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Author: Bryan A King Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 54
Book Description
California ground squirrels (CGS) have evolved a repertoire of mechanisms to defend against rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. A putative antipredator behavior known as snake scent application (SSA), in which a squirrel chews and rubs materials from a snake onto its body, is not yet well understood. SSA in CGS is elicited by rattlesnakes, but some unpublished reports suggest that SSA could be elicited by other snake species as well. In addition, there are uncertainties concerning the function of and motivation to perform this behavior. Here, I tested three hypotheses related to the function and nature of SSA: 1) SSA will be more often elicited by rattlesnake (the most potent predator of CGS) than gopher or garter snake sheds, and gopher snake sheds will elicit SSA more often than garter snake (not predators of CGS) sheds; 2) SSA will be more common in the spring than in the fall. This prediction is based on the assumption that SSA is primarily aimed at the protection of CGS pups, which are most vulnerable after their birth in the spring; 3) CGS will enter traps, which they normally avoid, to gain access to snake sheds less often than they will enter traps to gain access to food, but more often than they will do so for traps that contain a piece of wood. To test these hypotheses, I conducted three field experiments at locations in San Diego County where I presented snake sheds and treated traps to wild CGS. I found that rattlesnake shed elicited the only occurrences of SSA, suggesting that SSA in CGS is limited to rattlesnakes and that the benefits of SSA derive not simply from disguising one's olfactory identity as a squirrel but, more specifically, from smelling like a rattlesnake. Although CGS exhibited SSA more in the spring than in the fall, I did not find statistical support for this difference. Finally, CGS entered traps that contained rattlesnake shed no more often than they entered traps that contained a piece of wood, implying that motivation to engage in SSA is not high, at least under the circumstances of my experiment. Based on these results, I propose future research that addresses the specific characteristics of rattlesnake sheds that elicit SSA (e.g., age and size of sheds) and the benefits of SSA for pups versus adults.
Author: Bryan A King Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 54
Book Description
California ground squirrels (CGS) have evolved a repertoire of mechanisms to defend against rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. A putative antipredator behavior known as snake scent application (SSA), in which a squirrel chews and rubs materials from a snake onto its body, is not yet well understood. SSA in CGS is elicited by rattlesnakes, but some unpublished reports suggest that SSA could be elicited by other snake species as well. In addition, there are uncertainties concerning the function of and motivation to perform this behavior. Here, I tested three hypotheses related to the function and nature of SSA: 1) SSA will be more often elicited by rattlesnake (the most potent predator of CGS) than gopher or garter snake sheds, and gopher snake sheds will elicit SSA more often than garter snake (not predators of CGS) sheds; 2) SSA will be more common in the spring than in the fall. This prediction is based on the assumption that SSA is primarily aimed at the protection of CGS pups, which are most vulnerable after their birth in the spring; 3) CGS will enter traps, which they normally avoid, to gain access to snake sheds less often than they will enter traps to gain access to food, but more often than they will do so for traps that contain a piece of wood. To test these hypotheses, I conducted three field experiments at locations in San Diego County where I presented snake sheds and treated traps to wild CGS. I found that rattlesnake shed elicited the only occurrences of SSA, suggesting that SSA in CGS is limited to rattlesnakes and that the benefits of SSA derive not simply from disguising one's olfactory identity as a squirrel but, more specifically, from smelling like a rattlesnake. Although CGS exhibited SSA more in the spring than in the fall, I did not find statistical support for this difference. Finally, CGS entered traps that contained rattlesnake shed no more often than they entered traps that contained a piece of wood, implying that motivation to engage in SSA is not high, at least under the circumstances of my experiment. Based on these results, I propose future research that addresses the specific characteristics of rattlesnake sheds that elicit SSA (e.g., age and size of sheds) and the benefits of SSA for pups versus adults.
Author: Susan Adlai Foster Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA ISBN: 0195082958 Category : Adaptability (Psychology) Languages : en Pages : 337
Book Description
Studies of animal behavior often assume that all members of a species exhibit the same behavior. Geographic Variation in Behavior shows that, on the contrary, there is substantional variation within species across a wide range of taxa. Including work from pioneers in the field, this volume provides a balanced overview of research on behavioral characteristics that vary geographically. The authors explore the mechanisms by which behavioral differences evolve and examine related methodological issues. Taken together, the work collected here demonstrates that genetically based geographic variation may be far more widespread than previously suspected. The book also shows how variation in behavior can illuminate both behavioral evolution and general evolutionary patterns. Unique among books on behavior in its emphasis on geographic variation, this volume is a valuable new resource for students and researchers in animal behavior and evolutionary biology.
Author: Margaret A Mantor Publisher: ISBN: 9781267760791 Category : Languages : en Pages :
Book Description
Antipredator behavioral can give insight into the evolution of animal communication and the processes that shape it. California ground squirrels are a model species for studying how natural behavioral systems have been shaped by known sources of selection acting through millennia of evolution. The natural history and biology of California ground squirrels have been well studied making them an ideal species for studying the development and maintenance of antipredator behavior. This dissertation focuses on the differences in California ground squirrel antipredator alarm call behavior toward humans and domesticated dogs: two categories of mammalian predator that differ in the level of threat they pose. This study found that squirrel antipredator behavior varies by age class, predator type, and location. Chapter two focuses on differences in antipredator behavior between adults and juveniles. Results indicate that adult and juvenile antipredator behavioral patterns differ in the proportion of time spent in antipredator behaviors and that many of the behavioral differences may aid juveniles in appearing larger and more adult-like which could deter predators, a hypothesis first described in this dissertation and termed size bluffing. Adult behavior patterns varied with the threat level posed by the stimulus but juvenile behavior patterns did not. Results also indicate behavioral differences varied on a geographic basis between our two study sites, likely influenced by experience with different predator environments. Chapter 3 focuses specifically on alarm calls — vocalizations produced when squirrels are threatened or startled by a predator or some other disturbance. This chapter examines the degree of situational specificity of alarm calls by analyzing the temporal and acoustic structures of the vocalizations. Results indicate that alarm calls have a degree of situational specificity and that the first call of a call bout was different than subsequent calls, which may indicate that the first call has a different function than subsequent calls. Squirrels may vary alarm call parameters to communicate about the type of predator or the threat level posed by the predator, or about the internal state of the signaler. Chapter 1 focuses on trapping and handling methods to reduce stress and injuries to the animal. During this dissertation study trap modifications and a refined handling method using a handling bag rather than chemical immobilants were used. This paper reports injury rates caused by trapping and handling from this dissertation study and other squirrel studies using similar trapping and handling modifications. This dataset on multiple species provides values for comparison with other studies and can be used to compare and choose appropriate methods, and thereby improve the welfare of animals captured for research.
Author: Publisher: ISBN: 9781369201758 Category : Electronic books Languages : en Pages : 59
Book Description
California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) harass rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) using a tail-flagging display that seemingly deters predation. Previous studies suggest that tail flagging could communicate vigilance in addition to perception of a snake. I tested the function and ontogeny of tail flagging through experiments on both free-ranging squirrels and snakes. I first used an array of network security cameras to record natural rattlesnake foraging behavior and squirrel-snake interactions. This confirmed that squirrels are the primary food item of rattlesnakes in the study population, accounting for more than 90% of all prey encounters and prey consumed. I then tested whether tail flagging signals vigilance in the absence of snakes using an experiment that simulated snake strikes on free-ranging squirrels either 1) in the presence of a rattlesnake, 2) with no snake present, or 3) in an area where squirrels had recently encountered a snake that was no longer present (vigilance treatment). Squirrels tail flagged most when interacting with a snake, but they also signaled in areas of recent snake encounters during which they responded fastest to simulated strikes and were most likely to leap away from the attack. Hence, tail flagging honestly signals vigilance even when snakes are undetected. The third part of my research examined age differences in antisnake behaviors during the detection, interaction, and attack stages of a rattlesnake encounter. Compared to adults, pups were worse at detecting snakes, performed fewer tail-flagging bouts, were less likely to investigate a hidden snake’s refuge, and reacted slower to simulated strikes. I concluded that pups avoid rattlesnakes and minimize time spent in close proximity to them to compensate for their reduced reaction times to strikes. Finally, I determined which situational context surrounding snake encounters influenced variation in snake-harassment behavior and physiological stress responses, characterized by fecal assays of corticosterone. In the absence of conspecifics, squirrels exhibited higher stress responses to snakes that persisted in their environment, and the amount of time squirrels spent harassing snakes was influenced by complex interactions between conspecific presence, snake species, and the length of time snakes stayed in the area. I also found consistent individual differences in stress responses and snake-harassment behavior, suggesting that these traits could be important targets of natural selection. Overall, my work found that tail flagging is a complex antisnake signal that can serve different functions and is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Author: Peter M. Kappeler Publisher: Springer Nature ISBN: 3030828794 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 403
Book Description
This textbook presents all basic principles of animal behaviour in a clear and concise manner and illustrates them with up-to-date examples. Emphasis is placed on behavioural biology as an integrative discipline of organismic biology, focusing on the adaptive value of behaviours that facilitate resource access, predator avoidance and reproductive success and underlie parental care, all within a comprehensive presentation of social complexity. This new textbook provides a rich resource for students (and teachers) from a wide range of life science disciplines.
Author: Blake Gumprecht Publisher: JHU Press ISBN: 9780801866425 Category : Architecture Languages : en Pages : 390
Book Description
Winner of the J. B. Jackson Prize from the Association of American Geographers Three centuries ago, the Los Angeles River meandered through marshes and forests of willow and sycamore. Trout spawned in its waters and grizzly bears roamed its shores. The bountiful environment the river helped create supported one of the largest concentrations of Indians in North America. Today, the river is made almost entirely of concrete. Chain-link fence and barbed wire line its course. Shopping carts and trash litter its channel. Little water flows in the river most of the year, and nearly all that does is treated sewage and oily street runoff. On much of its course, the river looks more like a deserted freeway than a river. The river's contemporary image belies its former character and its importance to the development of Southern California. Los Angeles would not exist were it not for the river, and the river was crucial to its growth. Recognizing its past and future potential, a potent movement has developed to revitalize its course. The Los Angeles River offers the first comprehensive account of a river that helped give birth to one of the world's great cities, significantly shaped its history, and promises to play a key role in its future.
Author: Bryan A King
Author: Bryan A King
Author: Susan E. Schneck
Author: Susan Adlai Foster
Author: Joseph Carroll
Author: Barbara Ann Clucas
Author: Margaret A Mantor
Author: 
Author: Joseph Grinnell
Author: Peter M. Kappeler
Author: Blake Gumprecht