Hunger makes apex predators do risky things

Boutin, Stan

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12815

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…It is thus likely that hunger and the lack of preferred food (kelp) played a role in our observations such that urchins were more likely to attack a sea star under elevated hunger levels and decreased food availability. Indeed, elevated hunger levels can increase risky behaviours (Boutin, 2018) and can result in animals ingesting harmful food items (Crossley et al., 2018; Gilette et al., 2000). In addition, the tank in which these attacks occurred had an urchin:sea star ratio of ≈80:1.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Urchin pinning”: Behavioural observations reveal how hungry urchins actively prey upon their sea star predators

2021

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Green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) are dominant components of benthic ecosystems that form aggregations and can transform entire kelp forests into barren systems. While these urchins are known to unwittingly consume practically anything in their path while grazing, detailed descriptions of active predatory behaviour on known predators (i.e., predator–prey reversal) are undocumented. Here, we use laboratory observations to describe the behavioural tactics used by starved S. droebachiesis to actively attack and consume sea stars, Crossaster papposus—a known predator of S. droebachiensis. We observed urchins preying on three separate sea stars, with one being substantially consumed by urchins within 24 hr. Urchins exhibited a direct mode of attack on sea stars by individually mounting and consuming the tips of the arms. Interestingly, we did not observe any conflict between individual urchins for attacking the sea star despite there being ≈80 starving urchins in the tank (and only 10–12 arms on the sea stars). Some sea stars did not attempt to escape urchin predation at all, while others attempted to escape by fleeing and lifting arms on top of the urchins. Given that sensory perception in sea stars is largely derived from the arm tips, we suggest that urchins directly attack and consume many sea star arm tips in an attempt to “pin” sea stars before consuming them. As such, we term this predatory behaviour “urchin pinning.” These observations ultimately provide the first detailed behavioural documentation of how urchins actively prey on a known predator and provide a basis for a wealth of future research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Urchin pinning”: Behavioural observations reveal how hungry urchins actively prey upon their sea star predators

2021

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“…Additionally, more settlement combined with forest cover increase may develop more wildland-urban interfaces (WUIs)-the areas where settlement and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle [14]. It has been shown that animal behaviour is more risky in WUIs [55,56] and human-animal conflicts are more likely in WUIs, negatively affecting wildlife conservation efforts [57]. In the past, a significant WUI increase was observed in the study area [58], and our results showed that this increase may also continue in the future.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Future Land Use Change on Large Carnivores Connectivity in the Polish Carpathians

Kaim

Ziółkowska

Szwagrzyk

et al. 2019

Land

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The Polish Carpathians, like many mountain areas in Europe, are currently facing dynamic land use changes that will shape their future landscapes. As there are many different possible scenarios of potential change, we compared three different land use scenarios up until the year 2060 and assessed their impact on the potential habitat connectivity of two large carnivores—wolf (Canis lupus) and lynx (Lynx lynx). We first analysed the main directions of change within and outside the pan-European wildlife corridor located in the western part of the Polish Carpathians. Then we calculated and compared least-cost paths among randomly selected points for each land use scenario separately. Our results showed that the main direction of change—forest cover increase—may positively influence habitat connectivity for both wolf and lynx. However, due to the future spread of settlements, this positive impact might be locally limited. Therefore, to realise the potential conservation opportunities resulting from on-going land use changes, adequate orientation of spatial planning towards habitat connectivity is crucial.

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“…Central to current frameworks of animal behavior and movement ecology (Abrahms et al. 2021 , Boutin 2018 , Gaynor et al. 2019 , Lewis et al.…”

Section: Information: a Missing Link In Understanding Animal Movement...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Olfactory Landscape Concept: A Key Source of Past, Present, and Future Information Driving Animal Movement and Decision-making

Finnerty¹,

McArthur

Banks

et al. 2022

BioScience

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Odor is everywhere, emitted across the landscape from predators, prey, decaying carcasses, conspecifics, vegetation, surface water, and smoke. Many animals exploit odor to find food, avoid threats, and attract or judge potential mates. Here, we focus on odor in terrestrial ecosystems to introduce the concept of an olfactory landscape: real-time dynamic olfactory contours reflecting the patchy distribution of resources and risks, providing a key source of information used by many animals in their movement and decision-making. Incorporating the olfactory landscape into current frameworks of movement ecology and animal behavior will provide a mechanistic link to help answer significant questions about where, why, and when many animals move, and how they do so efficiently in both space and time. By understanding how animals use the olfactory landscape to make crucial decisions affecting their fitness, we can then manipulate the landscape to modify ecological interactions and, ultimately, ecosystem consequences of these interactions.

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Hunger makes apex predators do risky things

Cited by 7 publications

References 15 publications

“Urchin pinning”: Behavioural observations reveal how hungry urchins actively prey upon their sea star predators

“Urchin pinning”: Behavioural observations reveal how hungry urchins actively prey upon their sea star predators

Impact of Future Land Use Change on Large Carnivores Connectivity in the Polish Carpathians

The Olfactory Landscape Concept: A Key Source of Past, Present, and Future Information Driving Animal Movement and Decision-making

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