarized with mouth scent marks. Our findings suggest that mouth, urine, and faeces scent marks of female meadow voles produce both redundant and distinct information. The overlap in information between scent marks produced from separate sources may be needed to provide social context, which allows receiving individuals to accurately weigh the tradeoffs associated with responding to an olfactory cue. While this overlap in information remains costly, this cost may be minimized by the different fade-out times of scent marks from distinct body sources, which may limit the amount of time information in a scent mark is available to a time period where this information is socially relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S. Garris
- Department of Biological Science, University of Memphis, Ellington Hall, Memphis TN 38152, USA
| | - Lyndsey M. Pierson
- Department of Biological Science, University of Memphis, Ellington Hall, Memphis TN 38152, USA
- Department of Biology, Christian Brothers University, Cooper-Wilson Center, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
| | - Michael H. Ferkin
- Department of Biological Science, University of Memphis, Ellington Hall, Memphis TN 38152, USA
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2
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Ortiz-Jiménez L, Barja I. Surrounded by challenges: The simulated presence of competitors and predators modulates perianal secretion marking behaviour in the European mink (Mustela lutreola). Behav Processes 2021; 193:104508. [PMID: 34551363 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Animals face a variety of daily challenges to their reproduction and survival that can detect in time through to the environment cues. By using an individual focal sampling, we evaluated the variations in the time devoted to the perianal secretion marking behaviour (PSMB) of European mink when they were exposed to the simulated presence of conspecifics and two potential predators. Model results indicated that males and adult individuals dedicated more time to PSMB than females and subadults. The presence of conspecifics increased PSMB time only in adult and males, probably as an intrasexual territorial competence response. The heightened decrease in PSMB time in presence of a dog suggests an innate response due to the detection of volatile substances from faeces of carnivorous. In addition, simulated conspecific presence increased PSMB in absence of odours (control) and with owl faeces. However, when facing dog faeces, the simulated conspecific presence had no effects on PSMB. Thus, minks seem to prioritize the imminent risk of predation to avoid being detected. The stimulation of PSMB in captivity by simulated cues from conspecifics and potential predators could be useful to facilitate the reintroduction of individuals into nature, as well as their adaptation and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabel Barja
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Biodiversity and Global Change Research Center (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
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3
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Schäffler L, Kappeler PM, Halley JM. Mouse Lemurs in an Assemblage of Cheirogaleid Primates in Menabe Central, Western Madagascar – Three Reasons to Coexist. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.585781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological communities are structured by interactions between coexisting species that mutually influence their distribution and abundance. Ecologically similar species are expected to exclude one another from suitable habitat, so the coexistence of two mouse lemur species in an assemblage of several closely related cheirogaleid primates in the central Menabe region of Madagascar requires explanation. We assessed the occurrence of Madame Berthe’s mouse lemurs (Microcebus berthae) and Gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), and of two larger cheirogaleids, Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur (Mirza coquereli) and the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius), by nocturnal line transect walks between 2003 and 2007. We explored interspecific interactions for four different scenarios with varying resource availability (degraded and non-degraded habitat in the wet and dry season), both on the regional spatial scale and on a finer local (transect) scale. We tested whether the interspecific distribution of mouse lemur individuals indicates interspecific competition and whether their regional coexistence might be stabilized by interactions with M. coquereli or C. medius. We developed the “Inter-Species Index of Attraction” (ISIA) to quantify the observed interspecific interactions within transects and determined if these were significantly different from a null model generated by a combination of randomization and bootstrapping to control for intraspecific aggregation. For the two mouse lemurs, interspecific spatial exclusion was most pronounced during the resource-poor dry season, consistent with the hypothesis of feeding competition. Seasonally varying distribution patterns indicated resource tracking in a spatio-temporally heterogeneous environment. The interspecific distribution of individuals suggested that the larger cheirogaleids benefit M. berthae at the expense of the more abundant M. murinus: spatial associations of both, M. coquereli and C. medius, with M. murinus were negative in most scenarios and across spatial scales, but neutral or even positive with M. berthae. Thus, our study revealed that coexistence among ecologically similar heterospecifics can rely on complex density-mediated interspecific processes varying with habitat quality and season. With regard to the stability of animal assemblages, this insight has major implications for biodiversity conservation.
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Brown rats and house mice eavesdrop on each other's volatile sex pheromone components. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17701. [PMID: 33077874 PMCID: PMC7572391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74820-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian pheromones often linger in the environment and thus are particularly susceptible to interceptive eavesdropping, commonly understood as a one-way dyadic interaction, where prey sense and respond to the scent of a predator. Here, we tested the “counterespionage” hypothesis that predator and prey co-opt each other’s pheromone as a cue to locate prey or evade predation. We worked with wild brown rats (predator of mice) and wild house mice (prey of brown rats) as model species, testing their responses to pheromone-baited traps at infested field sites. The treatment trap in each of two trap pairs per replicate received sex attractant pheromone components (including testosterone) of male mice or male rats, whereas corresponding control traps received only testosterone, a pheromone component shared between mouse and rat males. Trap pairs disseminating male rat pheromone components captured 3.05 times fewer mice than trap pairs disseminating male mouse pheromone components, and no female mice were captured in rat pheromone-baited traps, indicating predator aversion. Indiscriminate captures of rats in trap pairs disseminating male rat or male mouse pheromone components, and fewer captures of rats in male mouse pheromone traps than in (testosterone-only) control traps indicate that rats do eavesdrop on the male mouse sex pheromone but do not exploit the information for mouse prey location. The counterespionage hypothesis is supported by trap catch data of both mice and rats but only the mice data are in keeping with our predictions for motive of the counterespionage.
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Garvey PM, Banks PB, Suraci JP, Bodey TW, Glen AS, Jones CJ, McArthur C, Norbury GL, Price CJ, Russell JC, Sih A. Leveraging Motivations, Personality, and Sensory Cues for Vertebrate Pest Management. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:990-1000. [PMID: 32900547 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Managing vertebrate pests is a global conservation challenge given their undesirable socio-ecological impacts. Pest management often focuses on the 'average' individual, neglecting individual-level behavioural variation ('personalities') and differences in life histories. These differences affect pest impacts and modify attraction to, or avoidance of, sensory cues. Strategies targeting the average individual may fail to mitigate damage by 'rogues' (individuals causing disproportionate impact) or to target 'recalcitrants' (individuals avoiding standard control measures). Effective management leverages animal behaviours that relate primarily to four core motivations: feeding, fleeing, fighting, and fornication. Management success could be greatly increased by identifying and exploiting individual variation in motivations. We provide explicit suggestions for cue-based tools to manipulate these four motivators, thereby improving pest management outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Garvey
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand.
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Justin P Suraci
- Centre for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Thomas W Bodey
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Alistair S Glen
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Chris J Jones
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Clare McArthur
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - James C Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Randler C, Kalb J. Predator avoidance behavior of nocturnal and diurnal rodents. Behav Processes 2020; 179:104214. [PMID: 32768461 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Animals trade-off predation risk against feeding opportunities and prey species may use signals or cues of predators to assess predation risk. We analyzed the mesopredators pine and stone marten (Martes martes, M. foina) and nocturnal and diurnal rodents (Glis glis, Apodemus spp., Sciurus vulgaris). The non-experimental approach used camera traps at feeders which were visited by both, predator and prey. As prey species can eavesdrop on predator signals/cues, there should show some avoidance behavior. The study was conducted on a small mountain in Germany, largely covered by wood, between 29.6.2018 and 5.10.2018. Camera traps were placed 0.6 m near a feeder. Food was replenished regularly to provide a continuous food supply. 34 camera traps provided data for an analysis; total trap nights were 513 (12,312 h). Martens detected the food sources first in 10 instances, and prey species Apodemus/G. glis in 24 instances. G. glis seemed to generally avoid places where martens were feeding while Apodemus and Sciurus did not. The visitations of G. glis depended on whether martens were the first visitors and it significantly avoided such places. Similarly, Apodemus appeared less often at a feeder when martens have been present as a first visitor. The time interval to resume feeding to a monitored feeder after a marten visit was significantly longer compared to a control in G. glis, but not in Apodemus and S. vulgaris. The study shows different responses, with the weakest in the diurnal rodent, and the highest in G. glis. Thus, if a food resource was known by prey species before a predator occurred, the trade-off was shifted towards feeding, but when the predators detect the food source first, the trade-off was shifted to predator avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Randler
- Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Department of Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Jochen Kalb
- Eberhard Karls University of Tuebingen, Department of Biology, Auf der Morgenstelle 24, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany
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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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8
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Behavioral Response of the Mammalian Community to River Otter Latrine Activity. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-182.1.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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9
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Webster C, Massaro M, Michael DR, Bambrick D, Riley JL, Nimmo DG. Native reptiles alter their foraging in the presence of the olfactory cues of invasive mammalian predators. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180136. [PMID: 30473801 PMCID: PMC6227964 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Invasive mammalian predators are linked to terrestrial vertebrate extinctions worldwide. Prey naïveté may explain the large impact invasive predators have on native prey; prey may fail to detect and react appropriately to the cues of novel predators, which results in high levels of depredation. In Australia, the feral cat (Felis catus) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) are implicated in more than 30 animal extinctions and the naïveté of native prey is often used to explain this high extinction rate. Reptiles are one group of animals that are heavily preyed upon by F. catus and V. vulpes. However, very few studies have examined whether reptiles are naive to their cues. In this study, we examine the ability of two native reptile species (Morethia boulengeri and Christinus marmoratus) to detect and distinguish between the chemical cues of two invasive predators (V. vulpes and F. catus) and three native predators (spotted-tailed quoll, Dasyurus maculatus; dingo, Canis lupus dingo; eastern brown snake, Pseudonaja textilis), as well as two non-predator controls (eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus and water). We conducted experiments to quantify the effects of predator scents on lizard foraging (the amount of food eaten) during 1 h trials within Y-maze arenas. We found both study species reduced the amount they consumed when exposed to predator scents-both native and invasive-indicating that these species are not naive to invasive predators. An evolved generalized predator-recognition system, rapid evolution or learned behaviour could each explain the lack of naïveté in some native Australian reptiles towards invasive predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Webster
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales 2640, Australia
| | - M. Massaro
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales 2640, Australia
| | - D. R. Michael
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2611, Australia
| | - D. Bambrick
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales 2640, Australia
| | - J. L. Riley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - D. G. Nimmo
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales 2640, Australia
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Banks PB, Daly A, Bytheway JP. Predator odours attract other predators, creating an olfactory web of information. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2015.1053. [PMID: 27194283 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.1053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have reported the aversive reactions of prey towards a predator's odour signals (e.g. urine marks), a behaviour widely thought to reduce the risk of predation by the predator. However, because odour signals persist in the environment, they are vulnerable to exploitation and eavesdropping by predators, prey and conspecifics. As such, scent patches created by one species might attract other species interested in information about their enemies. We studied this phenomenon by examining red fox investigation of odours from conspecifics and competing species in order to understand what prey are responding to when avoiding the odours of a predator. Surprisingly, foxes showed limited interest in conspecific odours but were highly interested in the odours of their competitors (wild dogs and feral cats), suggesting that odours are likely to play an important role in mediating competitive interactions. Importantly, our results identify that simple, dyadic interpretations of prey responses to a predator odour (i.e. cat odour = risk of cat encounter = fear of cats) can no longer be assumed in ecological or psychology research. Instead, interactions mediated by olfactory cues are more complex than previously thought and are likely to form a complicated olfactory web of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Andrew Daly
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jenna P Bytheway
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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11
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Mihailova M, Berg ML, Buchanan KL, Bennett ATD. Olfactory eavesdropping: The odor of feathers is detectable to mammalian predators and competitors. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Milla Mihailova
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Mathew L. Berg
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Katherine L. Buchanan
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Andrew T. D. Bennett
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
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12
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Ayon RE, Putman BJ, Clark RW. Recent encounters with rattlesnakes enhance ground squirrel responsiveness to predator cues. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2378-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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13
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Potts JR, Petrovskii SV. Fortune favours the brave: Movement responses shape demographic dynamics in strongly competing populations. J Theor Biol 2017; 420:190-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Parsons MH, Apfelbach R, Banks PB, Cameron EZ, Dickman CR, Frank ASK, Jones ME, McGregor IS, McLean S, Müller-Schwarze D, Sparrow EE, Blumstein DT. Biologically meaningful scents: a framework for understanding predator-prey research across disciplines. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:98-114. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Parsons
- Department of Biology; Hofstra University; Hempstead NY 11549 U.S.A
- Department of Biological Sciences; Fordham University; Bronx NY 10458 U.S.A
| | - Raimund Apfelbach
- Institut für Neurobiologie; Universität Tübingen; Tübingen 72076 Germany
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Elissa Z. Cameron
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences; The University of Sydney; Camperdown 2006 Australia
| | - Anke S. K. Frank
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
- Botanisches Institut, AG Linstädter; Universität zu Köln; D-50674 Köln Germany
| | - Menna E. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Ian S. McGregor
- School of Psychology, Brain and Mind Centre; University of Sydney; Camperdown 2050 Australia
| | - Stuart McLean
- School of Medicine; University of Tasmania; Hobart TAS 7001 Australia
| | - Dietland Müller-Schwarze
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry; State University of New York; Syracuse NY 13210 U.S.A
| | - Elisa E. Sparrow
- Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges; Willunga 5172 Australia
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA 90095-1606 U.S.A
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Garvey PM, Glen AS, Clout MN, Wyse SV, Nichols M, Pech RP. Exploiting interspecific olfactory communication to monitor predators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2017; 27:389-402. [PMID: 27983773 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 09/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Olfaction is the primary sense of many mammals and subordinate predators use this sense to detect dominant species, thereby reducing the risk of an encounter and facilitating coexistence. Chemical signals can act as repellents or attractants and may therefore have applications for wildlife management. We devised a field experiment to investigate whether dominant predator (ferret Mustela furo) body odor would alter the behavior of three common mesopredators: stoats (Mustela erminea), hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), and ship rats (Rattus rattus). We predicted that apex predator odor would lead to increased detections, and our results support this hypothesis as predator kairomones (interspecific olfactory messages that benefit the receiver) provoked "eavesdropping" behavior by mesopredators. Stoats exhibited the most pronounced responses, with kairomones significantly increasing the number of observations and the time spent at a site, so that their occupancy estimates changed from rare to widespread. Behavioral responses to predator odors can therefore be exploited for conservation and this avenue of research has not yet been extensively explored. A long-life lure derived from apex predator kairomones could have practical value, especially when there are plentiful resources that reduce the efficiency of food-based lures. Our results have application for pest management in New Zealand and the technique of using kairomones to monitor predators could have applications for conservation efforts worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Garvey
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Alistair S Glen
- Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mick N Clout
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah V Wyse
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst Place, RH17 6TN, United Kingdom
| | - Margaret Nichols
- Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Pech
- Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
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16
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Jones ME, Apfelbach R, Banks PB, Cameron EZ, Dickman CR, Frank A, McLean S, McGregor IS, Müller-Schwarze D, Parsons MH, Sparrow E, Blumstein DT. A Nose for Death: Integrating Trophic and Informational Networks for Conservation and Management. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Andersen GE, Johnson CN, Jones ME. Sympatric predator odour reveals a competitive relationship in size-structured mammalian carnivores. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2189-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Vogt K, Hofer E, Ryser A, Kölliker M, Breitenmoser U. Is there a trade-off between scent marking and hunting behaviour in a stalking predator, the Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx? Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Dominant predator odour triggers caution and eavesdropping behaviour in a mammalian mesopredator. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2063-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hughes NK, Banks PB. Olfactory contacts mediate plasticity in male aggression with variable male density. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Males typically adjust their reproductive strategies based on the perceived density and relative abilities of nearby competitors. In high-density populations, repeated encounters facilitate reliable, learned associations between individuals and their relative competitive abilities. In contrast, opportunities to form such associations are limited when densities are low or in flux, increasing the risk that individuals will unintentionally engage in potentially costly interactions with higher-quality or aggressive opponents. To maximize their fitness, individuals in low-density and fluctuating populations therefore need a general way to assess their current social environment, and thus their relative competitive ability. Here, we investigate how olfactory social signals (scent marks) might perform this function. We manipulated the perceived social environment of isolated, male house mice ( Mus domesticus ) via their periodic contact with scent marks from 3 or 9 male conspecifics, or a control of no scents, over 15 days. We then paired them with an unknown opponent and examined how the diversity of recent scent contact mediated their behavior towards dominant or subordinate opponents. There was an overall pattern for increasing scent diversity to significantly reduce male mice’s aggression (tail rattling and lunging) towards their opponents, and also their willingness to engage in reciprocal investigation. Such cautiousness was not indicative of perceived subordinance, however; the diversity of recent scent contact did not affect mice’s investigation of their opponent’s scents, and some measures of aggression were greater when mice faced dominant opponents. These results suggest that house mice can use scent signals to assess their current social environment in the absence of physical interactions, modifying their behavior in ways that are predicted to reduce their risks of injury when the likelihood of encountering unknown opponents increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelika K. Hughes
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052 , Australia (NKH, PBB)
| | - Peter B. Banks
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052 , Australia (NKH, PBB)
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No longer naïve? Generalized responses of rabbits to marsupial predators in Australia. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1976-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Hughes NK, Helsen S, Tersago K, Leirs H. Puumala hantavirus infection alters the odour attractiveness of its reservoir host. Oecologia 2014; 176:955-63. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3072-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Underwood N, Inouye BD, Hambäck PA. A Conceptual Framework for Associational Effects: When Do Neighbors Matter and How Would We Know? QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2014; 89:1-19. [DOI: 10.1086/674991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Competitive naïveté between a highly successful invader and a functionally similar native species. Oecologia 2014; 175:73-84. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2874-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Ancillotto L, Sozio G, Mortelliti A, Russo D. Ultrasonic communication in Gliridae (Rodentia): the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) as a case study. BIOACOUSTICS 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2013.838146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Hughes NK, Kelley JL, Banks PB. Dangerous liaisons: the predation risks of receiving social signals. Ecol Lett 2012; 15:1326-1339. [PMID: 22925009 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01856.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nelika K. Hughes
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Kelley
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Peter B. Banks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Sydney; Sydney New South Wales 2006 Australia
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Hamer R, Lemckert FL, Banks PB. Adult frogs are sensitive to the predation risks of olfactory communication. Biol Lett 2011; 7:361-3. [PMID: 21227975 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.1127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is a common sensory mode of communication in much of the Vertebrata, although its use by adult frogs remains poorly studied. Being part of an open signalling system, odour cues can be exploited by 'eavesdropping' predators that hunt by smell, making association with odour a high-risk behaviour for prey. Here, we show that adult great barred frogs (Mixophes fasciolatus) are highly attracted to odour cues of conspecifics and those of sympatric striped marsh frogs (Limnodynastes peronii). This attraction decreased significantly with the addition of odours of a scent-hunting predator, the red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus), indicating that frogs perceived predation risks from associating with frog odours. Male frogs, however, maintained some attraction to unfamiliar conspecific scents even with predator odours present, suggesting that they perceived benefits of odour communication despite the risk. Our results indicate that adult frogs can identify species and individuals from their odours and assess the associated predation risk, revealing a complexity in olfactory communication previously unknown in adult anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowena Hamer
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
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Hughes NK, Banks PB. Interacting effects of predation risk and signal patchiness on activity and communication in house mice. J Anim Ecol 2009; 79:88-97. [PMID: 19941627 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01630.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
1. Social signalling can be risky when signals are open to exploitation by eavesdropping predators. Unlike other signal modalities, olfactory signals cannot be 'switched off' in the presence of an eavesdropping predator, leaving receivers of scent signals at an increased risk of predation long after the signaller has moved on. Yet individuals of some olfactorily communicating species appear unwilling to forego the receiving of signals under an increased risk of predation. Foraging theory predicts that predation risk can operate at multiple spatial scales, however, such that prey behaviour should be sensitive to the broader olfactory environment beyond the risks of a single point source of odour. 2. Here, we use the house mouse Mus domesticus to test whether the spatial distribution and overall level of receiving activity varies with the spatial distribution of conspecific scent signals and the risks posed by an eavesdropping predator, the cat Felis catus. We assessed the mice's responses to these risks using overall visitation, activity and scent marking rates at conspecific scented locations (in clumped, random or regular distributions) and the surrounding matrix (non-scented) locations with and without a predator cue (cat urine). We then used univariate and bivariate spatial point pattern analyses to assess behavioural responses (activity) to both treatments across a range of spatial scales. 3. Visitation, activity and scent marking rates were not affected by the predator cue or the spatial distribution of scents. But these non-significant results masked a fine scale anti-predatory response. Mouse activity was significantly more clustered at small scales when in the presence of the predator cue; this response held across all spatial distribution treatments. Mice were also sensitive to the predation risks of clumped scents, and dispersed their activity at intermediate scales significantly more when exposed to the predator cue, than in the control scent treatment. 4. These results suggest that olfactorily communicating species use scale-sensitive anti-predatory behavioural changes to compensate for their increased risks of predation when receiving scent signals. We highlight the importance of examining a variety of scales when investigating predator-prey interactions, and discuss the implications of these findings for behaviourally responsive predators and prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelika K Hughes
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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