Salt Preferences and Sodium Drive Phenology in Fox Squirrels and Woodchucks

Weeks, Harmon P.; Kirkpatrick, Charles M.

doi:10.2307/1380229

Cited by 52 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Weeks and Kirkpatrick (1978) demonstrated that woodchucks Marmota monax have a strong preference for sodium, particularly in the spring. I observed marmots licking soil soon after spring emergence, a behaviour that has been attributed to sodium deficiency in woodchucks and other species (Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1972, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978. The high preference index for forbs in early summer may be related to nutrient depletion from hibernation and increased sodium demand by lactating females (Robbins 1983).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional ecology of yellow‐bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California

Carey

1985

Ecography

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Carey, H. V. 1985. Nutritional ecology of yellow-bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California. -Holarct. Ecol. 8: 259-264.This study examined the basis of diet preference in a mammalian hibernator, the yellow-bellied marmot Marmota flaviventris, in the White Mountains of California. Preference indices calculated from dietary data and food plant availability in the habitat indicated that forb species were preferred over graminoids, particularly in the spring and early summer. Chemical analysis of food plant species suggested that marmots preferred forbs over graminoids because of their lower fiber (cellulose) content and higher concentrations of phosphorus, sodium and possibly protein. Inclusion of graminoids in the diets was probably due to their greater availability in the habitat coupled with the need to maximize the rate of nutrient intake during the short (4-5 month) active season. Seasonal changes in diet composition were noted which may reflect, in part, temporal changes in nutrient demands.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional ecology of yellow‐bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California

Carey

1985

Ecography

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“…Examples include sodium deficiencies and appetites for sodium among a variety of herbivorous mammals (e.g., Laufer 1930, French 1945, Cowan and Brink 1949, Dalke et al 1965, Blair-West et al 1968, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1973, Andrews et al 1975, Oates 1978, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978, Belovsky 1981. Examples include sodium deficiencies and appetites for sodium among a variety of herbivorous mammals (e.g., Laufer 1930, French 1945, Cowan and Brink 1949, Dalke et al 1965, Blair-West et al 1968, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1973, Andrews et al 1975, Oates 1978, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978, Belovsky 1981.…”

Section: Generality Of Nutrient Limitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Herbivorous mammals often exhibit deficiencies of mineral and other nutrients whose availabilities may limit populations in some areas. Examples include sodium deficiencies and appetites for sodium among a variety of herbivorous mammals (e.g., Laufer 1930, French 1945,CowanandBrink 1949,Dalkeetal.l965, Blair-West et al 1968, Hebert and Cowan 1971, Weir 1973, Andrews et al 1975, Oates 1978, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1978, Belovsky 1981. Lactating wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) select pasture growing on calcium-rich soils (Kreulen 1975).…”

Section: Generality Of Nutrient Limztationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Freeland¹,

Choquenot²

1990

Ecology

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This content downloaded from 130.Abstract. Populations of feral donkeys, Equus asinus, in northern Australia are limited by density-dependent mortality during the first 6 mo of individuals' lives. A female's ability to raise her offspring successfully increases with age and is dependent on her maintaining high levels of stored mineral nutrients (calcium, phosphorus, and sodium). A low proportion of offspring was successfully raised in a population at carrying capacity where females had low levels of stored mineral nutrients. Females in a growing population that had been reduced to 45% of carrying capacity had high levels of stored minerals and successfully raised a higher proportion of offspring. Females in the population at carrying capacity ingested a species-poor diet (predominantly a grass, Sehima nervosa) containing low levels of nitrogen and mineral nutrients, and high levels of crude fibre. Females in the growing population ingested a more species-rich diet with higher levels of nitrogen and minerals, and less crude fibre. Levels of calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in the faeces of females in the population at carrying capacity were higher than those in the food ingested. The reverse was true for females in the growing population. At the time of sampling (early dry season), 17% of females in the population at carrying capacity and 0% of females in the growing population were eating or had recently eaten clay.Increased salivary secretion and gastrointestinal irritation caused by high-fibre diets (even when lubricated by clay) may be responsible for mineral depletion of females at carrying capacity, and hence population limitation through the inability of females to raise offspring.

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“…In woodchucks, this time also corresponds to the spring period during which herbaceous vegetation often contains excessive amounts of water and potassium, both of which may reduce sodium retention in mammals (Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1976, Smith et al 1978. Woodchucks actively seek sources of sodium during spring; Weeks and Kirkpatrick (1978) observed licking of residual salt from roads and use of natural mineral deposits, and Fraser (1979) observed feeding on sodiumrich aquatic plants, an atypical food (Hamilton 1934).…”

Section: Provision Of Scent Stationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous herbivorous mammals incur dietary sodium deficiencies (reviewed in Robbins 1983), and sources of sodium are actively sought during periods of deficiency (e.g., Blair-West et al 1968, Botkin et al 1973, Weeks and Kirkpatrick 1976. Weeks and Kirkpatrick (1978) showed that woodchucks in sodium-poor environments actively seek this mineral; free-ranging individuals preferentially gnawed on wooden stakes containing sodium relative to stakes containing magnesium, calcium, or potassium. Thus, sodium may serve as an attractant to encourage use of alternative marking sites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modifying Scent‐Marking Behavior to Reduce Woodchuck Damage to Fruit Trees

Swihart¹

1991

Ecological Applications

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Woodchucks (Marmota monax) damage fruit trees by gnawing on main stems during scent marking, a behavior unrelated to feeding. I tested whether damage could be reduced by providing alternative sites for scent marking or by applying predator odor to trees. Nearly all hardwood stakes supplied as alternative sites for scent marking were used, and the elapsed time from activation of a burrow until onset of damage to an adjacent tree was significantly greater for sites with stakes. However, the mean level of damage to trees was not significantly reduced. Impregnating hardwood stakes with sodium chloride increased their use as gnawing sites relative to untreated stakes, presumably due to dietary sodium deficits incurred by woodchucks during spring. Use of NaCl-treated stakes did not reduce damage to adjacent trees, however. Application of a predator odor, bobcat urine, as a topical spray reduced mean levels of gnawing by 98.3% relative to untreated trees, and placement of bobcat urine in capillary tubes at the bases of trees also resulted in significant reductions in damage over a 3-mo period.

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Salt Preferences and Sodium Drive Phenology in Fox Squirrels and Woodchucks

Cited by 52 publications

References 19 publications

Nutritional ecology of yellow‐bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California

Nutritional ecology of yellow‐bellied marmots in the White Mountains of California

Determinants of Herbivore Carrying Capacity: Plants, Nutrients, and Equus Asinus in Northern Australia

Modifying Scent‐Marking Behavior to Reduce Woodchuck Damage to Fruit Trees

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