Predator avoidance training of the endangered lizard from El Hierro (Canary Islands): A new management strategy before reintroduction into the wild

Burunat-Pérez, Gisela; Suárez-Rancel, Mercedes; Molina‐Borja, Miguel

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2018.09.010

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…For example, Shier and Owings (2007) found that training black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus to recognize novel predators prior to release decreased their susceptibility to predation. Similar findings have been documented in other taxa, including birds (e.g., White et al 2005;Guadioso et al 2011;Cortez et al 2015), reptiles (Burunat-Pérez et al 2018), amphibians (Teixeira and Young 2014), and fishes (Mirza and Chivers 2000;Vilhunen 2006;D'Anna et al 2012). However, the potential advantages of predator training vary by species and perhaps even population (e.g., Smith and Blumstein 2012;Belgrad and Griffen 2016;Toscano 2017;Jolly et al 2018;Blumstein et al 2019;Greggor et al 2019;Muralidhar et al 2019;Tetzlaff et al 2019).…”

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confidence: 88%

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Assessing Antipredator Behavior and the Potential to Enhance It in a Species of Conservation Concern

et al. 2023

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Animal behavior has the potential to guide the management of populations at risk of extirpation. This includes insights into how animals respond to novel predators and whether those responses can be enhanced to improve survival. Training hatchery-reared fish to recognize predators has been proposed as a way to reduce postrelease mortalities in the wild. Identifying the presence of innate predator recognition and the capacity for learning to recognize predators in specific species or populations can inform conservation management practices. Here, antipredator behavior (time spent moving and distance from a predator) and the efficacy of predator training were assessed for three populations of a species of conservation concern, the Arkansas Darter Etheostoma cragini, which is vulnerable to predation by esocid predators like the introduced Northern Pike Esox lucius. Arkansas Darters demonstrated some innate ability to recognize and respond to a novel esocid predator and also responded to predator cues (training), although the direction of the response to cues was opposite our prediction. Populations differed in their response to the predator treatment, highlighting the value of managing populations separately. Although the fitness consequences of exposure to predator cues remain to be tested in Arkansas Darters, our results suggest that antipredator behavior is innate and that exposure to predator cues does affect behavior; however, whether or how those behavioral changes affect survival is unclear. This study demonstrates the importance of testing enrichment practices and incorporating behavioral observations into conservation programs to guide population-specific management decisions.The study of animal behavior can be an effective tool that conservation practitioners use to successfully manage species of conservation concern (Blumstein and Fernández-Juricic 2010). For example, the study of antipredator behavior can elucidate how animals respond to human-caused changes in the predator community,

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confidence: 88%

“…2015), reptiles (Burunat‐Pérez et al. 2018), amphibians (Teixeira and Young 2014), and fishes (Mirza and Chivers 2000; Vilhunen 2006; D'Anna et al. 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Assessing Antipredator Behavior and the Potential to Enhance It in a Species of Conservation Concern

et al. 2023

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“…Predation pressure on endemic reptiles could be further reduced by increasing snake capturability through the use of synthetic odour-based lures matching snake prey preference [49] or sexual pheromones [84]. Complementarily, endemic reptiles could be trained to avoid snake predation [87], following previous experiences with other species (including closely related ones [88]), which would enable species translocation to reinforce local populations and prevent their total extirpation. From a broader perspective, we underline the need to fill the current information gap regarding invasive snakes and their negative ecological consequences, so as to raise awareness and promote the implementation of effective management measures royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb Proc.…”

Section: Conclusion and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive snake causes massive reduction of all endemic herpetofauna on Gran Canaria

Piquet

López-Darias

2021

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Invasive snakes represent a serious threat to island biodiversity, being responsible for far-reaching impacts that are noticeably understudied, particularly regarding native reptiles. We analysed the impact of the invasive California kingsnake, Lampropeltis californiae —recently introduced in the Canary Islands—on the abundance of all endemic herpetofauna of the island of Gran Canaria. We quantified the density in invaded and uninvaded sites for the Gran Canaria giant lizard, Gallotia stehlini , the Gran Canaria skink, Chalcides sexlineatus , and Boettger's wall gecko, Tarentola boettgeri . We used spatially explicit capture-recapture and distance-sampling methods for G. stehlini and active searches under rocks for the abundance of the other two reptiles. The abundance of all species was lower in invaded sites, with a reduction in the number of individuals greater than 90% for G. stehlini , greater than 80% for C. sexlineatus and greater than 50% for T. boettgeri in invaded sites. Our results illustrate the severe impact of L. californiae on the endemic herpetofauna of Gran Canaria and highlight the need for strengthened measures to manage this invasion. We also provide further evidence of the negative consequences of invasive snakes on island reptiles and emphasize the need for further research on this matter on islands worldwide.

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“…For example, captive‐raised tammar wallabies ( Macropus eugenii ) that do not exhibit natural predator‐avoidance behaviors can be successfully trained to avoid foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) before release by exposing them to taxidermy foxes as model predators. Similar conditioning techniques have also been used on El Hierro giant lizards ( Gallotia simonyi ) who subsequently change their behavior when in the presence of cats and kestrels (Burunat‐Pérez, Suárez‐Rancel, & Molina‐Borja, ). Yet, the outcome of training is not always successful.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Educating the enemy: Harnessing learned avoidance behavior in wild predators to increase survival of reintroduced southern corroboree frogs

Umbers

Riley

Kelly

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

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After decades of near‐complete extirpation, the yellow‐and‐black‐striped Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is being reintroduced into field enclosures that exclude all but avian predators. The frog's long absence means avian attack risk to reintroduced individuals is unknown, so we asked: does corroboree frog coloration make them vulnerable to predators? First, using painted clay frog models and humans as proxy predators, we found that, surprisingly, striped models were as difficult to detect as control black models, and were far less detectable than yellow models. Second, to quantify attack probabilities, we deployed 2,304 models twice in the species' former range. Of our recovered models, 18% of the striped models were attacked by birds, suggesting they are a significant threat. In our second deployment, we saw a significant reduction in attacks on all model colors with only 10% of striped models attacked. If predators generalize their avoidance learning to real corroboree frogs, strategically timed model deployment near release sites may enhance the probability of survival of reintroduced frogs. Our study suggests that model deployment could be an effective low‐cost technique to increase the survival of reintroduced prey species, including, but not limited to, those potentially conspicuous to their natural enemies.

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Predator avoidance training of the endangered lizard from El Hierro (Canary Islands): A new management strategy before reintroduction into the wild

Cited by 13 publications

References 32 publications

Assessing Antipredator Behavior and the Potential to Enhance It in a Species of Conservation Concern

Assessing Antipredator Behavior and the Potential to Enhance It in a Species of Conservation Concern

Invasive snake causes massive reduction of all endemic herpetofauna on Gran Canaria

Educating the enemy: Harnessing learned avoidance behavior in wild predators to increase survival of reintroduced southern corroboree frogs

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