High-valued seeds are remembered better: evidence for item-based spatial memory of scatter-hoarding rodents

Yi, Xin; Yi, Sijie; Deng, Yinhua; Wang, Minghui; Ju, Mengyao

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.02.009

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…In our study, however, seed scatter-hoarding preference of L. edwardsi and larder-hoarding preference of A. chevrieri were influenced by intra-specific seed detectability. This difference can be explained by the facts that L. edwardsi are predominant scatter-hoarders while A. chevrieri are predominant larder-hoarders although they both scatterand larder-hoard seeds in the study area Chang & Zhang 2011;Yi et al 2021). Our results showing that seeds scatter-hoarded were 3.86 times as those larder-hoarded by L. edwardsi, whereas seeds larder-hoarded were 1.12 times as those scatter-hoarded by A. chevrieri further support this speculation (Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

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The effects of seed detectability and seed traits on hoarding preference of two rodent species

WANG

2022

Integr. Zool.

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Seed traits play an important role in affecting seed preference and hoarding behaviors of small rodents. Despite greatly affected by seed traits, seed detectability of competitors represents pilfering risks and may also modify seed hoarding preference of animals. However, whether seed traits and seed detectability show consistent effects on seed hoarding preference of animals remain largely unknown. Here, we explored how seed traits and seed detectability correlate with seed hoarding preference of Leopoldamys edwardsi and Apodemus chevrieri in a subtropical forest. Despite the effects of seed coat thickness and caloric value on hoarding preference of L. edwardsi, we detected no significant effects of other seed traits on hording preference of the 2 rodent species. There was no correlation between larder‐hoarding preference and inter‐ or intra‐specific seed detectability of L. edwardsi; however, seed detectability of L. edwardsi was negatively correlated with its own scatter‐hoarding preference. Although scatter‐hoarding preference of A. chevrieri was not correlated with inter‐ and intra‐specific seed detectability, larder‐hoarding preference of A. chevrieri was positively correlated with intra‐specific seed detectability. Our study may provide evidence that intra‐specific seed detectability rather than seed traits and inter‐specific pilfering risks play an important role in modifying seed hoarding preference of rodents.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“… 2008 ; Chang & Zhang 2011 ; Yi et al . 2021 ). Our results showing that seeds scatter‐hoarded were 3.86 times as those larder‐hoarded by L. edwardsi , whereas seeds larder‐hoarded were 1.12 times as those scatter‐hoarded by A. chevrieri further support this speculation (Table 1 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of seed detectability and seed traits on hoarding preference of two rodent species

WANG

2022

Integr. Zool.

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“…The value of one seed species can in uence the fate of other seed species that are available at the same time (Lichti et al 2014). Studies have shown that larger cache sizes mean more high-value food for rodents (Yi et al 2021). Seeds with a higher fat content were preferentially selected by rodents (Jansen et al 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hoarding experiments were carried out in ve identical 10 m × 10 m indoor enclosures. The oor of the enclosure is paved with red bricks to create 64 shallow pits, which are lled with ne sand, allowing L. edwardsi to scatter-hoard seeds (Yi et al 2021; Wang and Yi 2022). A nest box (40 cm × 40 cm × 40 cm) was placed in the two opposite corners of each enclosure and an appropriate amount of wood chips was placed to keep the rodents warm.…”

Section: Enclosuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of seed traits on the cache size of a scatter-hoarding rodent, Leopoldamys edwardsi

Minghui

Yang

2023

Preprint

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Seed traits can influence post-dispersal seed fate and seedling establishment by manipulating the size of caches made by hoarding animals. However, few studies have explored how seed traits affect cache size and subsequent seed fate mediated by hoarding rodents. In this study, we investigated the effects of seed traits on hoarding behavior of Leopoldamys edwardsiusing seeds of Quercus variabilis, Castanea henryi, Camellia oleifera, Lithocarpus harlandii, and Choerospondias axillarisunder enclosures in Dujiangyan City, southwest China, in an attempt to elucidate the relationship between seed traits and cache size. Our results showed that there were significant differences in the scatter-hoarded preference among C. axillaris, C. henryi, C. oleifera, Q. variabilis and L. harlandii by L. edwardsi. There was a significant difference in the cache size between five seed species by L. edwardsi. More importantly, we found that there was a significant positive correlation between cache size and the proportion of intact after removal or crude fat, but a significant negativecorrelation between cache size and seed mass or crude starch. Our study has revealed that seed traits are a key factor in regulating the hoarding behavior of rodents, which includes the size of their caches. This behavior, in turn, has a significant impact on the fate of the seeds and the growth of seedlings that emerge from the caches. Significance statement At present, a large number of studies focus on a certain trait of a single seed or the effect of a certain seed trait of various seeds on the hoarding behavior of rodents, but how seed traits affect cache size and subsequent seed fate mediated by hoarding rodents remains unknown. This study systematically illustrates how rodents build storage sites and determine the seed fates according to seed traits. Establishing food storage sites based on different seed traits involves a trade-off between the recovery rate and the pilfering rate of food-hoarding sites, which may be an adaptive storage strategy formed in the long-term evolution process.

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“…In addition to remembering the location of their food caches, food-caching animals are often faced with the task of remembering which food items are stored, and the timing of storage, as different food items expire at different rates ( Smith and Reichman, 1984 ). This “what, when, where” type of memory is referred to as episodic-like memory and has been well studied in birds ( Roberts, 2006 ), but was also demonstrated in rats ( Babb and Crystal, 2006 ; Yi et al, 2021 ). BMRs were shown to have far superior spatial memories compared to rats, learning a maze significantly faster, and retaining 45% of their performance 120 days later ( Kimchi and Terkel, 2001 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat

Kashash

Smarsh

Zilkha

et al. 2022

eLife

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On the social scale, the blind mole rat (BMR; Spalax ehrenbergi) is an extreme. It is exceedingly solitary, territorial, and aggressive. BMRs reside underground, in self-excavated tunnels that they rarely leave. They possess specialized sensory systems for social communication and navigation, which allow them to cope with the harsh environmental conditions underground. This review aims to present the blind mole rat as an ideal, novel neuroethological model for studying aggressive and solitary behaviors. We discuss the BMR’s unique behavioral phenotype, particularly in the context of ‘anti-social’ behaviors, and review the available literature regarding its specialized sensory adaptations to the social and physical habitat. To date, the neurobiology of the blind mole rat remains mostly unknown and holds a promising avenue for scientific discovery. Unraveling the neural basis of the BMR’s behavior, in comparison to that of social rodents, can shed important light on the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric disorders in humans, in which similar behaviors are displayed.

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High-valued seeds are remembered better: evidence for item-based spatial memory of scatter-hoarding rodents

Cited by 9 publications

References 40 publications

The effects of seed detectability and seed traits on hoarding preference of two rodent species

The effects of seed detectability and seed traits on hoarding preference of two rodent species

Effects of seed traits on the cache size of a scatter-hoarding rodent, Leopoldamys edwardsi

Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat

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