Human activity and habitat type affect perceived predation risk in urban white ‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus)
In this study, we investigated how Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) and coarse woody debris (CWD) affected giving‐up density (GUD) in white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Each of three habitat treatments (open flood channel, the edge and interior of the honeysuckle patch) contained cover treatments with coarse woody debris present or absent. The six treatment combinations were compared to environmental variables (temperature, humidity and illumination) and habitat variables to test their effect on GUD. Peromyscus leucopus foraged to lower densities in areas with CWD present and also under the honeysuckle canopy,...
Source: Ethology - February 28, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: William E. Persons, Perri Eason Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Predators, Parasites and Heterospecific Aggregations in Chrysomeline Larvae
Abstract
Gregariousness is a common feature in aposematic insect prey and offers the additional benefit of enhancing the effectiveness of their toxic defences. Aggregations of the aposematic larvae of two species of leaf beetles, Paropsis atomaria and Paropsisterna variicollis, occur together on the same Eucalyptus trees over spring and summer. Conventionally, the colouration of these larvae is thought to provide aposematic protection against vertebrate predators, but supporting evidence is limited. We determine whether environmental preferences contribute to the heterospecific aggregations, and the potential costs for lar...
Source: Ethology - February 22, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Eunice Jingmei Tan, Chris A. M. Reid, Mark A. Elgar Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Strong Competition Does Not Always Predict Play Asymmetry: The Case of South American Sea Lions (Otaria flavescens)
Abstract
Although play fighting has been studied for over a century in both human and non‐human animals, quantitative data on marine mammals are still scarce. Here, we investigated play fighting in South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), one of the most sexually dimorphic species with an extreme polygynous mating system, high levels of both intra‐ and inter‐sexual competition. All these features make South American sea lions a good model species to test some predictions on play fighting. Our results indicate play is restricted to juveniles, being inhibited among adults, and as to be expected in a species that s...
Source: Ethology - February 21, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Clara Llamazares ‐Martín, Chiara Scopa, Federico Guillén‐Salazar, Elisabetta Palagi Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Female House Wrens may Use a Low ‐Amplitude Call as an Aggressive Signal
Abstract
The majority of work on aggressive signaling has focused on male–male contests. Although females in many species compete over important resources, female signals are understudied. In house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), females compete with other females to protect nesting cavities and eggs. We suggest that a high‐pitched, low‐amplitude call, hereafter abbreviated as ‘HI’, may be an aggressive signal used by female house wrens. Using playback of simulated female intruders, we found that females used HI calls significantly more often during playback of female house wrens compared to playback of heterospecific...
Source: Ethology - February 17, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Cara A. Krieg, Alexandra D. Burnett Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
The Influence of Incubation Conditions and Sex on Growth and Dispersal in Hatchling Lizards
Abstract
Dispersal is a critical process that has profound influence on ecological and evolutionary processes. Many proximate factors influence natal dispersal, but it is currently unclear whether the conditions experienced during incubation play an important role. We manipulated incubation temperature and used mark–recapture of released hatchlings to test this hypothesis. We tested this hypothesis on the prairie lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) using two experimental islands in a local reservoir. Incubation conditions influenced some aspects of hatchling morphology, but had little influence on the probability of dispersa...
Source: Ethology - February 16, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Matthew E. Gifford, Christopher D. Robinson, Timothy A. Clay Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis, perched on the back of a Blue Wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, in Telperion Nature Reserve, South Africa. Cattle Egrets remove and consume ticks and flies from large game and cattle; they also catch insects and small vertebrates disturbed by these animals when foraging and travelling. Photograph reproduced by permission of Emmanuel Do Linh San.
(Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - February 15, 2017 Category: Zoology Tags: Front Cover Source Type: research
Visual Discrimination of Kin in Mandrills
Abstract
Phenotype matching, a learning mechanism that evolved based on phenotypic cues shared among relatives, may provide animals with the ability to recognize unfamiliar kin. The generalization of this mechanism across animal species is debated, however, because appropriate tests are difficult to design due to possible confounding effects of familiarity. Hence, only a few studies have examined evidence for the existence of such a mechanism in natural populations. Here, we tested the phenotype matching hypothesis based on visual cues in a semi‐free‐ranging population of mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) that contains ind...
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Marie J. E. Charpentier, M élanie Harté, Barthélémy Ngoubangoye, Anais Herbert, Peter M. Kappeler Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Female Intrasexual Territoriality and its Potential Adaptive Significance: The Pampean Grassland Mouse as an Ecological Model Species
Abstract
Territorial behaviour in female small mammals has been proposed as a mechanism to defend limited ecological resources or their pups against conspecific infanticidal or predators. Female territorial behaviour very often is associated with reproductive activity due to the fact that frequency and intensity of aggression are exhibited mainly when females are pregnant or lactating. In vole and mice species, female territoriality would be a counterstrategy to prevent the killing of their pups by conspecific breeding females. To study whether female territoriality is a strategy for pups or nest defence against infanticid...
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Florencia Bonatto, Jos é Priotto, José Coda, Andrea R. Steinmann Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Evidence for Strategic Sex Allocation in the Guppy (Poecilia reticulata): Brood Sex Ratio and Size Predict Subsequent Adult Male Mating Success
In this study, we examined the relationship between brood sex ratio and reproductive success of sons and daughters, to determine whether female guppies benefit from producing broods with biased sex ratios. We found that sons in male‐biased broods had greater mating success at maturity than sons in female‐biased broods when brood sizes were larger. On the other hand, the reproductive output of daughters was not significantly affected by brood sizes and sex ratios. Our results suggest that female guppies benefit from producing large, male‐biased brood when the reproductive success of sons is expected to be high. (Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Aya Sato, Kenji Karino Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Scavenging Opportunities Modulate Escape Responses over a Small Geographic Scale
Abstract
Many species that inhabit anthropogenically altered landscapes also opportunistically use human food refuse. Gulls readily exploit anthropogenic food sources (e.g. rubbish dumps and other places of human refuse) and often ‘steal’ food from people eating out of doors. Their behaviour suggests that gulls perceive little risk around people and so we examined whether opportunity costs, that is access to anthropogenic food sources, influence risk monitoring and escape responses in Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) around outdoor restaurants (‘food’ sites), where the gulls would scavenge food from p...
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Patricia A. Fleming, Philip W. Bateman Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Dual Function of Chip Calls Depending on Changing Call Rate Related to Risk Level in Territorial Pairs of White ‐Eared Ground‐Sparrows
Abstract
Different mechanisms have been proposed for encoding information into vocalizations: variation of frequency or temporal characteristics, variation in the rate of vocalization production, and use of different vocalization types. We analyze the effect of rate variation on the dual function of chip calls (contact and alarm) produced by White‐eared Ground‐sparrows (Melozone leucotis). We conducted an acoustic playback experiment where we played back 1 min of four chip call rates (12, 36, 60, 84 calls/min). We measured the response of territorial pairs using behavioral responses, and fine structural features of c...
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Carolina M éndez, Luis Sandoval Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Male and Female Soldier Beetles Relax Choice for Mate Quality Across Daily Courtship Periods
Abstract
Mutual mate choice occurs when members of each sex will reject some potential mates in efforts to encounter better prospects later. The decision to reject may represent the interaction between mate preferences, mate availability, and temporal constraints. Theory predicts that mutual mate choice will favor relaxed choosiness as mate availability and time for courtship decline. We explored mutual mate choice in the soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus (Cantharidae), where courtship consisted of males attempting to secure evasive females. We employed field observations, laboratory experiments, and stochastic...
Source: Ethology - February 13, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Ann E. Pratt, Donald J. Shure, Denson K. McLain, Katrina Banderet Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Breeding Experience and not Age Modulates the Song Development of Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca)
Abstract
In songbirds, the development of the species‐specific adult song involves a learning process that varies in extension. In species that incorporate new song elements throughout life (open‐ended learners), variation in male song composition could be the result of either age or breeding experience. Using data from 16 yr of fieldwork on pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), we aimed to disclose the individual contribution of these two factors on the species song characteristics, as well as their relation with morphology and plumage color changes. Finally, we explored whether any of the song or physical features ...
Source: Ethology - February 2, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Alba Motes ‐Rodrigo, Antonieta Labra, Helene M. Lampe Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Fitness Costs of Sexual Harassment –The Price of Persuasion
This study quantified harassment costs in both sexes by observing behavioural responses and long‐term effects of unsolicited mating in a controlled setting. Sexually mature guppies were subjected to two housing treatments: equal sex ratios or single‐sex groups. The effects of male harassment on males and females were assessed by measuring behaviour, growth rate and the number of offspring produced over a period of 6 mo. Contrary to our expectations, our results indicated no significant differences in foraging and growth rates between mixed‐ and single‐sex shoals for either sex. Moreover, there was no significant d...
Source: Ethology - January 31, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Michelle Jerry, Culum Brown Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
The Effect of Familiarity with Demonstrators on Social Learning in Three ‐Spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Abstract
Social learning is an important process in the spread of information, especially in changing environments where inherited behaviors may not remain relevant. In many species, the decision of whom to trust to have reliable information depends on the relationship between individuals. Many fish species, including three‐spined sticklebacks, preferentially associate with familiar individuals. Previous studies in three‐spined sticklebacks have provided mixed evidence about the effect of familiarity on social learning in this species. Therefore, this study further explores familiarity and social learning in sticklebac...
Source: Ethology - January 31, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Rebecca M. Trapp, Alison M. Bell Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
