Predation-risk effects of predator identity on the foraging behaviors of frugivorous bats

Breviglieri, Crasso Paulo Bosco; Piccoli, Gustavo C. O.; Uieda, Wilson; Romero, Gustavo Q.

doi:10.1007/s00442-013-2677-9

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…To actively avoid predation, bats may voluntarily adjust certain routine behaviors, such as the choice of day roosts [ 14 ] and the timing of departure from a roost [ 15 ]. This type of decision making to avoid distress is facilitated by auditory [ 16 ], visual [ 17 ], and chemical cues [ 18 ]. We know even less about on the spot, “impulsive” decision making when bats need to escape from a life-threatening situation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Situational and Age-Dependent Decision Making during Life Threatening Distress in Myotis macrodactylus

et al. 2015

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Echolocation and audiovocal communication have been studied extensively in bats. The manner in which these abilities are incorporated within escape behaviors during life-threatening distress is largely unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that behavioral response profiles expressed during distress are relatively stereotypic given their evolutionary adaptations to avoid predators. We subjected juvenile and adult big-footed myotis (Myotis macrodactylus) to a sequence of three types of life threatening distress: 1) trapping them in a mist-net (environmental threat), 2) approaching them when trapped (predator threat), and 3) partially restraining their freedom to move (arrest), and recorded their escape behavior in each of the three conditions. Response profiles differed across individuals and with the context in which they were expressed. During environmental and predator threat, bats displayed significantly more biting and wing-flapping behaviors and emitted more echolocation pulses than during arrest. Response profiles also varied with age. During arrest, juveniles were more likely than adults to emit distress calls and vice-versa for biting and wing flapping during environmental and predator threat. Overall, individualized response profiles were classified into ten clusters that were aligned along two divergent response trajectories when viewed within two-dimensional, multifactorial decision space. Juvenile behaviors tended to follow a predominantly “social-dependence” trajectory, whereas adult behaviors were mostly aligned along a “self-reliance” trajectory. We conclude that bats modify their vocal behavior and make age-appropriate and contextually adaptive decisions when distressed. This decision-making ability is consistent with observations in other social species, including humans.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Situational and Age-Dependent Decision Making during Life Threatening Distress in Myotis macrodactylus

et al. 2015

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“…One widespread response to reduce predation risk is to shift habitat use away from areas with high predation risk (Creel, Winnie Jr, Maxwell, Hamlin, & Creel, 2005;Valeix et al, 2009). Across a range of taxa, such a habitat shift involves a trade-off between access to resources and safety (Breviglieri, Piccoli, Uieda, & Romero, 2013;Embar, Raveh, Burns, & Kotler, 2014;Heithaus, Wirsing, Burkholder, Thomson, & Dill, 2009;Nonacs & Dill,1990). A typical situation for large grazing mammals is that individuals have to choose between open habitats with good foraging opportunities, but where they are visible to predators, and habitats that provide more cover from potential dangers but which might limit foraging efficiency (Godvik et al, 2009;Werner, Gilliam, Hall, & Mittelbach, 1983).…”

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confidence: 99%

An adaptive behavioural response to hunting: surviving male red deer shift habitat at the onset of the hunting season

et al. 2015

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Keywords: behavioural plasticity cover fitness food forage risk avoidance safety survival trade-off wildlife management Hunting by humans can be a potent driver of selection for morphological and life history traits in wildlife populations across continents and taxa. Few studies, however, have documented selection on behavioural responses that increase individual survival under human hunting pressure. Using habitat with dense concealing cover is a common strategy for risk avoidance, with a higher chance of survival being the payoff. At the same time, risk avoidance can be costly in terms of missed foraging opportunities. We investigated individual fine-scale use of habitat by 40 GPS-marked European red deer, Cervus elaphus, and linked this to their survival through the hunting season. Whereas all males used similar habitat in the days before the hunting season, the onset of hunting induced an immediate switch to habitat with more concealing cover in surviving males, but not in males that were later shot. This habitat switch also involved a trade-off with foraging opportunities on bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, a key forage plant in autumn. Moreover, deer that use safer forest habitat might survive better because they make safer choices in general. The lack of a corresponding pattern in females might be because females were already largely using cover when hunting started, as predicted by sexual segregation theory and the risk of losing offspring. The behavioural response of males to the onset of hunting appears to be adaptive, given that it is linked to increased survival, an important fitness component. We suggest that predictable harvesting regimes with high harvest rates could create a strong selective pressure for deer to respond dynamically to the temporal change in hunting risk. Management should consider the potential for both ecological and evolutionary consequences of harvesting regimes on behaviour.

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“…; Breviglieri et al . ). These signs trigger different anti‐predatory strategies (Bernot & Turner ) that can vary depending on the identity of prey (Lima ; Zuberbühler et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…; Breviglieri et al . , ). Several mechanisms allow prey to recognise their predators, such as innate behaviour, learned behaviour patterns developed through observing the behaviour of congeners (Griffin ) or heterospecifics (Fallow et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acoustic stimuli from predators trigger behavioural responses in aggregate caterpillars

Breviglieri

Romero

2019

Austral Ecology

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Prey detect their predators through predator signals and cues and, consequently, respond with antipredatory behaviours to inhibit the action of their aggressors. Lepidopterans can intercept signals emitted by predators and may defend themselves through chemical, morphological or behavioural responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of acoustic stimuli of different predators on defensive behaviour of gregarious caterpillars. Our results demonstrated that Hylesia nigricans (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) caterpillars alter their behaviour (i.e. abruptly raising the head) in response to the acoustic stimulus of the predators (i.e. predation risk signals from birds and wasps). The magnitude of this response depended on predator identity and caterpillar body size. Larger caterpillars responded more strongly to predatory stimuli than smaller caterpillars. However, regardless of the size of the caterpillars, they responded more strongly to the stimuli of wasps. In addition, we identified that H. nigricans caterpillars emit ultrasonic noise after detecting the stimuli of the predatorsthis noise seems to function as an alert about the risk of predation during the early stages of development (second and fifth instars). The duration of ultrasonic emission (i.e. milliseconds) increases with the number of repetitions of the stimuli (i.e. wing-beat sounds of the wasps and insectivorous birds). These results provide novel information about predation risk in interactions among caterpillars and their predators, and indicate possible communication among invertebrates mediated by the risk of predation.

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Predation-risk effects of predator identity on the foraging behaviors of frugivorous bats

Cited by 29 publications

References 44 publications

Situational and Age-Dependent Decision Making during Life Threatening Distress in Myotis macrodactylus

Situational and Age-Dependent Decision Making during Life Threatening Distress in Myotis macrodactylus

An adaptive behavioural response to hunting: surviving male red deer shift habitat at the onset of the hunting season

Acoustic stimuli from predators trigger behavioural responses in aggregate caterpillars

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