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29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Using interviews and biological sign surveys to infer seasonal use of forested and agricultural portions of a human-dominated landscape by Asian elephants in Nepal

Understanding how wide-ranging animals use landscapes in which human use is highly heterogeneous is important for determining patterns of human–wildlife conflict and designing mitigation strategies. Here, we show how biological sign surveys in forested components of a human-dominated landscape can be combined with human interviews in agricultural portions of a landscape to provide a full picture of seasonal use of different landscape components by wide-ranging animals and resulting human–wildlife conflict. We selected Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ) in Nepal to illustrate this approach. Asian elephants are threatened throughout their geographic range, and there are large gaps in our understanding of their landscape-scale habitat use. We identified all potential elephant habitat in Nepal and divided the potential habitat into sampling units based on a 10 km by 10 km grid. Forested areas within grids were surveyed for signs of elephant use, and local villagers were interviewed regarding elephant use of agricultural areas and instances of conflict. Data were analyzed using single-season and multi-season (dynamic) occupancy models. A single-season occupancy model applied to data from 139 partially or wholly forested grid cells estimated that 0.57 of grid cells were used by elephants. Dynamic occupancy models fit to data from interviews across 158 grid cells estimated that monthly use of non-forested, human-dominated areas over the preceding year varied between 0.43 and 0.82 with a minimum in February and maximum in October. Seasonal patterns of crop raiding by elephants coincided with monthly elephant use of human-dominated areas, and serious instances of human–wildlife conflict were common. Efforts to mitigate human–elephant conflict in Nepal are likely to be most effective if they are concentrated during August through December when elephant use of human-dominated landscapes and human–elephant conflict are most common.

Ethology Ecology and Evolution↗
USGS2021

First documentation of long-distance travel by a Florida manatee to the Mexican Caribbean

West Indian manatees ( Trichechus manatus ) are separated into two allopatric subspecies: the Florida manatee ( T. m. latirostris ) and the Antillean manatee ( T. m. manatus ). In the winter of 2020–2021, an adult manatee was sighted off the coast of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, in areas where Antillean manatees are not typically seen. The individual had distinct watercraft scars on its body, which were matched using photo-identification to a known male Florida manatee (PE424) that had been repeatedly photographed in Florida since 1998. This is the first record of a Florida manatee visiting the Mexican Caribbean. Previous reports of individuals from this subspecies in Cuba, combined with genetic evidence, suggest some level of connectivity among geographically separated manatee populations. We present the first evidence of along-distance movement by amanatee from Florida to the Yucatan Peninsula (Quintana Roo, Mexican Caribbean). This case, previous reports of Florida manatees in Cuba, and genetic evidence, suggest acertain degree of genetic mixture among the two subspecies.

Yucatan Peninsula↗
USGS2017

Grooming behaviors of black-tailed prairie dogs are influenced by flea parasitism, conspecifics, and proximity to refuge

Grooming is a common animal behavior that aids in ectoparasite defense. Ectoparasites can stimulate grooming, and natural selection can also favor endogenous mechanisms that evoke periodic bouts of “programmed” grooming to dislodge or kill ectoparasites before they bite or feed. Moreover, grooming can function as a displacement or communication behavior. We compared the grooming behaviors of adult female black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) on colonies with or without flea control via pulicide dust. Roughly 91% of the prairie dogs sampled on the non-dusted colony carried at least one flea, whereas we did not find fleas on two dusted colonies. During focal observations, prairie dogs on the non-dusted colony groomed at higher frequencies and for longer durations than prairie dogs on the dusted colonies, lending support to the hypothesis that fleas stimulated grooming. However, the reduced amount of time spent grooming on the dusted colonies suggested that approximately 25% of grooming might be attributed to factors other than direct stimulation from ectoparasites. Non-dusted colony prairie dogs rarely autogroomed when near each other. Dusted colony prairie dogs autogroomed for shorter durations when far from a burrow opening (refuge), suggesting a trade-off between self-grooming and antipredator defense. Allogrooming was detected only on the non-dusted colony and was limited to adult females grooming young pups. Grooming appears to serve an antiparasitic function in C. ludovicianus . Antiparasitic grooming might aid in defense against fleas that transmit the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis . Plague was introduced to North America ca. 1900 and now has a strong influence on most prairie dog populations, suggesting a magnified effect of grooming on prairie dog fitness.

Ethology↗
USGS2020

Environmental and social factors influencing wolf (Canis lupus) howling behavior

Animals communicate in a variety of ways and calls are used for a number of important behaviors. Temperature, wind, time of day, and human activities can affect animals’ use of calls, particularly over long distances. Effects of group size on the use of calls can be particularly influential in territorial social carnivores. Where gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) are hunted by humans, for example, howling may make it easier for hunters to locate individuals and ultimately increase mortality. We hypothesized that a suite of factors would affect wolves’ responses to simulated howling. Specifically, we predicted that howling behavior would increase with (a) group size, (b) pup age, and (c) during crepuscular time periods and howling behavior would decrease (a) where wolves were harvested and (b) when it was hot or windy. Contrary to our prediction, larger groups did not respond as quickly to simulated wolf howls as smaller groups did and minimum and maximum daily temperatures were not good predictors of wolf howling response rates. Individuals in small litters of pups may have responded more quickly to howls than those in large litters because they are eager to seek safety from and have socialization with adults returning from foraging bouts. Although harvest did not appear to affect vocal communication by wolves, group size, pup age, time of day, wind, and number of howls emitted greatly affected wolves’ behavior and responses during howling surveys. Howling responses did not change because of harvest; response rates from wolves were nearly identical with (2.2%) and without (2.3%) harvest. The year-round benefits of long-distance vocal communication may outweigh the costs of increased mortality arising from howling during harvest season.

Ethology↗
USGS2021

Spatial behavior of northern flying squirrels in the same social network

North American flying squirrels ( Glaucomys spp.) are social species that communally den and exhibit home range overlap. However, observations on home range overlap tend to come from live-trapped individuals and it is unknown whether overlap occurs among individuals belonging to the same social network. Since flying squirrels communally den with familiar individuals, their use of artificial nest boxes allows for the radio-collaring and tracking of squirrels within the same social network. We captured and radio-collared northern flying squirrels ( G. sabrinus Shaw) found communally denning in nest boxes in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. We tracked squirrels captured from the same nest box (i.e., nest box groups) to determine home range overlap and subsequent den sharing between familiar individuals within those nest box groups. We found that amount of home range overlap did not differ between male–male, male–female, and female–female dyads, indicating that non-reproductive females and scrotal males are not territorial at the 95% or 50% home range level. Regardless of sex, all dyads had a significantly higher probability of home range overlap (PHR) at the 95% than the 50% home range level (i.e., overlap between squirrels decreases in core areas of their home range). We also found flying squirrels subsequently denned with familiar individuals during 20.9% of occasions post-collaring. Our study provides important information for understanding space use within flying squirrel social networks. Further work should be conducted to determine space use between familiar individuals including seasonal shifts in space use, degree of individual relatedness, and potential territoriality in females denning with young up to and following juvenile dispersal.

Ethology↗
USGS2021

Inherit the kingdom or storm the castle? Breeding strategies in a social carnivore

Breeding opportunities are inherently limited for animals that live and breed in groups. Turnover in breeding positions can have marked effects on groups of cooperative breeders, particularly social carnivores. We generally know little about how breeding vacancies are filled in social carnivores and what factors might influence an individual's ability to successfully fill a vacancy. I used a long-term (11 years) genetic dataset from gray wolves to ask whether breeding vacancies were filled by individuals from within groups or by adoptees (i.e., adult animals immigrating into the group) from outside the group. Males were three times more likely than females to be adopted into breeding positions outside their group. Females typically inherited breeding positions within their natal groups (80%, n = 20), while males obtained breeding positions outside their group (76%, n = 17). Group size did not influence whether a breeding vacancy was filled by an adoptee or inherited by an individual from within the group. Prior to adoption, genetic relatedness was 30% higher in groups when females were adopted into breeding positions compared to when they inherited breeding positions from within groups. Thus, genetic relatedness within groups appears to play a role in whether females are adopted into groups or not. Because of their strong reliance on dispersal to secure a breeding position, male wolves appear to be the couriers of genetic diversity in populations of gray wolves. Many states in the United States have recently implemented hunting and trapping seasons for gray wolves. If dispersing male wolves are disproportionately harvested, genetic connectivity and diversity in populations may be affected.

Idaho↗
USGS2010

Roosting, social organization and the annual cycle in a Kenya population of the bat Pipistrellus nanus

The tiny (3.1–3.8 g) vespcrtilionid bat Pipistrellus nanus was studied in Kenya palm-thatched roofs from May 1973 to July 1974. Roosting social organization and related activities and behavior are described. ♂♂ held diurnal roosting territories where ♀♀ gathered in small and compositionally labile groups, attracted to the most vocal ♂♂. Annual variation in population-wide aspects of social organization follows predictable seasonal changes in climate and predator abundance. Variability between individuals follows a common mammalian pattern: high male competition for ♀, variance in presumed male reproductive success, and a mating system resembling one based on resource defense polygyny. Social organization in this population contrasts with that known from studies of other P. nanus populations.

Ethology↗
USGS2010

Begging behavior in budgerigars

Five hypotheses about relationships between begging rates, feeding rates and other variables were investigated in captive budgerigar nestlings from 23 days post-hatch to fledge date (Period 4). Within families, nestlings that begged more frequently during Period 4 were fed more often by their parents, but there was no indication that nestling weight on day 23 was related to begging rates in the subsequent growth interval. Instead, last-hatched nestlings begged more than their older siblings. Last-hatched nestlings were not “undersized” at the beginning of Period 4 relative to their siblings, and they experienced less competition than their siblings had at comparable ages. Even so, last-hatched budgerigars begged more often, were fed more often and fledged at heavier weights than their older nestmates. Across families, there was a strong positive relationship between average Period 4 begging rate and average parental feeding rate, but this relationship was much weaker when brood sex ratio was taken into account: female-biased broods had much higher begging and feeding rates than male-biased broods. Brood size was related to begging, with higher ratios of begging to feeding rates for family members than for single nestlings. Taken together, these results suggest that relationships between feeding and begging behavior in budgerigars are more complex than theoretical models have suggested. More studies of avian begging and feeding patterns are required before we can generalize about the control of parental food allocations in birds.

Ethology↗
USGS2010

Field response of tadpoles to conspecific and heterospecific alarm

Many organisms use chemical cues from a variety of sources to mediate predator avoidance. Response to heterospecific alarm cues has been demonstrated for tadpoles within but not among taxa and alarm response behavior has seldom been examined under field conditions. This study examined the response of three sympatric amphibian larvae and predaceous larval Dytiscus sp. (diving beetle) to damage-release signals in natural ponds by using capture rates from treated funnel traps as an index of larval behavior. Hyla regilla (Pacific tree frog) tadpoles avoided traps treated with either crushed conspecifics or with Rana aurora (red-legged frog) tadpoles but the larger ranids and Ambystoma macrodactylum (long-toed salamander) did not respond to either treatment. H. regilla tadpoles were likely susceptible to any potential predators of ranid tadpoles in these ponds and this result is consistent with the hypothesis that a response to heterospecific alarm occurs in sympatric prey with shared predators.

Ethology↗
USGS2004

Selective defecation and selective foraging: Antiparasite behavior in wild ungulates?

Selective defecation and selective foraging are two potential antiparasite behaviors used by grazing ungulates to reduce infection by fecal-oral transmitted parasites. While there is some evidence that domestic species use these strategies, less is known about the occurrence and efficacy of these behaviors in wild ungulates. In this study, I examined whether wild antelope use selective defecation and selective foraging strategies to reduce exposure to gastrointestinal nematode parasites. By quantifying parasite levels in the environment in relation to the defecation patterns of three species, dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii), Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti), and impala (Aepyceros melampus), I found that nematode larval concentrations in pasture were higher in the vicinity of clusters of feces (dung middens) compared to single fecal pellet groups or dung-free areas. In addition, experimental feeding trials in free-ranging dik-dik showed that individuals selectively avoided feeding near concentrations of feces. Given that increased parasite contamination was found in the immediate vicinity of fecal clusters, fecal avoidance could help reduce host consumption of parasites and may therefore be an effective antiparasite behavior for certain species. On the other hand, while the concentration of parasite larvae in the vicinity of middens coupled with host avoidance of these areas during grazing could reduce host contact with parasites, results showing a positive correlation between the number of middens in a habitat and larval abundance at control sites suggest that dung middens might increase and not decrease overall host exposure to parasites. If this is the case, dung midden formation may not be a viable antiparasite strategy.

Ethology↗
USGS2010

Aggressive interactions between the invasive Rio Grande cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) and native bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), with notes on redspotted sunfish (Lepomis miniatus)

The Rio Grande cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) has been established in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area for at least 20 years, and its effect on native fishes is unknown. Behavioral trials were performed to determine if aggressive interactions occur between invasive H. cyanoguttatus and native bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). When defending a territory as the resident, L. macrochirus were markedly aggressive, averaging 11.6 aggressive actions per lO-min behavioral trial. In contrast, L. macrochirus were extremely passive as invaders, with 0.5 aggressive actions per trial. Herichthys cyanoguttatus were equally aggressive as residents and as invaders, averaging 4.9 and 6.0 aggressive actions per trial, respectively. Herichthys cyanoguttatus interacted aggressively with native species whether they held territory or not, indicating that this invasive species may have fundamentally different strategies of aggression compared with native L. macrochirus. These differences may explain the continued success of H. cyanoguttatus as an invasive fish in southeastern Louisiana.

Journal of Ethology↗