scholarly journals Simulating more realistic predation threat using attack playbacks

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e8149
Author(s):  
Mukta Watve ◽  
Sebastian Prati ◽  
Barbara Taborsky
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Induced Responses ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Predation Threat ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Experimental Animals ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Visual Predator ◽  
Predator Odour ◽  
Predator Behaviour

Use of virtual proxies of live animals are rapidly gaining ground in studies of animal behaviour. Such proxies help to reduce the number of live experimental animals needed to stimulate the behaviour of experimental individuals and to increase standardisation. However, using too simplistic proxies may fail to induce a desired effect and/or lead to quick habituation. For instance, in a predation context, prey often employ multimodal cues to detect predators or use specific aspects of predator behaviour to assess threat. In a live interaction, predator and prey often show behaviours directed towards each other, which are absent in virtual proxies. Here we compared the effectiveness of chemical and visual predator cues in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, a species in which predation pressure has been the evolutionary driver of its sociality. We created playbacks of predators simulating an attack and tested their effectiveness in comparison to a playback showing regular activity and to a live predator. We further compared the effectiveness of predator odour and conspecific skin extracts on behaviours directed towards a predator playback. Regular playbacks of calmly swimming predators were less effective than live predators in stimulating a focal individual’s aggression and attention. However, playbacks mimicking an attacking predator induced responses much like a live predator. Chemical cues did not affect predator directed behaviour.

scholarly journals Predator scent induces differing responses in two sympatric macropodids

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Ramp ◽  
Ben G. Russell ◽  
David B. Croft
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Alarm Call ◽  
Predator Detection ◽  
Ecological Constraints ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Aversive Response ◽  
Predator Odour

When prey species encounter the scent of a predator they must make a decision on how to respond. This may be either to ignore, flee, hide or alarm call. While many species are able to derive detailed information from the chemical cues associated with predator scent, for some the decision to respond is often made without being able to identify the actual location and intentions of the predator. Depending on the sociality and ecology of the species, it may pay to flee or to engage in predator inspection where knowledge is impure. We tested for this in two sympatric marsupial macropodids, the parma wallaby (Macropus parma) and the red-necked pademelon (Thylogale thetis), as little is known of how these species detect and respond to olfactory cues of predation risk. We observed that, when presented with a synthetic predator scent mimicking dog urine, the social forager, T. thetis, tended to spend more time close to the predator odour, while the solitary forager, M. parma, exhibited an aversive response. The results suggest that social and ecological constraints on the sensory modalities used in predator detection may influence how macropodids respond to olfactory predator cues.

scholarly journals Periwinkle climbing response to water- and airbone predator chemical cues may depend on home-marsh geography

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5744 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Carroll ◽  
Morgan B. Church ◽  
Christopher M. Finelli
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Salt Marsh ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Chemical Cue ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Littorina Irrorata ◽  
Spatial Refuge ◽  
Response To Water

The salt marsh periwinkle, Littorina irrorata, exhibits a spatial refuge from predation by climbing the stems of Spartina alterniflora in order to avoid benthic predators. Salt marsh periwinkles have a broad geographic distribution, and for many species, responses to predators also varies with biogeography. This study sought to determine if the geographical location of the home marsh influenced the response of periwinkles (climbing height) to blue crab predator cues both via air and water. Snails from Louisiana (LA) climbed higher in general than those from North Carolina (NC), regardless of chemical cue. However, LA snails climbed 11 cm higher in the presence of waterborne predators than control snails with no cue, while NC snails only climbed five cm higher in the same comparisons. Airborne chemical cue tended to have snails climbing at intermediate heights. These responses were significantly enhanced when both populations of snails were housed together. Periwinkle response to predator cues was stronger in LA than NC, and so it is possible that the behavioral response of these snails to predators varies with biogeography of the home marsh. Also interestingly, the results of this study also suggest that cue delivery is probably occurring via mechanisms other than water, and potentially via airborne cues. Therefore, salt marsh periwinkles likely respond to numerous cues that initiate behavioral responses, including airborne cues, and these responses may vary by home-marsh geography.

Predator chemical cues affect prey feeding activity differently in juveniles and adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley R. Johnston ◽  
Markus Molis ◽  
Ricardo A. Scrosati
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Life History Stage ◽  
Ontogenetic Changes ◽  
Nucella Lapillus ◽  
Nonconsumptive Effects ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Predator Effects

Nonconsumptive predator effects on prey behaviour are common in nature, but the possible influence of prey life-history stage on such responses is poorly known. We investigated whether prey life-history stage may be a factor affecting prey feeding activity responses to predator chemical cues, for which we used dogwhelks ( Nucella lapillus (L., 1758)) and their main prey, barnacles ( Semibalanus balanoides (L., 1758)), as a model system. Barnacles use their modified legs (cirri) to filter food from the water column. Through a manipulative laboratory experiment, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of dogwhelks affects the frequency of leg swipes differently in juvenile and adult barnacles. Juveniles showed a similar feeding activity with and without nearby dogwhelks, but adults exhibited a significantly lower frequency of leg swipes when dogwhelks were present. Such an ontogenetic change in the response of barnacles to predatory cues might have evolved as a result of dogwhelks preferring adult barnacles over juvenile barnacles, as found previously. Alternatively, barnacles could learn to recognize predator cues as they age, as shown for other prey species. Overall, our study indicates that the nonconsumptive effects of predators on prey need to be fully understood under consideration of the possible ontogenetic changes in prey responses to predator cues.

scholarly journals Male reproductive suppression in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Fitzpatrick ◽  
J.K. Desjardins ◽  
K.A. Stiver ◽  
R. Montgomerie ◽  
S. Balshine
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Suppression ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding

The Organisation of Behaviour in Hermit Crabs: Responses To Variation in Stimulus Strength

Behaviour ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 134 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 59-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Hazlett
Keyword(s):  
Hermit Crab ◽  
Step Function ◽  
Hermit Crabs ◽  
Stimulus Strength ◽  
Full Strength ◽  
Visual Predator ◽  
Chemical Stimuli ◽  
Function Relationship ◽  
Predator Odour

AbstractChemical stimuli were presented to individuals of the hermit crab Diogenes avarus to determine the nature of the interactions between stimuli that elicit conflicting responses. The odour of degraded snail flesh (a signal associated with potential empty shells) elicited an increase in both locomotion and the rate of grasping of gastropod shells. The odour of a visual predator (Matuta lunaris) elicited a cessation of locomotion by the hermit crabs. When snail flesh odour was presented in combination with various strengths of the predator odour (5% to 100%), the responses tended to show a step-function relationship to stimulus strength. Predator inhibition of snail-induced grasping dominated until predator strength was just 5% of full strength odour. However, 5% predator odour alone induced a response similar to full strength predator odour. In the case of locomotion, snail-induced increases predominated no matter what the strength of the predator odour. For both behaviours, responses of hermit crabs tended to be hierarchical rather than graded.

Large group size yields group stability in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher

Behaviour ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 142 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1615-1641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Taborsky ◽  
Lyanne Brouwer ◽  
Dik Heg ◽  
Zina Bachar
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
The Body ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Neolamprologus Pulcher ◽  
Large Group ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Group Members ◽  
One Year ◽  
Large Groups

AbstractGroup size has been shown to positively influence survival of group members in many cooperatively breeding vertebrates, including the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, suggesting Allee effects. However, long-term data are scarce to test how these survival differences translate into changes in group extinction risk, group size and composition. We show in a field study of 117 groups from six different colonies (three from two populations each), that group size critically influences these parameters between years. Within one year, 34% of the groups went extinct. Group size correlated positively between years and large groups did not go extinct. The latter were more likely to contain small helpers the subsequent year, which is a cumulative measure of the previous months' reproductive success. Finally, there was a tendency that large groups were more likely to contain a breeding male and female still a year after the first check. The breeder male size, breeder female size, and largest helper size did not influence these parameters, and also did not correlate with the sizes of these categories of fish after one year. This suggests that group size, and not the body size or fighting ability of group members, was the critical variable determining the success of groups. In total, seven groups had fused with other groups between years. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing long-term benefits of large group size in a cooperatively breeding fish. We discuss the importance of differential survival and dispersal of group members for the demonstrated group size effects.

Threat-sensitive predator avoidance by slimy sculpins: understanding the importance of visual versus chemical information

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 867-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas P Chivers ◽  
Reehan S Mirza ◽  
Pamela J Bryer ◽  
Joseph M Kiesecker
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiment ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Predator Avoidance ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Salvelinus Fontinalis ◽  
Chemical Information ◽  
Cottus Cognatus ◽  
Predation Threat

The supposition that prey animals assess and behave flexibly in response to different degrees of predation threat is known as the threat-sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis. We completed a series of field and laboratory experiments to examine whether slimy sculpins (Cottus cognatus) exhibit threat-sensitive predator avoidance when exposed to sympatric predatory brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). In a field experiment we caged small and large trout in similar habitats and found that sculpins avoided areas containing trout that were large enough to pose a threat to them, but did not avoid areas containing trout that were small and hence not a threat. In a series of laboratory experiments we found that sculpins showed threat-sensitive predator avoidance when they could assess the predator visually. However, when only chemical cues from the predator were presented, sculpins responded to the predator regardless of its size. Chemical cues seem to function to warn the sculpin that the predator is in the vicinity, but visual cues are needed in order to accurately assess the risk posed by the predator.

scholarly journals Seeing is believing: information content and behavioural response to visual and chemical cues

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1763) ◽  
pp. 20130886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco G. Gonzálvez ◽  
Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gironés
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Oecophylla Smaragdina ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Predator Cues ◽  
Conflicting Demands ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Examination Time ◽  
Foraging Time

Predator avoidance and foraging often pose conflicting demands. Animals can decrease mortality risk searching for predators, but searching decreases foraging time and hence intake. We used this principle to investigate how prey should use information to detect, assess and respond to predation risk from an optimal foraging perspective. A mathematical model showed that solitary bees should increase flower examination time in response to predator cues and that the rate of false alarms should be negatively correlated with the relative value of the flower explored. The predatory ant, Oecophylla smaragdina , and the harmless ant , Polyrhachis dives , differ in the profile of volatiles they emit and in their visual appearance. As predicted, the solitary bee Nomia strigata spent more time examining virgin flowers in presence of predator cues than in their absence. Furthermore, the proportion of flowers rejected decreased from morning to noon, as the relative value of virgin flowers increased. In addition, bees responded differently to visual and chemical cues. While chemical cues induced bees to search around flowers, bees detecting visual cues hovered in front of them. These strategies may allow prey to identify the nature of visual cues and to locate the source of chemical cues.

FORAGING TRADE-OFFS AND PREDATOR INSPECTION IN AN OSTARIOPHYSAN FISH: SWITCHING FROM CHEMICAL TO VISUAL CUES

Behaviour ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Cowan ◽  
Grant Brown
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Potential Predator ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Predator Inspection ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Predator Behaviour

AbstractUnder laboratory conditions, we investigated the presence of a foraging trade-off in the chemical predator inspection behaviour of finescale dace (Chrosomus neogaeus). Dace were fed ad libitum, or food deprived for 24 or 48 hours and allowed to inspect a live yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in the presence of the chemical cues of a perch fed dace (with alarm pheromone) or swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri; without alarm pheromones). Dace exposed to the odour of a perch fed swordtails exhibited no evidence of a trade-off in either anti-predator behaviour or predator inspection behaviour. When fed ad libitum and exposed to the odour of a perch fed dace, individuals exhibited significantly greater anti-predator behaviour (increased shoaling, decreased area use and greater frequency of dashing and freezing behaviour) when compared to the swordtail diet control. Predator inspection behaviour was also significantly affected (increased latency to inspect and minimum distance approached towards the predator and fewer inspectors per visit). However, when food deprived for 24 or 48 hours, dace exhibited no differences in either anti-predator or predator inspection behaviour when exposed to the odour of perch fed dace versus perch fed swordtails. These data demonstrate that predator inspection behaviour based on the chemical cues of a potential predator is subject to foraging trade-offs and that individual prey may reduce their overall risk of predation by increasing the use of visual cues.

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