Patch by Gray Squirrels and Optimal Foraging

Abstract

The use of a naturally patchy distribution of tree seeds by gray squirrels was investigated. In most patches the acorn species allowing the highest rate of energy intake was consumed disproportionately in relation to its low abundance. Foraging was particularly intense in patches where an acorn species offering a lower rate of energy intake was abundant. Calculations made with a model of optimal foraging show that these heavily used patches were those yielding high patch—specific rates of energy intake. The squirrels selected patches yielding high rates of energy intake even though these patches were not sites of concentration of the preferred food.

Using ecology to guide the study of cognitive and neural mechanisms of different aspects of spatial memory in food-hoarding animals

“…In principle then, this strategy could allow rodents to retrieve their caches without needing to remember them. However, grey squirrels often retrieve their caches through snow, which masks olfactory cues (Lewis 1980). Similarly, dry conditions in the deserts in which Merriam's kangaroo rats live make the localization of caches using olfactory cues difficult (Vander Wall 1995.…”

“…Without knowing how much individual species rely on olfaction to retrieve their caches, therefore, it is difficult to make specific predictions about their use of memory, and how long it should last. If winter conditions really prevent the use of olfaction in cache retrieval (Lewis 1980), then squirrels at least would be predicted to rely on memory for retrieval of caches throughout winter. Whether a similar prediction can be made about drought for desert rodents depends on whether they really cannot use olfaction in dry conditions.…”

Optimal Foraging Theory’s Application to Internet Sex Offender Search Behavior: A Theoretical Model for Computer Forensic Investigations

“…This optimal foraging pattern of food allocation has been identified in various types of biological research on birds [20,22,27]; mammals [23][24][25]; and insects [28]. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, foraging techniques were identified by Winterhalder [29] in human hunter-gather societies on the boreal forest Cree, by O'Connell and Hawkes [30] on the Alyawara of Australia, and by Hill and Hawkes [31] in four Amazonian Indian populations.…”

“…The prey choice and diet breadth category refers to an animal's choice of one type of food over another. It has been found in several studies [23][24][25] that animals will pass by certain items in search of others that will yield greater energy intake when such items are clumped or available in a patchy manner. When resources are evenly distributed throughout an environment, it is said to be homogeneous, which leads foragers to consume items randomly and exploit resources in proportion to their availability [19].…”

“…As foraging animals will pass by some patches of food in favor of others that yield a greater source of energy intake [23][24][25], we expect Internet sex offenders to bypass certain websites and entities in favor of others. In determining what websites warrant further allocation of time, Internet sex offenders must have a plan that guides their search.…”