Wolves in space: locations of individuals and their effect on pup survival in groups of a cooperatively breeding canid

Jacobs, Caitlin E.; Ausband, David E.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.05.028

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While the hunting behaviour of wolf packs is well studied [7,[15][16][17], the same is not true for small groups (pairs or three individuals), and even less data are available on solitary wolves [18][19][20]. Solitary wolves frequent large areas, very similar to those used by large packs (more than three individuals [20]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area

Frate

Bongi

Tanzillo

et al. 2023

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of the study was to assess which kill site characteristics were selected by a lone wolf living in a protected Mediterranean coastal area near the city of Pisa, Italy, where both wild and domestic ungulates were available as potential prey. Between 2017 and 2019, we monitored the wolf’s predatory behaviour through a combination of camera trapping and active search for kill sites and prey carcasses. The main prey found was the fallow deer (n = 82); only two wild boars and no domestic ungulates were found preyed upon. The features and habitat of kill sites were modelled to test for selection by the wolf. The habitat type of kill site was composed of meadows and pastures (89.3%), woods (7.3%), degraded coastal areas (1.9%), roads and rivers (1.1%), and marshes (0.5%). We calculated their distance from landscape features and ran a binomial generalised linear model to test the influence of such landscape variables. The distance of kill sites from landscape elements was significantly different from random control sites, and a positive selection for fences was found. In fact, the wolf pushed fallow deer towards a fence to constrain them and prevent them from escaping. We also analysed the body condition of predated fallow deer as a percentage of fat content in the bone marrow of the hind legs. Our results revealed the selection of the lone wolf for deer in good body condition. This is a possible outcome of the habitat selection shown by fallow deer in the study area, where fenced open pastures are the richest in trophic resources; therefore, our findings suggest a high efficacy for the lone wolf hunting strategy, but also the adoption of a high risk feeding strategy by deer. This study suggests that a lone predator can take advantage of human infrastructures to maximise its predatory effectiveness.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area

Frate

Bongi

Tanzillo

et al. 2023

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Offspring sex ratios are male-biased reflecting sex-biased dispersal in Idaho, USA, wolves

Ausband

2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Helpers show plasticity in their responses to breeder turnover

Ausband,

Bassing

2024

Behavioral Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nonbreeding helpers can greatly improve the survival of young and the reproductive fitness of breeders in many cooperatively breeding species. Breeder turnover, in turn, can have profound effects on dispersal decisions made by helpers. Despite its importance in explaining group size and predicting the population demography of cooperative breeders, our current understanding of how individual traits influence animal behavior after disruptions to social structure is incomplete particularly for terrestrial mammals. We used 12 yr of genetic sampling and group pedigrees of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho, USA, to ask questions about how breeder turnover affected the apparent decisions by mature helpers (≥2-yr-old) to stay or leave a group over a 1-yr time interval. We found that helpers showed plasticity in their responses to breeder turnover. Most notably, helpers varied by sex and appeared to base dispersal decisions on the sex of the breeder that was lost as well. Male and female helpers stayed in a group slightly more often when there was breeder turnover of the same sex, although males that stayed were often recent adoptees in the group. Males, however, appeared to remain in a group less often when there was breeding female turnover likely because such vacancies were typically filled by related females from the males’ natal group (i.e. inbreeding avoidance). We show that helpers exploit instability in the breeding pair to secure future breeding opportunities for themselves. The confluence of breeder turnover, helper sex, and dispersal and breeding strategies merge to influence group composition in gray wolves.

show abstract

Wolves in space: locations of individuals and their effect on pup survival in groups of a cooperatively breeding canid

Cited by 3 publications

References 47 publications

A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area

A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area

Offspring sex ratios are male-biased reflecting sex-biased dispersal in Idaho, USA, wolves

Helpers show plasticity in their responses to breeder turnover

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About