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Journal articles on the topic 'Predatory animals'
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1
El Balaa, Rayan, and Gabriel Blouin-Demers. "Does exposure to cues of fish predators fed different diets affect morphology and performance of Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) larvae?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 91, no. 4 (April 2013): 203–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0232.
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Phenotypic plasticity allows animals to change their morphological and life-history traits when exposed to predator cues, which modifies performance and can enhance survival but engender costs. Thus, the extent of plastic changes should vary in relation to the perceived risk of predation. We tested the hypothesis that plastic changes in morphology (and their effect on performance) and life history of developing Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782)) larvae vary when exposed to cues of fish predators fed different diets. During development, we exposed tadpoles to control cues, cues from brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur, 1819)) fed trout pellets, or cues from A. nebulosus fed L. pipiens tadpoles. Tadpoles exposed to predatory fish cues had smaller bodies, deeper tail fins, slower growth and development rates, and better turning performance than tadpoles that were not exposed to predatory fish cues, but we found limited evidence that the predator’s diet had an effect on phenotypic plasticity. Predator diet affected tail morphology and activity, but the latter effect was only marginally significant. Lithobates pipiens tadpoles clearly respond to predatory fish cues, but it remains unclear whether their response is modulated by the predator’s diet.
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Wood, Tyler C., and Paul A. Moore. "Big and bad: how relative predator size and dietary information influence rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) behavior and resource-use decisions." Canadian Journal of Zoology 98, no. 1 (January 2020): 62–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2019-0089.
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Prey animals use the information that they extract from predator cues to assess risk. Animals can obtain information about the relative size of predators and their dietary constituents from odor cues that predators deposit in the environment. However, it is currently unknown how prey animals respond when presented with two or more pieces of information about a predator. Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus (Girard, 1852)) were exposed to odors from predatory largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802)) that were fed four different diets and also varied in size relative to the crayfish subjects. A series of analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that rusty crayfish altered their macrophyte consumption, foraging behavior, and shelter-use behavior depending on the relative size and dietary information presented by the largemouth bass. This study demonstrates that prey consider and respond to multiple aspects of a predatory threat when making resource-use decisions.
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Mirza, Reehan S., and Douglas P. Chivers. "Predator diet cues and the assessment of predation risk by juvenile brook charr: do diet cues enhance survival?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 81, no. 1 (January 1, 2003): 126–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z02-225.
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Recent studies have shown that predator diet cues provide important information that prey animals can use to assess predation risk. Predator-naïve prey animals may even learn to recognize unknown predators when they detect conspecific cues in the predator's diet. We examined the importance of predator diet cues in the responses of juvenile brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) to chemical cues of predators. In our first experiment, we showed that charr respond to chemical cues of adult yellow perch (Perca flavescens) that were fed a diet of either brook charr or rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), but not to perch fed a diet of brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans). Responses to diet cues from perch fed both charr and trout may indicate that charr are responding to evolutionarily conserved salmonid alarm cues in the predator's diet. In a second experiment, we exposed charr to chemical cues from predatory northern pike (Esox lucius) that were fed charr, trout, or stickleback. Live-predation trials revealed that charr exposed to diet cues from pike fed salmonids exhibited higher survival than charr exposed to diet cues from pike fed a non-salmonid. These results are the first to document a survival benefit for prey exhibiting behavioural responses to predator diet cues.
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Alves-Nunes, João Miguel, Adriano Fellone, Ivan Sazima, and Otávio Augusto Vuolo Marques. "Overcoming the phantoms of the past: Influence of predatory stimuli on the antipredator behavior of island pitvipers." PLOS ONE 18, no. 10 (October 24, 2023): e0288826. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288826.
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The reduction of predation is a potentially important factor for the evolution of the traits of an island animal species. By relaxed selection, insular animals tend to lose their antipredator behaviors. A monophyletic group of pitvipers (genus Bothrops) in southeastern Brazil, which have high genetic affinity and dwell on the mainland and adjacent islands, provide an appropriate setting to study the evolution of antipredator behavior and how different predatory stimuli can influence this behavior. The mainland Bothrops jararaca has several terrestrial and aerial predators, whereas B. insularis and B. alcatraz, restricted to two small islands, Queimada Grande and Alcatrazes, respectively, have a smaller range of aerial predators. Terrestrial predators are absent on Queimada Grande, but one potential snake predator occurs on Alcatrazes. We observed that the defensive repertoire of island snakes has not been lost, but they display different frequencies of some antipredator behaviors. The type of predatory stimuli (terrestrial and aerial) influenced the defensive response. Bothrops insularis most often used the escape strategies, especially against terrestrial predatory stimuli. Bothrops alcatraz displayed the highest rate of strike for both terrestrial and aerial stimuli. Our results indicate that even though relaxed selection may occur in island environments as compared to mainland environments, these pitvipers still retain their antipredator behaviors but with different response degrees to the two predator types.
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Chikachev, Roman. "The index of the hearts squad Carnivora, as an indicator of predator ecology." E3S Web of Conferences 203 (2020): 01010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202020301010.
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The article presents the results of calculating the heart index of representatives of the order of carnivores, as one of the main morphophysiological indicators of predator activity. Based on the results of the study, the criteria for specific environmental characteristics of predators used for food production and determining the degree of load on the body were determined. To determine these indicators in some representatives of predatory animals obtained in the Amur region weight measurements of the hearts of sexually Mature individuals were performed: Martes zibellina, Meles leucurus, Canis lupus, Lynx lynx, Vulpes vulpes. Weight indicators of the index were carried out by measuring the ratio of the total mass of the organ to the body weight of the animal (organ mass x 100/ total mass of the animal =%). Conditionally dividing the studied predatory species into: small, medium and large, we determined: active predators intensively tracking their prey and leading high physical activity. Specialized predators that get food by sneaking up and chasing for short distances, not able to run for a long time. Predator-gatherers. In which this feature was an adaptive reaction in the course of evolution for the survival of the species in adverse conditions, food competition and settlement of new territories.
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Smolka, Jochen, Jochen Zeil, and Jan M. Hemmi. "Natural visual cues eliciting predator avoidance in fiddler crabs." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 278, no. 1724 (April 13, 2011): 3584–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.2746.
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To efficiently provide an animal with relevant information, the design of its visual system should reflect the distribution of natural signals and the animal's tasks. In many behavioural contexts, however, we know comparatively little about the moment-to-moment information-processing challenges animals face in their daily lives. In predator avoidance, for instance, we lack an accurate description of the natural signal stream and its value for risk assessment throughout the prey's defensive behaviour. We characterized the visual signals generated by real, potentially predatory events by video-recording bird approaches towards an Uca vomeris colony. Using four synchronized cameras allowed us to simultaneously monitor predator avoidance responses of crabs. We reconstructed the signals generated by dangerous and non-dangerous flying animals, identified the cues that triggered escape responses and compared them with those triggering responses to dummy predators. Fiddler crabs responded to a combination of multiple visual cues (including retinal speed, elevation and visual flicker) that reflect the visual signatures of distinct bird and insect behaviours. This allowed crabs to discriminate between dangerous and non-dangerous events. The results demonstrate the importance of measuring natural sensory signatures of biologically relevant events in order to understand biological information processing and its effects on behavioural organization.
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Ali Khazraji, Fadel Rahim, and Husham Naji Hameed. "Estimation of the numerical number of some insect predators on four tomato cultivars." Chemical and Environmental Science Archives 02, no. 04 (2022): 40–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.47587/cesa.2022.2402.
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The results of the study on tomato cultivars (AMWAJ, NOUN, MAESTRO, BAYAN) in tomato fields located in the Dujail region of Salah al-Din governorate showed that insect predators were present in abundance in the tomato crop, as the average number of pests for the cultivar was in the two regions Dujail1 and Dujail2 (the average is the larvae of the predator), 7.46, 6.75, and 6.39, respectively. As for the (average of predatory animals), they were 21, 5.29, 4.56, and 3.23, respectively.
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Seebacher, Frank, Ashley Ward, and Amelia Reid. "Learning to hunt: the role of experience in predator success." Behaviour 147, no. 2 (2010): 223–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/000579509x12512871386137.
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AbstractAnimal behaviour is a composite of innate and learned components. During their lifetimes, animals typically gain experience and manifest learning, thereby augmenting or modifying genetically determined, innate behaviour patterns. Following a training period during which predatory fish (jade perch, Scortum barcoo) were allocated to treatments and given experience of either live prey (mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki), freshly killed prey, or cichlid pellets with equal nutritional value, we tested the response of the predators to the prey in an experimental arena. Across all treatments, there was no difference in the number of attacks made by the predators on the prey, however the predators with experience of live fish prey were significantly more successful in capturing prey than those without previous experience of live prey. These results suggest that, in this piscivorous predator, the recognition of prey has an innate component, but that hunting efficiency is increased through experience. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the release of hatchery-reared fish into the wild, the majority of which are predatory.
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Avinash, Agrawal, Yadav Rahul, Bhagora Abhilasha, Gupta Sahil, and Saxena Kanan. "Antipredator Behaviour Towards Human in Birds of Southern Rajasthan, India." International Journal of Zoological Investigations 08, no. 02 (2022): 357–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.33745/ijzi.2022.v08i02.044.
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There are many anti-predatory escape strategies in animals. An established method for assessing escape behavior is the flight initiation distance (FID), which is the distance between prey and predator at which an animal flees. The ecological factors affecting avian FID have received much attention over the past few decades, and metaanalysis and comparative analysis have shown that FID is related to body mass and flock size and varies along rural to urban gradients. In our analyses, we determined the relation between FID with two important factor flock size and body mass of birds. Group or herd size can either impact FID negatively (i.e. the dilution effect caused by the presence of many individuals) or positively (i.e. increased alertness as more eyes search for predators).
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Jensen, Kim, David Mayntz, Søren Toft, Fiona J. Clissold, John Hunt, David Raubenheimer, and Stephen J. Simpson. "Optimal foraging for specific nutrients in predatory beetles." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1736 (January 11, 2012): 2212–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.2410.
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Evolutionary theory predicts that animals should forage to maximize their fitness, which in predators is traditionally assumed equivalent to maximizing energy intake rather than balancing the intake of specific nutrients. We restricted female predatory ground beetles ( Anchomenus dorsalis ) to one of a range of diets varying in lipid and protein content, and showed that total egg production peaked at a target intake of both nutrients. Other beetles given a choice to feed from two diets differing only in protein and lipid composition selectively ingested nutrient combinations at this target intake. When restricted to nutritionally imbalanced diets, beetles balanced the over- and under-ingestion of lipid and protein around a nutrient composition that maximized egg production under those constrained circumstances. Selective foraging for specific nutrients in this predator thus maximizes its reproductive performance. Our findings have implications for predator foraging behaviour and in the structuring of ecological communities.
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Breed, Greg A., Cory J. D. Matthews, Marianne Marcoux, Jeff W. Higdon, Bernard LeBlanc, Stephen D. Petersen, Jack Orr, Natalie R. Reinhart, and Steven H. Ferguson. "Sustained disruption of narwhal habitat use and behavior in the presence of Arctic killer whales." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 10 (February 21, 2017): 2628–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1611707114.
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Although predators influence behavior of prey, analyses of electronic tracking data in marine environments rarely consider how predators affect the behavior of tracked animals. We collected an unprecedented dataset by synchronously tracking predator (killer whales,N= 1; representing a family group) and prey (narwhal,N= 7) via satellite telemetry in Admiralty Inlet, a large fjord in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Analyzing the movement data with a switching-state space model and a series of mixed effects models, we show that the presence of killer whales strongly alters the behavior and distribution of narwhal. When killer whales were present (within about 100 km), narwhal moved closer to shore, where they were presumably less vulnerable. Under predation threat, narwhal movement patterns were more likely to be transiting, whereas in the absence of threat, more likely resident. Effects extended beyond discrete predatory events and persisted steadily for 10 d, the duration that killer whales remained in Admiralty Inlet. Our findings have two key consequences. First, given current reductions in sea ice and increases in Arctic killer whale sightings, killer whales have the potential to reshape Arctic marine mammal distributions and behavior. Second and of more general importance, predators have the potential to strongly affect movement behavior of tracked marine animals. Understanding predator effects may be as or more important than relating movement behavior to resource distribution or bottom-up drivers traditionally included in analyses of marine animal tracking data.
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Mogali, Santosh M., Bhagyashri A. Shanbhag, and Srinivas K. Saidapur. "Behavioral responses of tadpoles of Clinotarsus curtipes (Anura: Ranidae) to odor cues of dragonfly larvae." Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology 22, no. 1 (June 27, 2023): 11–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v22i1p11-20.
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In aquatic environments, many prey animals, including anuran larvae, predominantly use chemical cues to assess predation risk. In such systems, a variety of chemical cues (e.g., kairomones, alarm, dietary) affect the behavioral responses of the prey tadpoles. Many anuran tadpoles are able to discriminate different chemical cues and exhibit differential antipredator behavioral responses according to the perceived risk. The behavioral responses of tadpoles of Clinotarsus curtipes to predatory larvae of the dragonfly Pantala flavescens were studied in the laboratory. The predator’s kairomones (water conditioned by a starved predator) or its diet-derived metabolites released in excreta of a predator after consumption of conspecific (C. curtipes) or heterogeneric (Indosylvirana temporalis) prey tadpoles were used to simulate predation threat. The tadpoles of C. curtipes had no behavioral response to predator kairomones. However, the tadpoles showed antipredator behavioral responses i.e., reduced swimming movements and overall time spent swimming, and had a higher burst speed in response to water-borne cues released from the excreta of predators fed both conspecific and heterogeneric prey. The antipredator behavioral responses of tadpoles were most intense in response to cues of predators fed on conspecific prey. The findings of the present study show that tadpoles of C. curtipes are capable of assessing levels of predation threat and modulating the intensity of their defense behavior in accordance with the perceived threat.
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Torres, Jorge Braz, and David W. Boyd. "Zoophytophagy in predatory Hemiptera." Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 52, no. 5 (October 2009): 1199–208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1516-89132009000500018.
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Predaceous hemipteran feeding on different trophic levels have raised questions about their ecology and role in biological control. Therefore, specific adaptations allowing them to simultaneously use plants and animals as sources for their nutritional requirements are important. Enzymatic variability in predatory hemipterans has been suggested as the basic adaptation for convergent or divergent to omnivory. Thus, the salivary enzymatic complexes of predatory hemipterans have been furnished a partial understanding of the mechanisms permitting switching between plant and animal food sources. In this study, a discriminatory analysis was performed to attribute trophic habits to each insect investigated based on the presence and absence of salivary enzyme combinations. Although peptidase is found in all tested predatory hemipterans' salivary glands, it is not a distinguishing enzyme because it has been found in phytophagous species as well. However, the presence of peptidase and amylase activity in hemipteran salivary glands is considered to be an explanation for these insects' ability to switch their diet, predators feeding on plants (amylase) and herbivores taking prey (peptidase).
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Ball, Brendan, Adrian Linnane, Brian Munday, Ronan Browne, and John P. Mercer. "The effect of cover on in situ predation in early benthic phase European lobster Homarus gammarus." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81, no. 4 (August 2001): 639–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315401004301.
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This study examined the role of predation in restricting early benthic phase (EBP) lobsters to shelter-providing substrata. In the field, the survival of animals provided with cover in the form of cobble and gravel substrata was significantly higher than unsheltered controls. Small benthic fish, particularly gobies Pomatoschistus minutus and rockling Ciliata mustela were the primary predators subtidally while crabs Carcinus maenus appeared to be the dominant intertidal predator. Predatory attack primarily occurred within minutes of the lobsters being deployed. The study reinforces the role played by predation in restricting EBP European lobsters to shelter-providing substrata.
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Shakarbоev, Berdibaev, and Golovanov. "SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF HELMINTHOFAUNA OF WILD PREDATORY MAMMALS IN THE CONDITIONS OF KARAKALPAKSTAN." THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PARASITIC DISEASE CONTROL, no. 22 (May 19, 2021): 568–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.31016/978-5-6046256-1-3.2021.22.568-574.
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It has been studied the seasonal dynamics of helminthiasis of predatory animals in the territory of Karakalpakstan. The material was collected in 2017–2020 on the territory of Karakalpakstan. 273 predatory animals and dogs were subjected to a complete helminthological study by the method of K.I. Skyarbin (1928). In addition, 165 fecal samples were examined by helminthicaprological methods and using the compression method. As a result of the studies conducted in the biocenoses of Karakalpakstan, it was found that 53 species of helminthes parasitize in the body of wild predatory mammals, which belong to 39 genera, 25 families, 13 orders, 4 classes and 3 types. Of these, 17 species (32%) were cestodes, 4 (7.6%) were trematodes, 3 (5.7%) were acanthocephales, and 29 species (54.7%) were nematodes. In Karakalpakstan, predators become infected with helminthes throughout the year. The highest level of invasion was recorded in autumn (63.5%), followed by summer (55.7%), winter (46.3%) and spring (24.4%). We note that the infestation of animals increases 2.6 times in autumn compared to spring. In the conditions of Karakalpakstan, the season has a certain effect on the helminthes fauna of wild animals.
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Priyadarshana, Tharaka Sudesh. "Do predatory adult odonates estimate their adult prey odonates’ body size and dispersal ability to proceed with a successful attack?" Journal of Threatened Taxa 13, no. 7 (June 26, 2021): 18949–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/jott.7198.13.7.18949-18952.
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Predator-prey encounters are one of the most challenging behaviors that animals engage in and play a key role in structuring trophic linkages within food webs. Empirical studies suggest that predators (except pathogens, parasites, and parasitoids) tend to be larger in body size and have better dispersal ability than their prey items; however, when predators prey upon members of the same taxonomic group, it is unclear whether such relationships exist between predators and their prey items since both groups may have similar body sizes and dispersal abilities. Adult odonates can be used to test this as they prey upon other odonates within the same suborder, family, genus or species, although such records are uncommon. Using a dataset collected from Sri Lanka and India from 2012 to 2020, this study identified three types of predation behaviors between two suborders of Odonata, i.e., (i) Anisoptera (dragonflies) prey upon Anisoptera, (ii) Anisoptera prey upon Zygoptera (damselflies), and (iii) Zygoptera prey upon Zygoptera. There was no evidence of Anisoptera predation by Zygoptera. Study results showed strong evidence that there is a significant difference in body size (i.e., body length) and dispersal ability (i.e., hind-wing length) between adult predatory odonates and adult prey odonates for all three types of predations. This may indicate that predatory odonates estimate other odonate prey precisely to proceed with a successful attack.
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JANICKA, WIKTORIA, and IZABELA WILK. "Practical importance of anti-predatory behavior research in keeping farm animals." Medycyna Weterynaryjna 78, no. 03 (2022): 6624–2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.21521/mw.6624.
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The care and livestock management requires knowledge of the behavioral reactivity of the kept species. Domestic ungulates have evolved as prey, so their survival in the wild depended on early detection of a potential threat and then taking a quick response. There are numerous studies into antipredatory behavior concerning a wide range of animal taxa. They predominantly focus on conflict between innate and acquired predator recognition and the influence of various factors on the retain or gradual loss of defense mechanisms against predators. The authors of multiple studies suggest the practical use of research results in areas such as medicine, agriculture and conservancy. The promising effects of these experiments should encourage the research development in this field among farm animals. The aim of the article is to introduce the research findings of antipredatory behavior and to determine their implications in farm animals breeding.
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Sorisi, Angle Maria Hasthee, Christy Diana Mambo, Maya Esther Wullur Moningka, and John Andrew Marlatu Sapulete. "Spider (Ordo Araneae) as a Predator Arthropoda." Scholars Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences 10, no. 07 (July 14, 2023): 67–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.36347/sjavs.2023.v10i07.001.
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Spiders are animals that belong to the class Arthropoda phylum Arachnida. Spiders are spread in almost all parts of the world. Spiders can be classified as soil arthropods which are soil-dwelling organisms. The role of arthropods in agro-ecosystems is divided into four, namely as herbivores, decomposers, predators and pollinators. Spiders act as predators. Predatory arthropods are arthropods that eat part or all of their prey's body directly.
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Devi, Mia Prastika, Bambang Tri Rahardjo, and Hagus Tarno. "Association between Predatory Arthropods and Weeds on Sugarcane Plants." Research Journal of Life Science 9, no. 3 (December 1, 2022): 121–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.21776/ub.rjls.2022.009.03.4.
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While a large number of farmers in the tropics consider weeds to be just a nuisance, some weeds can potentially have benefits for cultivated crops. Weeds around cultivated plants can act as a biocide, soil improvement, and a food source for humans and animals, as well as a habitat for some insects. Based on the regression analysist, weed density has a relationship to the diversity of predatory arthropod species (R2= 0.026; P<0.001) and the abundance of individual predatory arthropods (R2= 0.010; P<0.001). Beneficial weeds around sugarcane plantations create mutually beneficial interactions. Weeds can be used as a place to live, reproduce, and produce nutrients for predatory arthropods. Research on the role of weeds against natural enemies from predators in sugarcane agroecosystems is also rarely studied. In this study, the focus was on the association of weeds with the diversity and abundance of predatory arthropods in the sugarcane agroecosystem.
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Li, Bowen, Jonathan R. Silva, Xiancui Lu, Lei Luo, Yunfei Wang, Lizhen Xu, Aerziguli Aierken, et al. "Molecular game theory for a toxin-dominant food chain model." National Science Review 6, no. 6 (July 19, 2019): 1191–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz097.
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Abstract Animal toxins that are used to subdue prey and deter predators act as the key drivers in natural food chains and ecosystems. However, the predators of venomous animals may exploit feeding adaptation strategies to overcome toxins their prey produce. Much remains unknown about the genetic and molecular game process in the toxin-dominant food chain model. Here, we show an evolutionary strategy in different trophic levels of scorpion-eating amphibians, scorpions and insects, representing each predation relationship in habitats dominated by the paralytic toxins of scorpions. For scorpions preying on insects, we found that the scorpion α-toxins irreversibly activate the skeletal muscle sodium channel of their prey (insect, BgNaV1) through a membrane delivery mechanism and an efficient binding with the Asp/Lys-Tyr motif of BgNaV1. However, in the predatory game between frogs and scorpions, with a single point mutation (Lys to Glu) in this motif of the frog's skeletal muscle sodium channel (fNaV1.4), fNaV1.4 breaks this interaction and diminishes muscular toxicity to the frog; thus, frogs can regularly prey on scorpions without showing paralysis. Interestingly, this molecular strategy also has been employed by some other scorpion-eating amphibians, especially anurans. In contrast to these amphibians, the Asp/Lys-Tyr motifs are structurally and functionally conserved in other animals that do not prey on scorpions. Together, our findings elucidate the protein-protein interacting mechanism of a toxin-dominant predator-prey system, implying the evolutionary game theory at a molecular level.
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Bateman, Philip W., and Patricia A. Fleming. "The influence of web silk decorations on fleeing behaviour of Florida orb weaver spiders, Argiope florida (Aranaeidae)." Canadian Journal of Zoology 91, no. 7 (July 2013): 468–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2012-0312.
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Spider web silk decorations may (i) act to attract prey, (ii) be decoys for predators, and (iii) make the web visible to prevent larger animals from destroying them. To disentangle the last two hypotheses, we examined the fleeing response and flight initiation distance (FID) of the Florida orb weaver spider (Argiope florida Chamberlin and Ivie, 1944). Spiders were approached in one of two manners: (1) a “predatory” one mimicking a bird and (2) a “looming” approach mimicking the approach of a large animal. We predicted that if silk decorations had an antipredator function, then the extent of silk decoration would influence whether spiders fled from the predatory approach. However, if the function was primarily a signal to large animals, then all spiders would flee the looming approach, but FID would be influenced by the extent of silk decoration. We found no influence of silk decorations on fleeing behaviour and FID of spiders. Spider fleeing behaviour was, however, influenced by height of the web from the ground. The effects of web height might reflect an adaptive response to a more exposed position and therefore could support either of the two hypotheses tested; however, we have no evidence supporting the role of silk decorations on antipredator responses.
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Zamora-Roda, Álvaro A., Javier Ernesto Cortés-Suárez, and Christian G. Herrera-Martínez. "First predatory record on Caluromys derbianus by Boa imperator in Costa Rica." Revista Mexicana de Mastozoología (Nueva Epoca) 12, no. 1 (July 31, 2022): 69–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.22201/ie.20074484e.2022.12.1.353.
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Documented predation events regarding Caluromys derbianus as prey are scarce in Central America, only a few wildlife and domestic animals have been reported as predators of this mammal. Herein, we document the first predatory event on this marsupial species by Central American Boa (Boa imperator) in Costa Rica. This record contributes to the ecological knowledge and natural history of this medium-sized mammal.
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Santos, Robson G., Hudson Tercio Pinheiro, Agnaldo Silva Martins, Pablo Riul, Soraya Christina Bruno, Fredric J. Janzen, and Christos C. Ioannou. "The anti-predator role of within-nest emergence synchrony in sea turtle hatchlings." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1834 (July 13, 2016): 20160697. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0697.
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Group formation is a common behaviour among prey species. In egg-laying animals, despite the various factors that promote intra-clutch variation leading to asynchronous hatching and emergence from nests, synchronous hatching and emergence occurs in many taxa. This synchrony may be adaptive by reducing predation risk, but few data are available in any natural system, even for iconic examples of the anti-predator function of group formation. Here, we show for the first time that increased group size (number of hatchlings emerging together from a nest) reduces green turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) hatchling predation. This effect was only observed earlier in the night when predation pressure was greatest, indicated by the greatest predator abundance and a small proportion of predators preoccupied with consuming captured prey. Further analysis revealed that the effect of time of day was due to the number of hatchlings already killed in an evening; this, along with the apparent lack of other anti-predatory mechanisms for grouping, suggests that synchronous emergence from a nest appears to swamp predators, resulting in an attack abatement effect. Using a system with relatively pristine conditions for turtle hatchlings and their predators provides a more realistic environmental context within which intra-nest synchronous emergence has evolved.
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Zamora-Camacho, Francisco Javier. "Keep the ball rolling: sexual differences in conglobation behavior of a terrestrial isopod under different degrees of perceived predation pressure." PeerJ 11 (December 19, 2023): e16696. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16696.
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Background Antipredator behaviors are theoretically subjected to a balance by which their display should be minimized when their benefits do not outweigh their costs. Such costs may be not only energetic, but also entail a reduction in the time available for other fitness-enhancing behaviors. However, these behaviors are only beneficial under predation risk. Therefore, antipredator behaviors are predicted to be maximized under strong predation risk. Moreover, predation pressure can differ among individuals according to traits such as sex or body size, if these traits increase vulnerability. Antipredator behaviors are expected to be maximized in individuals whose traits make them more conspicuous to predators. However, how sex, body size and antipredator behaviors interact is not always understood. Methods In this work, I tested the interaction between sex, body size and antipredator behavior in the common pill woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare), which conglobate (i.e., they roll up their bodies almost conforming a sphere that conceals their appendages) in response to predator attacks. Specifically, I tested whether latency to unroll after a standardized mechanical induction was greater in animals exposed to predator chemical cues (toad feces) than in conspecifics exposed to cues of non-predatory animals (rabbits) or no chemical cues whatsoever (distilled water), incorporating sex and body mass in the analyses. Results In agreement with my prediction, latency to unroll was greater in individuals exposed to predator chemical cues. In other words, these animals engage in conglobation for longer under perceived predator vicinity. However, this result was only true for males. This sexual dimorphism in antipredator behavior could result from males being under greater predation risk than females, thus having evolved more refined antipredator strategies. Indeed, males of this species are known to actively search for females, which makes them more prone to superficial ground mobility, and likely to being detected by predators. Body size was unrelated to latency to unroll. As a whole, these results support the hypothesis that antipredator behavior is tuned to predator cues in a way consistent with a balance between costs and benefits, which might differ between the sexes.
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Fernandes, Fernanda Mara, Jackson Victor Araújo, Fabio Ribeiro Braga, Pedro Henrique Gazzinelli-Guimarães, Juliana Milani Araujo, Sebastião Rodrigo Ferreira, Rogério Oliva Carvalho, Ingrid Ney Kramer de Mello, and Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara. "In vitro biological control of infective larvae of Ancylostoma ceylanicum." Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária 21, no. 3 (September 2012): 283–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612012000300018.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) on infective larvae of Ancylostoma ceylanicum after gastrointestinal transit in hamsters. Twenty animals were used in the experiment, divided into two groups: a treated group (10 animals) and a control group (10 animals). In the group treated with D. flagrans, each animal received mycelium from the AC001 isolate, at an oral dose of 5 mg/25 g of live weight. To evaluate the predatory activity of the fungus, fecal samples were collected from the animals in both groups, at the times of 6, 8, 12, 24 and 36 hours after the treatment. Then, subsamples of 2 g of feces were placed in Petri dishes containing 2% water-agar (2% WA) culture medium and 1000 L3 of A. ceylanicum. Over the study period, the following percentage reductions were observed: 43.2% (6 hours), 30.8% (8 hours), 25.8% (12 hours), 30% (24 hours) and 11% (36 hours). The fungus D. flagrans presented predatory activity on the L3 of A. ceylanicum, after passing through the hamsters' gastrointestinal tract. It was therefore concluded that the fungus D. flagrans may be an alternative for biological control of the L3 of A. ceylanicum.
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Roy, Isabelle, and Landis Hare. "Relative importance of water and food as cadmium sources to the predatory insect Sialis velata (Megaloptera)." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 56, no. 7 (July 1, 1999): 1143–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f99-036.
Full textAbstract:
A key aspect of modeling contaminant uptake by animals is knowledge of the route taken by the contaminant to enter the animal. To determine the relative importance of food and water as Cd sources for benthic insects, we measured Cd accumulation by the predatory alderfly Sialis velata (Megaloptera) from either water alone or from chironomid prey (Cryptochironomus sp.). We determined that Cd uptake from prey was far more important than that from water. Chironomid prey fed to S. velata also appeared to take up the bulk of their Cd from food (meiobenthic organisms). The efficiency with which Cd was assimilated by the predator from its prey is high (50%) and comparable with values reported for several other insects. In the predator, Cd taken up from food was largely stored in gut tissues (as is the case for insect larvae in nature), whereas a greater proportion of the metal taken up from water was stored in other animal parts.
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Smart, Ioan E., Innes C. Cuthill, and Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel. "In the corner of the eye: camouflaging motion in the peripheral visual field." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 287, no. 1918 (January 15, 2020): 20192537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2537.
Full textAbstract:
Most animals need to move, and motion will generally break camouflage. In many instances, most of the visual field of a predator does not fall within a high-resolution area of the retina and so, when an undetected prey moves, that motion will often be in peripheral vision. We investigate how this can be exploited by prey, through different patterns of movement, to reduce the accuracy with which the predator can locate a cryptic prey item when it subsequently orients towards a target. The same logic applies for a prey species trying to localize a predatory threat. Using human participants as surrogate predators, tasked with localizing a target on peripherally viewed computer screens, we quantify the effects of movement (duration and speed) and target pattern. We show that, while motion is certainly detrimental to camouflage, should movement be necessary, some behaviours and surface patterns reduce that cost. Our data indicate that the phenotype that minimizes localization accuracy is unpatterned, having the mean luminance of the background, does not use a startle display prior to movement, and has short (below saccadic latency), fast movements.
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Gonzálvez, Francisco G., and Miguel A. Rodríguez-Gironés. "Seeing is believing: information content and behavioural response to visual and chemical cues." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280, no. 1763 (July 22, 2013): 20130886. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0886.
Full textAbstract:
Predator avoidance and foraging often pose conflicting demands. Animals can decrease mortality risk searching for predators, but searching decreases foraging time and hence intake. We used this principle to investigate how prey should use information to detect, assess and respond to predation risk from an optimal foraging perspective. A mathematical model showed that solitary bees should increase flower examination time in response to predator cues and that the rate of false alarms should be negatively correlated with the relative value of the flower explored. The predatory ant, Oecophylla smaragdina , and the harmless ant , Polyrhachis dives , differ in the profile of volatiles they emit and in their visual appearance. As predicted, the solitary bee Nomia strigata spent more time examining virgin flowers in presence of predator cues than in their absence. Furthermore, the proportion of flowers rejected decreased from morning to noon, as the relative value of virgin flowers increased. In addition, bees responded differently to visual and chemical cues. While chemical cues induced bees to search around flowers, bees detecting visual cues hovered in front of them. These strategies may allow prey to identify the nature of visual cues and to locate the source of chemical cues.
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Li, Ya. "Study of the interactive effect of prey toxin and optimal foraging strategy on a predator–prey model." International Journal of Biomathematics 11, no. 04 (May 2018): 1850050. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s179352451850050x.
Full textAbstract:
The optimal foraging theory predicts that predators choose prey with more net rate of energy intake and less energy costs if there are multiple food sources available. Toxins are found in many species in nature. Those toxins may be produced by prey as self-protection from predatory animals, or come from other sources such as pesticide residue. Therefore, it requires a balance between energy intake and toxicity damage. In order to study the interactive effect of prey toxin and optimal foraging strategy, we construct a predator–prey model with toxin-induced functional response and optimal foraging property. Dynamical analysis shows that the optimal strategy system presents more complex dynamical behavior than the fixed preference system. We conclude that optimal foraging strategy might play a key role in stabilizing or destabilizing the coexistence states of the species in the system, depending on the level of prey toxins.
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Sugiura, Shinji. "Anti-predator defences of a bombardier beetle: is bombing essential for successful escape from frogs?" PeerJ 6 (November 30, 2018): e5942. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5942.
Full textAbstract:
Some animals, such as the bombardier beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Brachinini), have evolved chemical defences against predators. When attacked, bombardier beetles can discharge noxious chemicals at temperatures of approximately 100 °C from the tip of their abdomens, “bombing” their attackers. Although many studies to date have investigated how bombardier beetles discharge defensive chemicals against predators, relatively little research has examined how predators modify their attacks on bombardier beetles to avoid being bombed. In this study, I observed the black-spotted pond frog Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Anura: Ranidae) attacking the bombardier beetle Pheropsophus jessoensis under laboratory conditions. In Japan, Pe. nigromaculatus is a generalist predator in grasslands where the bombardier beetle frequently occurs. Almost all the frogs (92.9%) observed rejected live bombardier beetles; 67.9% stopped their attacks once their tongues touched the beetles, and 25.0% spat out the beetles immediately after taking the beetles into their mouths. No beetle bombed a frog before being taken into a frog’s mouth. All beetles taken into mouths bombed the frogs. Only 7.1% of the frogs swallowed live bombardier beetles after being bombed in the mouth. When dead beetles were provided instead, 85.7% of the frogs rejected the dead beetles, 71.4% stopped their attacks after their tongues touched the beetles, and 14.3% spat out the beetles. Only 14.3% of the frogs swallowed the dead beetles. The results suggest that the frogs tended to stop their predatory attack before receiving a bombing response from the beetles. Therefore, bombing was not essential for the beetles to successfully defend against the frogs. Using its tongue, Pe. nigromaculatus may be able to rapidly detect a deterrent chemical or physical characteristics of its potential prey Ph. jessoensis and thus avoid injury by stopping its predatory attack before the beetle bombs it.
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Dukas, Reuven. "Bumblebee Preadators Reduce Pollinator Density and Plant Fitness." UW National Parks Service Research Station Annual Reports 28 (January 1, 2004): 94–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.13001/uwnpsrc.2004.3583.
Full textAbstract:
Research in pollination biology has focused on the interactions between animals and the flowers they visit for food reward. However, other selective agents, including predators, seed feeders and herbivores, may affect pollination systems. Because flowers are predictable food sources for a variety of species, flowers are also reliable sites at which predators can locate flower-visiting animals. Prominent among pollinators' predators are beewolves (Philanthus spp), common sphecid wasps (Sphecidae) that prey almost exclusively on bees. My field work over three years indicates, first, that an area of approximately 50 square km surrounding a single bumblebee wolf (Philanthus bicinctus) aggregation had a low bumblebee (Bombus spp) density caused by intense predation by the wasps, and, second, that fruit set of the bumblebee pollinated western monkshood (Aconitum columbianum) was significantly lower at locations and times of bumblebee wolf activity than at control locations and times with no such predatory activity. These results indicate that predation can sometimes alter plantÂpollinator interactions.
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Soley, Fernando G. "Fine-scale analysis of an assassin bug's behaviour: predatory strategies to bypass the sensory systems of prey." Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 10 (October 2016): 160573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160573.
Full textAbstract:
Some predators sidestep environments that render them conspicuous to the sensory systems of prey. However, these challenging environments are unavoidable for certain predators. Stenolemus giraffa is an assassin bug that feeds on web-building spiders; the web is the environment in which this predator finds its prey, but it also forms part of its preys' sophisticated sensory apparatus, blurring the distinction between environment and sensory systems. Stenolemus giraffa needs to break threads in the web that obstruct its path to the spiders, and such vibrations can alert the spiders. Using laser vibrometry, this study demonstrates how S. giraffa avoids alerting the spiders during its approach. When breaking threads, S. giraffa attenuates the vibrations produced by holding on to the loose ends of the broken thread and causing them to sag prior to release. In addition, S. giraffa releases the loose ends of a broken thread one at a time (after several seconds or minutes) and in this way spaces out the production of vibrations in time. Furthermore, S. giraffa was found to maximally reduce the amplitude of vibrations when breaking threads that are prone to produce louder vibrations. Finally, S. giraffa preferred to break threads in the presence of wind, suggesting that this araneophagic insect exploits environmental noise that temporarily impairs the spiders' ability to detect vibrations. The predatory behaviour of S. giraffa seems to be adaptated in intricate manner for bypassing the sophisticated sensory systems of web-building spiders. These findings illustrate how the physical characteristics of the environment, along with the sensory systems of prey can shape the predatory strategies of animals.
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Харченко, Nikolay Kharchenko, Ковалев, and Vadim Kovalev. "Formation of biocenotic relations in the process of re-acclimatization of the steppe marmot in the south of the Belgorod region." Forestry Engineering Journal 4, no. 4 (January 15, 2015): 76–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.12737/8443.
Full textAbstract:
Studies have shown that the formation of biocenotic relations of form in established settlements are large-ly coordinated by anthropogenic influence. Intensive poaching has attracted a number of predators to set-tlements (wolves, foxes), responsive to the carrion and the remnants of caught marmots. Destruction of burrows promotes other animals living in them, including predatory ones. Individual families steppe marmot in the process of expansion of colonies, expand their feeding grounds due to the surrounding agricultural fields, arranging them food and shelter holes.
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de Lima, Miguel Antonio Xavier, Marcus Vinicius C. Baldo, and Newton Sabino Canteras. "Revealing a Cortical Circuit Responsive to Predatory Threats and Mediating Contextual Fear Memory." Cerebral Cortex 29, no. 7 (July 31, 2018): 3074–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhy173.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract The ventral part of the anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AMv) receives substantial inputs from hypothalamic sites that are highly responsive to a live predator or its odor trace and represents an important thalamic hub for conveying predatory threat information to the cerebral cortex. In the present study, we begin by examining the cortico-amygdalar-hippocampal projections of the main AMv cortical targets, namely, the caudal prelimbic, rostral anterior cingulate, and medial visual areas, as well as the rostral part of the ventral retrosplenial area, one of the main targets of the anterior cingulate area. We observed that these areas form a clear cortical network. Next, we revealed that in animals exposed to a live cat, all of the elements of this circuit presented a differential increase in Fos, supporting the idea of a predator threat-responsive cortical network. Finally, we showed that bilateral cytotoxic lesions in each element of this cortical network did not change innate fear responses but drastically reduced contextual conditioning to the predator-associated environment. Overall, the present findings suggest that predator threat has an extensive representation in the cerebral cortex and revealed a cortical network that is responsive to predatory threats and exerts a critical role in processing fear memory.
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Bertuzzi, Tatiane, David Santos de Freitas, Luiz Liberato Costa Corrêa, Alice Pozza Rodrigues, Mateus De Oliveira, Arthur Cardoso de Ávila, Gabriela Reis Ávila, and Alexandro Marques Tozetti. "DOES APOSEMATIC COLORATION REDUCE PREDATION RISK IN SNAKES? A SHORT PERIOD EXPERIMENT USING PLASTICINE SNAKE MODELS." Revista de Ciências Ambientais 14, no. 2 (August 24, 2020): 35. http://dx.doi.org/10.18316/rca.v14i2.6137.
Full textAbstract:
Aposematism in an anti-predation mechanism that occurs when animals exhibit conspicuous signals, which are often of a contrasting color patterns, to alert potential predators of their unpalatability or toxicity. This study aims to test (in a short period) the effectiveness of aposematic coloration by comparing the predatory attack upon snakes models with and without an alert coloration on the body. To simulate snakes, we made 80 greenish plasticine snake models. Half of the models had a red strip on the dorsal part of the body, imitating an aposematic coloration. The other half of the models had only a greenish tint. The models were exposed to predators for 12 hours in an area with countryside vegetation.. Among the 20 models showing signs of predation, 65% were purely greenish models and 35% were models with red coloration on the back. Attaks at extremities (head and tail) were meaningly more frequent on models with red coloration. Our results suggest the efficiency of red coloration as a warning sign and anti-predation mechanism, since the models with red coloration, imitating aposematic preys, were less preyed and were attacked preferentially at the extremities, which suggests caution by the predator.
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Andreyanov, O. N. "Examining Echinococcus multilocularis infection in some Midland Russia predatory animal species." Russian Journal of Infection and Immunity 10, no. 1 (April 7, 2020): 193–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.15789/2220-7619-eem-1182.
Full textAbstract:
Commercially exploited predator animal species are considered as a final host for multiple biohelminths posing a threat both to human and other animals. Fight against pathogens of dangerous helminthozoonoses should be based on combining efforts of scientific and practical centers, various state departments, executive authorities, law enforcement authorities as well as country residents. Examining parasitic fauna in commercially exploited predator animals is of special priority in the Midland Russia with high population density, wherein people have been engaged in hunting closely contacting both with fur animals as well as domestic pets (dogs, cats). Alveococcosis is a natural focal disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis. The study was aimed at examining dynamics of E. multilocularis recording in the Midland Russia commercially exploited predator animals. 2007—2018 Cestode spread was examined. A research material for (corpses, carcasses, body and tissue fragments) was obtained hunting reserves located in the Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Tver, Oryol and Bryansk regions of the Midland Russia as well as the Republic of Karelia. Complete or partial helminthological autopsy carried out in accordance with K.I. Scriabin technique (1928) was performed in 262 animals, including 193 common red foxes, 28 domestic and 16 raccoon dogs, 16 domestic cats, 6 wolves, 2 brown bears and one lynx. It was shown that cestodes E. multilocularis was found in 46 foxes (23.8%), 3 raccoon dogs (18.7%), 3 wolves (50%) and one domestic dog (3.6%). Moreover, the peak tapeworm prevalence in carnivorous animals was noted for foxes and raccoon dogs in 2010—2011 (42.4%), 2011— 2012 (37.1%) and 2012—2013 (42.1%). On the other hand, no tapeworm invasion in carnivores was noted during 2009—2010 and 2013—2014 sports hunting seasons. However, a causative agent of alveococcosis is routinely detected in the Ryazan and Vladimir regions. The prevalence of invasion in animals differs in foxes, raccoon dogs, wolves ranging from 12 to 40,000, in raccoon dogs — from 37 to 112, in wolves — from 12 to 318 tapeworms per animal, and in domestic dog reaching 19 worms per animal. The data of 2007—2018 personal studies point at spread of alveococcosis foci in the Midland Russia.
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Mogali, Santosh M., Srinivas K. Saidapur, and Bhagyashri A. Shanbhag. "Behavioral responses of tadpoles of Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Anura: Bufonidae) to cues of starved and fed dragonfly larvae." Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology 19, no. 1 (June 29, 2020): 93–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v19i1p93-98.
Full textAbstract:
Behavioral responses of tadpoles of Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Anura: Bufonidae) to cues of starved and fed dragonfly larvae. Tadpoles of Duttaphrynus melanostictus use chemoreception to detect kairomonal cues and excretory metabolites from predatory anuran tadpoles (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) that consume them. We describe here the behavioral responses of tadpoles of D. melanostictus to predatory dragonfly larvae (Pantala flavescens). The predator’s kairomones (water conditioned by the starved predator) or its diet-derived metabolites released in excreta of predator after consumption of conspecific prey tadpoles were used to simulate predation risk. The tadpoles of D. melanostictus had no behavioral response to predator kairomones. However, the larvae reduced swimming movements and overall time spent in swimming, and had a higher burst speed/swimming velocity in response to water borne cues released from the excreta of predators fed conspecific prey. Thus, just the presence of dragonfly larvae does not elicit defense behaviors in tadpoles of D. melanostictus, but when predation risk is recognized as real (i.e., when tadpoles are exposed to excretory metabolites of predators fed conspecific tadpoles), defense behaviors are activated.
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Nishiumi, Nozomi, and Akira Mori. "A game of patience between predator and prey: waiting for opponent’s action determines successful capture or escape." Canadian Journal of Zoology 98, no. 6 (June 2020): 351–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2019-0164.
Full textAbstract:
When predator and prey animals face each other, preemptive actions by both sides are considered to mediate successful capture or escape. However, in spite of the general presumption, some animals, such as predatory snakes and their frog prey, occasionally remain motionless or move slowly for a while before striking or escaping, respectively. To clarify the possible advantages of this behaviour, we examined interactions between Japanese Four-lined Ratsnakes (Elaphe quadrivirgata (H. Boie, 1826)) and Black-spotted Pond Frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell, 1861)), focusing especially on kinematic features of strike behaviour of snakes and flight behaviour of frogs in close quarters. Staged encounter experiments and field observations revealed that counteractions against an opponent’s preemptive actions are effective for both snakes and frogs until a certain distance because they are hardly able to change their trajectories once they initiate strike or escape behaviours. Snakes and frogs also appropriately switched their behaviour from waiting for the opponent’s action to taking preemptive action at this threshold distance. These results suggested the occurrence of a game of patience between snakes and frogs in which they wait for the opponent’s action to achieve effective countermeasures. Our study provides new insights for predicting optimal decision-making by predators and prey and will contribute to a better understanding of their strategies.
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Burghardt, Gordon M., Julia D. Albright, and Karen M. Davis. "Motivation, development and object play: comparative perspectives with lessons from dogs." Behaviour 153, no. 6-7 (2016): 767–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1568539x-00003378.
Full textAbstract:
Object play occurs in diverse animals in addition to birds and mammals. Although many carnivores engage in object play in a predatory context, many non-predators do so also. Conjectures over the years on the motivation to play are reviewed dealing with intrinsic, developmental, and stimulus factors. We then report on quantitative studies of the play of puppies from 6 litters (3 breeds) when given 5 different toys with different sensory and functional properties at half week intervals from 3 to 7 weeks of age. The propensity to engage with objects begins early, play complexity increases rapidly, the structure of the play is similar to adult object play, and breed differences were found. Object play with predatory characteristics appears before weaning, suggesting that hunger is not the primary motivation. Studying the development of object play in different dog breeds may be useful in addressing questions of domestication and play evolution.
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New, John G., and Peter Y. Kang. "Multimodal sensory integration in the strike–feeding behaviour of predatory fishes." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 355, no. 1401 (September 29, 2000): 1321–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2000.0692.
Full textAbstract:
The search for useful model systems for the study of sensory processing in vertebrate nervous systems has resulted in many neuroethological studies investigating the roles played by a single sensory modality in a given behaviour. However, behaviours relying solely upon information from one sensory modality are relatively rare. Animals behaving in a complex, three–dimensional environment receive a large amount of information from external and internal receptor arrays. Clearly, the integration of sensory afference arising from different modalities into a coherent ‘gestalt’ of the world is essential to the behaviours of most animals. In the last several years our laboratory team has examined the roles played by the visual and lateral line sensory systems in organizing the feeding behaviour of two species of predatory teleost fishes, the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides , and the muskellunge, Esox masquinongy . The free–field feeding behaviours of these fishes were studied quantitatively in intact animals and compared to animals in which the lateral line and visual systems had been selectively suppressed. All groups of animals continued to feed successfully, but significant differences were observed between each experimental group, providing strong clues as to the relative role played by each sensory system in the organization of the behaviour. Furthermore, significant differences exist between the two species. The differences in behaviour resulting when an animal is deprived of a given sensory modality reflect the nature of central integrative sensory processes, and these behavioural studies provide a foundation for further neuroanatomical and physiological studies of sensory integration in the vertebrate central nervous system.
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Wardill, Trevor J., Katie Knowles, Laura Barlow, Gervasio Tapia, Karin Nordström, Robert M. Olberg, and Paloma T. Gonzalez-Bellido. "The Killer Fly Hunger Games: Target Size and Speed Predict Decision to Pursuit." Brain, Behavior and Evolution 86, no. 1 (2015): 28–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000435944.
Full textAbstract:
Predatory animals have evolved to optimally detect their prey using exquisite sensory systems such as vision, olfaction and hearing. It may not be so surprising that vertebrates, with large central nervous systems, excel at predatory behaviors. More striking is the fact that many tiny insects, with their miniscule brains and scaled down nerve cords, are also ferocious, highly successful predators. For predation, it is important to determine whether a prey is suitable before initiating pursuit. This is paramount since pursuing a prey that is too large to capture, subdue or dispatch will generate a substantial metabolic cost (in the form of muscle output) without any chance of metabolic gain (in the form of food). In addition, during all pursuits, the predator breaks its potential camouflage and thus runs the risk of becoming prey itself. Many insects use their eyes to initially detect and subsequently pursue prey. Dragonflies, which are extremely efficient predators, therefore have huge eyes with relatively high spatial resolution that allow efficient prey size estimation before initiating pursuit. However, much smaller insects, such as killer flies, also visualize and successfully pursue prey. This is an impressive behavior since the small size of the killer fly naturally limits the neural capacity and also the spatial resolution provided by the compound eye. Despite this, we here show that killer flies efficiently pursue natural (Drosophila melanogaster) and artificial (beads) prey. The natural pursuits are initiated at a distance of 7.9 ± 2.9 cm, which we show is too far away to allow for distance estimation using binocular disparities. Moreover, we show that rather than estimating absolute prey size prior to launching the attack, as dragonflies do, killer flies attack with high probability when the ratio of the prey's subtended retinal velocity and retinal size is 0.37. We also show that killer flies will respond to a stimulus of an angular size that is smaller than that of the photoreceptor acceptance angle, and that the predatory response is strongly modulated by the metabolic state. Our data thus provide an exciting example of a loosely designed matched filter to Drosophila, but one which will still generate successful pursuits of other suitable prey.
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Gall, B. G., and E. D. Brodie, Jr. "Behavioral avoidance of injured conspecific and predatory chemical stimuli by larvae of the aquatic caddisfly Hesperophylax occidentalis." Canadian Journal of Zoology 87, no. 11 (November 2009): 1009–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z09-091.
Full textAbstract:
Prey animals often encounter situations that hinder their ability to conduct normal fitness-enhancing behaviors. Mating and foraging are frequently interrupted by predator vigilance and avoidance, and antipredator behavior. Many caddisfly larvae build protective cases that are carried with them throughout the aquatic life cycle. However, they are still vulnerable to predation, yet it is unknown the extent caddisflies use chemical cues for predator recognition and avoidance. We exposed larval caddisfly Hesperophylax occidentalis (Banks, 1908) to predatory, conspecific, and heterospecific chemical cues to determine if caddisfly larvae can use chemical stimuli alone for predator recognition and avoidance. Exposure to predator and injured conspecific chemicals elicited significant decreases in activity, while exposure to injured and uninjured heterospecific chemicals yielded no significant change in activity. The extended latency to move following exposure to predator kairomones indicates larval caddisflies utilize chemical cues for predator recognition and avoidance, and a similar decrease in movement associated with exposure to injured conspecifics suggests the presence of a chemical alarm cue.
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Krotewicz, Maria, and Andrzej Romaniuk. "Social interactions in cats: regional brain monoamine distribution in dominant and submissive cats." Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis 55, no. 4 (December 31, 1995): 271–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.55782/ane-1995-1086.
Full textAbstract:
Regional brain concentration of monoamines (NA, DA and 5-HT) and their metabolites (MHPG, DOPAC, HVA and 5-HIAA) were measured in dominant and submissive cats in a predatory competition test and in predatory behaviour of single cats. A submissive position in predatory hierarchy produced an increase in concentration of NA in the hypothalamus, a decrease of DA, 5-HT, MHPG and MHPG/NA ratio in the hippocampus and a decrease of 5-HT in the prefrontal cortex in comparison with dominant cats. In the predatory test the social situation increased the concentration of DA and its metabolites in the hypothalamus of the submissive and dominant cats as compared to single cats. Additionally, a diminution of NA and MHPG concentration in the midbrain in dominant cats compared to single animals in the predatory situation was observed. The data obtained demonstrate a considerable differentiation in the effects of predatory aggression and predatory behaviour in a social situation on brain distribution of monoamines. The results indicate that predatory behaviour in single and paired cats is regulated by different catecholamine mechanisms.
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Syverson, Valerie J. P., Carlton E. Brett, Forest J. Gahn, and Tomasz K. Baumiller. "Spinosity, regeneration, and targeting among Paleozoic crinoids and their predators." Paleobiology 44, no. 2 (March 21, 2018): 290–305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pab.2017.38.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractEvolving interactions between predators and prey constitute one of the major adaptive influences on marine animals during the Paleozoic. Crinoids and fish constitute a predator–prey system that may date back to at least the Silurian, as suggested by patterns of crinoid regeneration and spinosity in concert with changes in the predatory fauna. Here we present data on the frequency of breakage and regeneration in the spines of the Middle Devonian camerateGennaeocrinusand late Paleozoic cladids, as well as an expanded survey of the prevalence of spinosity and infestation by platyceratid gastropods on crinoid genera during the Paleozoic. Spine regeneration frequency in the measured populations is comparable to arm regeneration frequencies from MississippianRhodocrinitesand from modern deep-water crinoid populations. The prevalence of spinosity varies by taxon, time, and anatomy among Paleozoic crinoids; notably, spinosity in camerates increased from the Silurian through the Mississippian and decreased sharply during the Pennsylvanian, whereas spines were uncommon in cladids until their Late Mississippian diversification. Among camerates, tegmen spinosity is positively correlated with the presence of infesting platyceratid gastropods. These results allow us to evaluate several hypotheses for the effects of predation on morphological differences between early, middle, and late Paleozoic crinoid faunas. Our data corroborate the hypothesis that predators targeted epibionts on camerate crinoids and anal sacs on advanced cladids and suggest that the replacement of shearing predators by crushing predators after the Hangenberg extinction affected the locations of spines in Mississippian camerates.
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Knapp, Markus, Yvonne van Houten, Elmer van Baal, and Thomas Groot. "Use of predatory mites in commercial biocontrol: current status and future prospects." Acarologia 58, Suppl (September 28, 2018): 72–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.24349/acarologia/20184275.
Full textAbstract:
Predatory mites play the leading role in commercial augmentative biological control. They are mainly used in protected vegetable and ornamental cultivation systems to control phytophagous mites, thrips and whiteflies. Use in open-field systems and in animal husbandry is still limited. Phytoseiidae species are by far the most important group of commercially available mite biocontrol agents with about 20 species offered worldwide. Out of these, Amblyseius swirskii, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus cucumeris and Neoseiulus californicus are the most important ones, covering together about two thirds of the entire arthropod biocontrol agent market. The widespread use of these leaf-inhabiting predatory mites has stimulated research into their biology and we now have substantial knowledge on, for instance, the interaction between different predatory mite species, that helps to improve biocontrol programmes. Soil predatory mites, for example Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Laelapidae) or Macrocheles robustulus (Macrochelidae) for the control of sciarid fly larvae and thrips pupae are much less frequently used and also much less researched. This makes further development of biocontrol strategies using these mites more difficult. Currently, there appears to be no reliable method to quantify the abundance of these mites in soil samples. In studies at our laboratory, the frequently used Berlese-Tullgren funnels gave very variable results. We observed that soil predatory mites can even multiply during the extraction process. In addition to the control of plant pests, predatory mites can also be used to control parasites of animals like the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. Good results have been obtained applying a combination of the predatory mites Androlaelaps casalis (Laelapidae) and Cheyletus eruditus (Cheyletidae) in laying hen stables. This paper provides an overview on the current status of commercial biological control using predatory mites and identifies research needs to make the currently available mite biocontrol agents even more successful and extend biological control with mites to other areas.
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Trzciński, Maciej, Piotr A. Kowalski, and Szymon Łukasik. "Clustering with Nature-Inspired Algorithm Based on Territorial Behavior of Predatory Animals." Algorithms 15, no. 2 (January 28, 2022): 43. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/a15020043.
Full textAbstract:
Clustering constitutes a well-known problem of division of unlabelled dataset into disjoint groups of data elements. It can be tackled with standard statistical methods but also with metaheuristics, which offer more flexibility and decent performance. The paper studies the application of the clustering algorithm—inspired by the territorial behaviors of predatory animals—named the Predatory Animals Algorithm (or, in short: PAA). Besides the description of the PAA, the results of its experimental evaluation, with regards to the classic k-means algorithm, are provided. It is concluded that the application of newly-created nature-inspired technique brings very promising outcomes. The discussion of obtained results is followed by areas of possible improvements and plans for further research.
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Chivers, Douglas P., Reehan S. Mirza, Pamela J. Bryer, and Joseph M. Kiesecker. "Threat-sensitive predator avoidance by slimy sculpins: understanding the importance of visual versus chemical information." Canadian Journal of Zoology 79, no. 5 (May 1, 2001): 867–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z01-049.
Full textAbstract:
The supposition that prey animals assess and behave flexibly in response to different degrees of predation threat is known as the threat-sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis. We completed a series of field and laboratory experiments to examine whether slimy sculpins (Cottus cognatus) exhibit threat-sensitive predator avoidance when exposed to sympatric predatory brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). In a field experiment we caged small and large trout in similar habitats and found that sculpins avoided areas containing trout that were large enough to pose a threat to them, but did not avoid areas containing trout that were small and hence not a threat. In a series of laboratory experiments we found that sculpins showed threat-sensitive predator avoidance when they could assess the predator visually. However, when only chemical cues from the predator were presented, sculpins responded to the predator regardless of its size. Chemical cues seem to function to warn the sculpin that the predator is in the vicinity, but visual cues are needed in order to accurately assess the risk posed by the predator.
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Daniell, Tara L., Mark N. Hutchinson, Phil Ainsley, and Michael G. Gardner. "Recognition of reptile predator scent is innate in an endangered lizard species." Australian Journal of Zoology 68, no. 2 (2020): 76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/zo20064.
Full textAbstract:
Chemical cues can alert prey to the presence of predators before the predator is within visual proximity. Recognition of a predator’s scent is therefore an important component of predator awareness. We presented predator and control scents to wild, wild-born captive, and predator-naive captive-born pygmy bluetongue lizards to determine (1) whether lizards respond to reptile chemical cues differently from controls, (2) whether captive lizards respond more strongly to a known predator than to other predatory reptiles, (3) whether captive-born lizards recognise predators innately, whether captive-born lizards have reduced predator recognition compared with wild lizards and whether time spent in captivity reduces responses to predators, and (4) whether the avoidance response to predator detection differs between naive and experienced lizards. There was no significant difference in the number of tongue flicks to predator scent among wild, wild-born and captive-born lizards, suggesting that predator detection is innate in the pygmy bluetongue lizard and time in captivity did not reduce predator recognition. The number of tongue flicks directed towards brown snake scent was significantly higher than that to the novel and water controls for all lizard origins. Lizards of all origins continued to bask in the presence of predator scents, suggesting that chemical cues alone may be insufficient to instigate an avoidance response and other cues may be required.
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Nikulina, Ella M. "Neural control of predatory aggression in wild and domesticated animals." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 15, no. 4 (December 1991): 545–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0149-7634(05)80146-0.
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Eisthen, Heather L., and Kevin R. Theis. "Animal–microbe interactions and the evolution of nervous systems." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 371, no. 1685 (January 5, 2016): 20150052. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0052.
Full textAbstract:
Animals ubiquitously interact with environmental and symbiotic microbes, and the effects of these interactions on animal physiology are currently the subject of intense interest. Nevertheless, the influence of microbes on nervous system evolution has been largely ignored. We illustrate here how taking microbes into account might enrich our ideas about the evolution of nervous systems. For example, microbes are involved in animals' communicative, defensive, predatory and dispersal behaviours, and have likely influenced the evolution of chemo- and photosensory systems. In addition, we speculate that the need to regulate interactions with microbes at the epithelial surface may have contributed to the evolutionary internalization of the nervous system.