Behavioural responses of free‐ranging western grey kangaroos (<i><scp>M</scp>acropus fuliginosus</i>) to olfactory cues of historical and recently introduced predators

Mella, Valentina S. A.; Cooper, Christine; Davies, Stephen

doi:10.1111/aec.12050

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Sullivan ; Kats & Dill ; Mella et al. ). Here we have not investigated the time sniffing at the cue, which may be a response to any novel cue (Mella et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European Roe Deer Increase Vigilance When Faced with Immediate Predation Risk by Eurasian Lynx

2015

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These authors contributed equally to the study. AbstractPrey animals must balance antipredatory behaviour with foraging behaviour. According to the risk allocation hypothesis, prey increase antipredatory behaviour and reduce foraging activity during pulses of high risk, but with continuous risk, other activities must continue and antipredatory behaviour decreases despite the risk. We studied the impact of lynx presence on the vigilance behaviour of wild roe deer under conditions of (i) a pulsed elevated risk by experimentally spreading lynx urine as an olfactory cue, and (ii) continuous risk by comparing an area where lynx was eradicated 160 years ago to an area where lynx has been re-introduced 30 years ago. Roe deer were extremely vigilant in response to the predator olfactory cue; however, roe deer vigilance did not differ measurably among areas with or without potential lynx presence. Deer were more vigilant before sunset than during the night at both study areas, probably due to long-term adaptation of roe deer to human hunting during daytime. Vigilance decreased from August to September even though activity of lynx increases in autumn, which may be a result either of increased foraging due to decrease in food quality in autumn, or of changes in social organization of the deer. Our results suggested that the degree of vigilance depends on environmental cues. We found that roe deer respond to lynx urine despite a long absence of lynx in the ecosystem. Our results support the risk allocation hypothesis for responses to pulses of high risk but not for responses to continuous elevated levels of risk.

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“…Sullivan ; Kats & Dill ; Mella et al. ). Here we have not investigated the time sniffing at the cue, which may be a response to any novel cue (Mella et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European Roe Deer Increase Vigilance When Faced with Immediate Predation Risk by Eurasian Lynx

2015

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“…As possums reduced proportional time allocation to foraging, they increased time spent investigating (Figure b), possibly to further assess food quality in deciding whether or not to stay. Many species investigate odour cues to obtain detailed information about the environment (Mella, Cooper, & Davies, ; Pfister, Müller‐Schwarze, & Balph, ; Ramp, Russel, & Croft, ). With high‐quality diets, it may have been immediately clear to possums that food was good and the patch was valuable .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We then quantified behaviours at the feeding stations after Mella, Banks et al. (). These included foraging (i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visit, consume and quit: Patch quality affects the three stages of foraging

Mella

Possell

Troxell-Smith

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Foraging is a three-stage process during which animals visit patches, consume food and quit. Foraging theory exploring relative patch quality has mostly focused on patch use and quitting decisions, ignoring the first crucial step for any forager: finding food. Yet, the decision to visit a patch is just as important as the decision to quit, as quitting theories can only be used if animals visit patches in the first place. Therefore, to better understand the foraging process and predict its outcomes, it is necessary to explore its three stages together. We used the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) as a model to investigate foraging decisions in response to food varying in quality. In particular, we tested whether patch nutritional quality affected the following: (1) patch visits; (2) behaviours at the patch during a foraging visit; and (3) patch quitting decisions (quantified using giving up density-GUD). Free-ranging possums were presented with diets varying in nitrogen content and concomitantly volatile organic compound (VOC) composition at feeding stations in the wild. We found that possums were able to distinguish between different quality foods from afar, despite the location of the diets changed daily. Possums used VOC (i.e. odour cues) emitted by the diets to find and select patches from a distance. High-quality diets with higher protein and lower fibre were visited more often and for longer. Possums spent more time foraging on diets high in nutritional content, resulting in lower GUDs. Our study provides important quantitative evidence that foraging efficiency plays out during all the three stages of the foraging process (i.e. visit, consume and quit), and demonstrates the significance of considering all these stages together in future studies and foraging models. Sensory cues such as food odours play a critical role in helping foragers, including mammalian herbivores, find high-quality food. This allows foragers to make quick, accurate and important decisions about food patches well before patch quitting decisions come into play.

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“…Most studies to date have focused on assessing either direct or indirect cues alone (e.g. Mella, Cooper & Davies 2014, but see Thorson et al, 1998;Shrader et al, 2008;McArthur et al, 2011) or were conducted in captive conditions (e.g. Mella, Cooper & Davies, 2010a;Nersesian, Banks & McArthur, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating multiple cues of predation risk in a landscape of fear: what scares free‐ranging brushtail possums?

2014

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Herbivores live in a landscape of fear and must incorporate danger in their foraging decisions, balancing their need of food and safety using a variety of cues to assess the risk of predation. These cues can either be direct (i.e. signalling the possible presence of a predator) or indirect (i.e. linked to the likelihood of encountering a predator). How then do herbivores negotiate these multiple cues in the landscape? And which type of cues do foraging herbivores use to assess variation in predation risk? We examined these questions by investigating the foraging responses of a free-ranging marsupial herbivore, the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula to perceived predation risk. We found that indirect habitatrelated cues of predation (i.e. feeder location) consistently influenced foraging, while other more variable indirect (i.e. illumination) and direct cues (i.e. predator odour) did not. Giving-up-density at above-ground feeders was always lower than at on-ground feeders. Possums spent more time and foraged more at the aboveground feeders than at the on-ground feeders. Our results demonstrate that when multiple cues are present, varying in the accuracy of the information they provide about predation risk, possums respond to habitat-related cues. Possums manage risk by modifying behaviours, reducing time spent foraging in areas where potential risk is perceived as high. Thus, when the location of a predator at a certain point in time and space is unknown, and food demands are high, habitat-related cues are a safe choice to assess predation risk, with reliable returns for free-ranging herbivores.

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Behavioural responses of free‐ranging western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) to olfactory cues of historical and recently introduced predators

Abstract: responses of free-ranging western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) to olfactory cues of historical and recently introduced predators. Austral Ecology 39 (1): pp. 115-121, which has been published in final form at

Cited by 26 publications

References 59 publications

European Roe Deer Increase Vigilance When Faced with Immediate Predation Risk by Eurasian Lynx

European Roe Deer Increase Vigilance When Faced with Immediate Predation Risk by Eurasian Lynx

Visit, consume and quit: Patch quality affects the three stages of foraging

Negotiating multiple cues of predation risk in a landscape of fear: what scares free‐ranging brushtail possums?

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