Driven to distraction: detecting the hidden costs of flea parasitism through foraging behaviour in gerbils

Raveh, Ashael; Kotler, Burt P.; Abramsky, Zvika; Krasnov, Boris R.

doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01549.x

Cited by 51 publications

(55 citation statements)

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“…v www.esajournals.org There is growing evidence that ectoparasites can have significant negative impacts on the physiology of individual hosts, and the vital rates of host populations (Hawlena et al 2006a, Hawlena et al 2006b, Devevey et al 2008, Devevey and Christe 2009, Pfäffle et al 2009, Kam et al 2010. Therefore, it is conceivable that lowered ectoparasite loads in burned forest contribute to high post-fire deer mouse abundance, e.g., through effects on body condition (Hawlena et al 2006a, Devevey et al 2008, Devevey and Christe 2009 or feeding behavior (Scantlebury et al 2007, Raveh et al 2011), which in turn influences reproductive output of deer mice. Intriguingly, Raveh et al (2011) showed that flea-infested rodents were less vigilant and v www.esajournals.org had higher giving-up densities (i.e., tended to quit foraging at higher densities of food remaining in the patch).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, it is conceivable that lowered ectoparasite loads in burned forest contribute to high post-fire deer mouse abundance, e.g., through effects on body condition (Hawlena et al 2006a, Devevey et al 2008, Devevey and Christe 2009 or feeding behavior (Scantlebury et al 2007, Raveh et al 2011), which in turn influences reproductive output of deer mice. Intriguingly, Raveh et al (2011) showed that flea-infested rodents were less vigilant and v www.esajournals.org had higher giving-up densities (i.e., tended to quit foraging at higher densities of food remaining in the patch). In our previous research (Zwolak et al 2012), we found that deer mice in unburned forest had higher giving-up densities than mice from burned forest, but the reason for this difference was unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reduced ectoparasite loads of deer mice in burned forest: From fleas to trees?

et al. 2013

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Abstract. We tested whether reduced parasite loads might contribute to high post-fire abundances of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). We performed parasite examinations of 54 mice captured in burned forest in the area of Davis Fire (western Montana, USA), and 26 mice captured in nearby unburned forest. Mean abundance of ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, and lice) was lower in burned than in unburned forest. The difference was particularly pronounced for fleas, which were reduced by 70% in burned forest. Endoparasites (i.e., nematodes and cestodes) were unaffected. Mechanisms for the lower mean abundance of fleas in burned areas are not known, but might involve flea mortality in burrows during fire or decreased transmission, survival, or both in the post-fire environment. We propose several hypothetical pathways through which reduced ectoparasite loads could cause an increase in deer mouse abundance, such as improved health status or increased foraging efficiency of mice, both of which could translate into the increased reproduction that has been reported in mice from burned forest. We encourage experimental tests of the ectoparasite release hypothesis of the post-fire increase in deer mouse abundance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced ectoparasite loads of deer mice in burned forest: From fleas to trees?

et al. 2013

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“…Apprehension can be defined as a reduction in attention devoted to performing an activity (foraging) as a consequence of reallocating attention to detecting or responding to predators or competitors (Dall et al 2001;Kotler et al 2002Kotler et al , 2004Kotler et al , 2010Raveh et al 2011). Apprehensive foraging allows a forager to harvest (or handle) food while increasing its alertness to predators.…”

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confidence: 99%

Detecting predators and locating competitors while foraging: an experimental study of a medium-sized herbivore in an African savanna

et al. 2011

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Vigilance allows individuals to escape from predators, but it also reduces time for other activities which determine fitness, in particular resource acquisition. The principles determining how prey trade time between the detection of predators and food acquisition are not fully understood, particularly in herbivores because of many potential confounding factors (such as group size), and the ability of these animals to be vigilant while handling food. We designed a fertilization experiment to manipulate the quality of resources, and compared awareness (distinguishing apprehensive foraging and vigilance) of wild impalas (Aepyceros melampus) foraging on patches of different grass height and quality in a wilderness area with a full community of predators. While handling food, these animals can allocate time to other functions. The impalas were aware of their environment less often when on good food patches and when the grass was short. The animals spent more time in apprehensive foraging when grass was tall, and no other variable affected apprehensive behavior. The probability of exhibiting a vigilance posture decreased with group size. The interaction between grass height and patch enrichment also affected the time spent in vigilance, suggesting that resource quality was the main driver when visibility is good, and the risk of predation the main driver when the risk is high. We discuss various possible mechanisms underlying the perception of predation risk: foraging strategy, opportunities for scrounging, and inter-individual interference. Overall, this experiment shows that improving patch quality modifies the trade-off between vigilance and foraging in favor of feeding, but vigilance remains ultimately driven by the visibility of predators by foragers within their feeding patches.

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“…An example of such a study is the effect of parasites and the distraction they produce on the risk-taking behavior in gerbils (e.g. Raveh et al, 2011).…”

Section: Current Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The landscape of fear conceptual framework: definition and review of current applications and misuses

Bleicher

2017

Preprint

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Landscapes of Fear (LOF), the spatially explicit distribution of perceived predation risk as seen by a population, is increasingly cited in ecological literature and has become a frequently used "buzz-word". With the increase in popularity, it became necessary to clarify the definition for the term, suggest boundaries and propose a common framework for its use. The LOF, as a progeny of the "ecology of fear" conceptual framework, defines fear as the strategic manifest of the cost-benefit analysis of food and safety tradeoffs. In addition to direct predation risk, the LOF is affected by individuals' energetic-state, interand intra-specific competition and is constrained by the evolutionary history of each species. Herein, based on current applications of the LOF conceptual framework, I suggest the future research in this framework will be directed towards: (1) AbstractLandscapes of Fear (LOF), the spatially explicit distribution of perceived predation risk as seen by a population, is increasingly cited in ecological literature and has become a frequently used "buzz-word". With the increase in popularity, it became necessary to clarify the definition for the term, suggest boundaries and propose a common framework for its use. The LOF, as a progeny of the "ecology of fear" conceptual framework, defines fear as the strategic manifest of the cost-benefit analysis of food and safety tradeoffs. In addition to direct predation risk, the LOF is affected by individuals' energetic-state, inter-and intra-specific competition and is constrained by the evolutionary history of each species. Herein, based on current applications of the LOF conceptual framework, I suggest the future research in this framework will be directed towards: (1) finding applied management uses as a trait defining a population's habitat-use and habitat-suitability; (2) studying multi-dimensional distribution of risk-assessment through time and space; (3) studying variability between individuals within a population; and (4) measuring eco-neurological implications of risk as a feature of environmental heterogeneity.3 | Bleicher Landscapes of Fear

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Driven to distraction: detecting the hidden costs of flea parasitism through foraging behaviour in gerbils

Cited by 51 publications

References 38 publications

Reduced ectoparasite loads of deer mice in burned forest: From fleas to trees?

Reduced ectoparasite loads of deer mice in burned forest: From fleas to trees?

Detecting predators and locating competitors while foraging: an experimental study of a medium-sized herbivore in an African savanna

The landscape of fear conceptual framework: definition and review of current applications and misuses

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