Responses to alarm calls by California ground squirrels: Effects of call structure and maternal status

1978 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Leger ◽  
Donald H. Owings
Keyword(s):  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Call Structure ◽  
California Ground Squirrels ◽  
Maternal Status

scholarly journals Alarm calls elicit predator-specific physiological responses

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 623-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill M. Mateo
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Cortisol Response ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Cortisol Responses ◽  
Cortisol Increase ◽  
Physiological Reactions ◽  
Very High

Glucocorticoids regulate glucose concentrations and responses to unpredictable events, while also modulating cognition. Juvenile Belding's ground squirrels ( Urocitellus beldingi ) learn to respond to whistle and trill alarm calls, warning of aerial and terrestrial predators, respectively, shortly after emerging from natal burrows at one month of age. Alarm calls can cause physiological reactions and arousal, and this arousal, coupled with watching adult responses, might help juveniles learn associations between calls and behavioural responses. I studied whether young show differential cortisol responses to alarm and non-alarm calls, using playbacks of U. beldingi whistles, trills, squeals (a conspecific control vocalization) and silent controls. Trills elicited very high cortisol responses, and, using an individual's response to the silent control as baseline, only their response to a trill was significantly higher than baseline. This cortisol increase would provide glucose for extended vigilance and escape efforts, which is appropriate for evading terrestrial predators which hunt for long periods. Although whistles do not elicit a cortisol response, previous research has shown that they do result in bradycardia, which enhances attention and information processing. This is a novel demonstration of two physiological responses to two alarm calls, each appropriate to the threats represented by the calls.

scholarly journals Geographic variability in the alarm calls of the European ground squirrel

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Schneiderová ◽  
Lucie Štefanská ◽  
Lukáš Kratochvíl
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Ground Squirrel ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Geographic Variability ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Spermophilus Citellus ◽  
Different Origins

Abstract Geographic variability in vocalizations has been documented in many mammalian species. We examined to what extent it applies to the alarm calls of the European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus. We recorded the calls of 82 adult individuals from 5 natural colonies in the Czech Republic and 24 adult individuals from an artificial seminatural colony located in a Czech zoo. The founders of this colony originated from 4 different natural colonies in the Czech Republic. Our results showed that there are hardly any differences in the acoustic structure of the alarm calls between male and female European ground squirrels. Discriminant function analysis showed the highest degree of discriminability for the most isolated sites (54–74% of individuals classified correctly), whereas the lowest degree of discriminability was found for 2 interconnected colonies (38–40% individuals classified correctly). Individuals from the artificial seminatural colony were often classified correctly to this colony (58% classified correctly); however, the precision of the classification was comparatively relatively low, that is, many individuals from other colonies were incorrectly classified into this seminatural colony. This likely corresponds to the different origins of its founders. These findings indicate that there is a rather substantial geographic variability in the alarm calls of the European ground squirrel, and our study highlights its possible impact on conservation measures such as establishing artificial colonies or reintroductions.

scholarly journals The song remains the same: Juvenile Richardson’s ground squirrels do not respond differentially to mother’s or colony member’s alarm calls

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 773-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F. Hare ◽  
Kurtis J. Warkentin
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Escape Behavior ◽  
Alarm Call ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Digital Audio ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Postural Responses ◽  
Limited Opportunity ◽  
Predator Model

Abstract Alarm calls are emitted by Richardson’s ground squirrels Urocitellus richardsonii in response to avian and terrestrial predators. Conspecifics detecting these calls respond with increased vigilance, promoting predator detection and evasion, but in doing so, lose time from foraging. That loss can be minimized if alarm call recipients discriminate among signalers, and weight their response accordingly. For juvenile ground squirrels, we predicted that the trade-off between foraging and vigilance could be optimized via selective response to alarm calls emitted by their own dam, and/or neighboring colony members over calls broadcast by less familiar conspecifics. Alarm calls of adult female Richardson’s ground squirrels were elicited in the field using a predator model and recorded on digital audio tape. Free-living focal juveniles were subjected to playbacks of a call of their mother, and on a separate occasion a call from either another adult female from their own colony, or an adult female from another colony. Neither immediate postural responses and escape behavior, nor the duration of vigilance manifested by juveniles differed with exposure to alarm calls of the three adult female signaler types. Thus, juveniles did not respond preferentially to alarm calls emitted by their mothers or colony members, likely reflecting the high cost of ignoring alarm signals where receivers have had limited opportunity to establish past signaler reliability.

The Information Afforded By a Variable Signal: Constraints On Snake-Elicited Tail Flagging By California Ground Squirrels

Behaviour ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 78 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 188-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Hennessy ◽  
Matthew P. Rowe ◽  
Richard G. Coss ◽  
Daniel W. Leger ◽  
Donald H. Owings
Keyword(s):  
Functional Significance ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Structural Parameter ◽  
Behavioral Correlates ◽  
Temporal Parameters ◽  
The Status ◽  
Tail Movement ◽  
Number Of Cycles ◽  
California Ground Squirrels

AbstractIn this paper we report the results of our first efforts to evaluate the functional significance to signaler and perceiver of variation in tail flagging (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2A-C) by California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi). We first report a series of anecdotes in which we describe the circumstances of a variety of tail movements by California ground squirrels, including the different kinds of tail flagging. Secondly and primarily we identify the information afforded by snake-elicited tail flagging. Tail flagging is a signal used by California ground squirrels primarily when they are harassing a potential snake predator (Fig. 4). It attracts other squirrels who may also begin harassing the snake. The risk to squirrels in encounters with snakes continuously varies, and the squirrels adjust their behavior accordingly. Consequently in this situation we expected to find shifts in the information afforded by different tail-flagging variants. We view the information afforded by tail movement and other signals as a consequence, not of selection for making that information available, but of the correlations resulting from situational constraints on the signaler's behavior, e.g., correlations between tail movement variation and variation in significant events. We used two complementary approaches to help determine the information afforded by tail flagging. In one, we asked whether information important to percipients is afforded by tail flagging. In the second, we searched for situational correlates of tail-flagging variants. We applied the second approach to each individual separately and to the group comprising these individuals. This allowed us to look for idiosyncrasies in signaler behavior. Although a relatively simple signal, tail flagging varies along several structural and temporal parameters. From video recordings we quantified a structural parameter- number of movement cycles in a bout of tail flagging - and two temporal parameters- rate and temporal clustering of tail flagging. Our results show that squirrels adjust their tail-flagging behavior in the following ways. 1. When a rattlesnake rattles, harassing squirrels increase the number of cycles per bout of tail flagging. 2. Lone snake-directed squirrels temporally clump their flagging bouts more than snake-directed squirrels accompanied by other snake-directed individuals. 3. The structure of flagging varied with the squirrel's behavior vis-a-vis the snake. While dealing directly with a snake, squirrels emitted relatively few 1-cycle bouts of flagging. While in the vicinity and monitoring snake-related events, but engaged primarily in other activities such as feeding or grooming, squirrels emitted relatively greater numbers of 1-cycle bouts. As one would predict from this difference, individuals were farther from the snake on the average while emitting 1-cycle bouts than while emitting 2-cycle bouts. Adults used far more 2-cycle bouts than 1, and 3 or higher. In the field, bouts of 4-cycles or greater were very rare. We found that the information afforded by a bout of tail flagging was much greater when we considered structural variation, than when we did not. For example, flaggers were more likely on the average to "pause" before than after tail flagging. However, although the same difference held for 1-cycle bouts, just the reverse was true for 3-cycle bouts, and there was little difference in the probability of pausing for 2-cycle bouts. We found similar differences for other behavioral correlates of tail flagging. A percipient could much more precisely predict a tail flagger's behavior by considering signal variation. Our results indicate a percipient can infer from a high proportion of 3-cycle bouts that the flagger is beginning an episode of snake-directed activity, whereas 1-cycle bouts indicate a temporary cessation of snake-directed behavior. We expect to find even greater situational specificity of tail flagging when we simultaneously consider multiple structural dimensions, such as axis of movement and number of cycles. When we looked at the information afforded by a bout of tail flagging separately for individual squirrels, it was clear that the specific behavioral profiles associated with different variants of tail flagging were somewhat idiosyncratic. Thus, a percipient squirrel should be able to infer more from the tail flags of a familiar squirrel than an unfamiliar squirrel. We propose that signals are used to elicit a particular kind of performance from the target(s). The effectiveness of such action depends upon a knowledge of the current status of the individual's target(s). We conclude that variation in tail flagging is constrained in at least three ways: 1) by the number and quality of targets of tail flagging (e.g., snakes, squirrels); 2) by the signaler's certainty about the status of the target(s) (by eliciting behavior in targets, tail flagging may be used in part to extract information about the target's state); and 3) by the quality and availability of feedback (the success of tail flagging is continually assessed on the basis of feedback). The understanding of the functional significance of tail flag variability therefore becomes the problem of understanding how the flagger uses signal adjustments to deal with changes in its circumstances in terms of these three general constraints.

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