Download or read book Effects of Mammalian Aposematic Color Contrast and Pattern Variation on Predator Avoidance Behavior written by Kathy U. Vo (Graduate student) and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Aposematic coloration makes prey defenses easier for predators to learn and remember, reducing attacks on aposematic prey by experienced predators. Coyotes (Canis latrans) are potential predators of the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) but are highly vulnerable to the latter’s chemical defenses. As such, experienced coyotes tend to avoid striped skunks by associating the skunk’s visual appearance with the adverse experience of being sprayed. While the skunk’s odorous antipredator defense is well-documented, little is known about the role of scent and visual appearance in intraspecific communication among skunks. To determine how contrast intensity and pattern structure influence avoidance learning of striped skunks in canid predators, I planned to observe how captive coyotes with no prior experience with skunks learned to avoid artificial models that varied in contrast intensity and pattern equipped with remote-control devices that sprayed diluted skunk oil. After determining that this methodology would not yield a sufficiently large sample size, I adjusted my methods and used camera traps in natural habitats in Long Beach, CA, to observe wild coyote and wild skunk behavior in response to artificial models that varied in scent, contrast intensity, and pattern structure. I hypothesized that high color contrast (i.e., black-and-white coloration) is more important than pattern structure (i.e., stripes vs. spots, etc.) in facilitating recognition and avoidance of aposematic prey in coyotes. I also hypothesized that striped skunks use olfactory cues and high contrast to locate and identify conspecifics, as well as potentially contributing to mate attraction. Results suggest that high color contrast influences coyote behavior towards potential prey while pattern does not, and skunk oil functions as a long-range deterrent against coyotes. Additionally, the scent of skunk oil is attractive to skunks and plays an important role in locating conspecifics and selecting mates, with contrasting coloration possibly playing a secondary role. These findings increase our understanding of the multiple functions of this aposematic signal as a deterrent to potential predators and as a means of intraspecific communication among skunks.
Download or read book Aposematic Variation and the Evolution of Warning Coloration in Mammals written by Caitlin Fay and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Aposematic prey animals use conspicuous, high contrast color patterns to warn potential predators that they possess a defense mechanism. Avian predators show an innate phobia of bold, contrasting color patterns, and can readily learn to avoid a prey item displaying bold warning coloration. Signal uniformity is important to promote predator learning and memory retention; however, there is documented variation in the aposematic pattern of many species, including the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Most of the literature on aposematism refers to studies using avian predators and insect prey - we know relatively little about how mammalian predators learn about and interact with aposematic prey, despite the recognized influence of predation on the evolution of aposematism in mammals. This study examined the behavior of coyote (Canis latrans) subjects during interactions with baited black-and-white models that were able to spray a dilute skunk oil solution. Coyotes are the most common mammalian predator of striped skunks. To test their ability to generalize, after being sprayed coyotes were introduced to a variant model design based on natural documented variation in striped skunk pelage. The results demonstrate that coyotes show innate wariness of a black-and-white striped model, and most can effectively learn to avoid the model after being sprayed. Variants with proportionately more white incited more avoidance behaviors than darker patterns, although they did not allow for greater signaling power than the diagnostic black-and-white striped pattern.
Download or read book Avoiding Attack written by Graeme D. Ruxton and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2004-10-21 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses the evolution of the mechanisms by which prey avoid attack by their potential predators and questions how such defences are maintained through natural selection. Topics covered include camouflage, warning signals and mimicry.
Download or read book Escaping From Predators written by William E. Cooper, Jr and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015-05-28 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a predator attacks, prey are faced with a series of 'if', 'when' and 'how' escape decisions – these critical questions are the foci of this book. Cooper and Blumstein bring together a balance of theory and empirical research to summarise over fifty years of scattered research and benchmark current thinking in the rapidly expanding literature on the behavioural ecology of escaping. The book consolidates current and new behaviour models with taxonomically divided empirical chapters that demonstrate the application of escape theory to different groups. The chapters integrate behaviour with physiology, genetics and evolution to lead the reader through the complex decisions faced by prey during a predator attack, examining how these decisions interact with life history and individual variation. The chapter on best practice field methodology and the ideas for future research presented throughout, ensure this volume is practical as well as informative.
Download or read book Behaviour and Evolution written by Peter James Bramwell Slater and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-09-15 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of the most exciting recent advances in animal behaviour have occurred at the interface between that subject and the study of evolution. This book, written by experts in this area, illustrates how the profound changes in our understanding of evolution have influenced behavioural research. Its chapters span both studies of how behaviour itself has evolved, dealing with topics such as comparative studies, the genetics of behaviour, speciation and the evolution of sociality and of intelligence, and also the adaptiveness which this evolution has brought about, with treatment of mating and fighting strategies, and theories of kinship and altruism.Behaviour and Evolution will be invaluable to senior undergraduate and graduate students of biology and psychology, especially those studying animal behaviour, behavioural ecology, sociobiology, evolution, ecology and environmental biology.
Download or read book Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains written by Timothy M. Caro and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1994-08-15 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains is the most comprehensive account of carnivore social behavior to date. Synthesizing more than a decade of research in the wild, this book offers a detailed account of the behavior and ecology of cheetahs. Compared with other large cats, and other mammals, cheetahs have an unusual breeding system; whereas lions live in prides and tigers are solitary, some cheetahs live in groups while others live by themselves. Tim Caro explores group and solitary living among cheetahs and discovers that the causes of social behavior vary dramatically, even within a single species. Why do cheetah cubs stay with their mother for a full year after weaning? Why do adolescents remain in groups? Why do adult males live in permanent associations with each other? Why do adult females live alone? Through observations on the costs and benefits of group living, Caro offers new insight into the complex behavior of this extraordinary species. For example, contrary to common belief about cooperative hunting in large carnivores, he shows that neither adolescents nor adult males benefit from hunting in groups. With many surprising findings, and through comparisons with other cat species, Caro enriches our understanding of the evolution of social behavior and offers new perspectives on conservation efforts to save this charismatic and endangered carnivore.
Download or read book Cephalopod Behaviour written by Roger T. Hanlon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-22 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fully updated overview of the causation, function, development and evolution of cephalopod behaviour, richly illustrated in full colour.
Download or read book Cephalopod Cognition written by Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-07-10 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on comparative cognition in cephalopods, this book illuminates the wide range of mental function in this often overlooked group.
Download or read book Zebra Stripes written by Timothy M. Caro and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2016-12-05 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do zebras have stripes? Popular explanations range from camouflage to confusion of predators, social facilitation, and even temperature regulation. It is a challenge to test these proposals on large animals living in the wild, but using a combination of careful observations, simple field experiments, comparative information, and logic, Caro concludes that black-and-white stripes are an adaptation to thwart biting fly attack.
Download or read book Real Gardens Grow Natives written by Eileen M Stark and published by Mountaineers Books. This book was released on 2014-09-24 with total page 645 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CLICK HERE to download sample native plants from Real Gardens Grow Natives For many people, the most tangible and beneficial impact they can have on the environment is right in their own yard. Aimed at beginning and veteran gardeners alike, Real Gardens Grow Natives is a stunningly photographed guide that helps readers plan, implement, and sustain a retreat at home that reflects the natural world. Gardening with native plants that naturally belong and thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s climate and soil not only nurtures biodiversity, but provides a quintessential Northwest character and beauty to yard and neighborhood! For gardeners and conservationists who lack the time to read through lengthy design books and plant lists or can’t afford a landscape designer, Real Gardens Grow Natives is accessible yet comprehensive and provides the inspiration and clear instruction needed to create and sustain beautiful, functional, and undemanding gardens. With expert knowledge from professional landscape designer Eileen M. Stark, Real Gardens Grow Natives includes: * Detailed profiles of 100 select native plants for the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascades, plus related species, helping make plant choice and placement. * Straightfoward methods to enhance or restore habitat and increase biodiversity * Landscape design guidance for various-sized yards, including sample plans * Ways to integrate natives, edibles, and nonnative ornamentals within your garden * Specific planting procedures and secrets to healthy soil * Techniques for propagating your own native plants * Advice for easy, maintenance using organic methods
Download or read book Biology and Conservation of Musteloids written by David Whyte Macdonald and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 721 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The musteloids are the most diverse super-family among carnivores, ranging from little known, exotic, and highly-endangered species to the popular and familiar, and include a large number of introduced invasives. They feature terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, and aquatic members, ranging from tenacious predators to frugivorous omnivores, span weights from a 100g weasel to 30kg giant otters, and express a range of social behaviours from the highly gregarious to the fiercely solitary. Musteloids are the subjects of extensive cutting-edge research from phylogenetics to the evolution of sociality and through to the practical implications of disease epidemiology, introduced species management, and climate change. Their diversity and extensive biogeography inform a wide spectrum of ecological theory and conservation practice. The editors of this book have used their combined 90 years of experience working on the behaviour and ecology of wild musteloids to draw together a unique network of the world's most successful and knowledgeable experts. The book begins with nine review chapters covering hot topics in musteloid biology including evolution, disease, social communication, and management. These are followed by twenty extensive case studies providing a range of comprehensive geographic and taxonomic coverage. The final chapter synthesises what has been discussed in the book, and reflects on the different and diverse conservation needs of musteloids and the wealth of conservation lessons they offer. Biology and Conservation of Musteloids provides a conceptual framework for future research and applied conservation management that is suitable for graduate level students as well as professional researchers in musteloid and carnivore ecology and conservation biology. It will also be of relevance and use to conservationists and wildlife managers.
Download or read book Current Ornithology Volume 17 written by Charles F. Thompson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-09-09 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.
Download or read book Comparative Color Vision written by Gerald Jacobs and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-06-11 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative Color Vision provides information about the means by which color vision has been studied in nonhuman animals and about the outcomes of these studies for a variety of representative species. Individuals who become interested in color vision in animals come from a variety of different educational backgrounds—from the traditional biological and behavioral sciences as well as from more applied fields. Accordingly, this book includes sufficient tutorial information about color vision so that a relative newcomer would be able to make sense out of this area without having to search out still more background material. To provide this, basic information about the psychophysics of color vision and about the methods used to study color vision in animals is presented; along with coverage of the broad range of biological mechanisms responsible for color vision. Subsequent chapters present systematic reviews of studies of color vision in a wide selection of vertebrate species. The final chapter is devoted to a discussion of two fascinating issues raised by studies of animal color vision: the evolutionary origins and the functional utility of color vision.
Download or read book Animal Behaviour written by Peter M. Kappeler and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-01-26 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook presents all basic principles of animal behaviour in a clear and concise manner and illustrates them with up-to-date examples. Emphasis is placed on behavioural biology as an integrative discipline of organismic biology, focusing on the adaptive value of behaviours that facilitate resource access, predator avoidance and reproductive success and underlie parental care, all within a comprehensive presentation of social complexity. This new textbook provides a rich resource for students (and teachers) from a wide range of life science disciplines.
Download or read book Advances in the Study of Behavior written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2022-04-27 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advances in the Study of Behavior, Volume 54 highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Mobbing in animals: a thorough review and proposed future directions, Learned components of courtship: a focus on gestures, choreographies and construction abilities, Sexual selection in the true bugs, and Brain-behavior relationships of cognition in vertebrates: lessons from amphibians, Pre-Copulatory and Copulatory Courtship in Male-Dimorphic Arthropods. Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in "Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry" series Updated release includes the latest information on ICP-MS and trace element analysis as tools for better understanding medical conditions
Download or read book The Foundations of Ethology written by K. Lorenz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a contribution to the history of ethology-not a definitive history, but the personal view of a major figure in that story. It is all the more welcome because such a grand theme as ethology calls for a range of perspectives. One reason is the overarching scope of the subject. Two great questions about life that constitute much of biology are "How does it work (structure and function)?" and "How did it get that way (evolu tion and ontogeny)?" Ethology addresses the antecedent of "it. " Of what are we trying to explain the mechanism and development? Surely behav ior, in all its wealth of detail, variation, causation, and control, is the main achievement of animal evolution, the essential consequence of animal structure and function, the raison d' etre of all the rest. Ethology thus spans between and overlaps with the ever-widening circles of ecol ogy over the eons and the ever-narrowing focus of physiology of the neurons. Another reason why the history of ethology needs perspectives is the recency of its acceptance. For such an obviously major aspect of animal biology, it is curious how short a time-less than three decades-has seen the excitement of an active field and a substantial fraternity of work ers, the addition of professors and courses to departments and curricula in biology (still far from universal}, and the normal complement of spe cial journals, symposia, and sessions at congresses.
Download or read book Plant Environment Interactions written by František Baluška and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-03-03 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our image of plants is changing dramatically away from passive entities merely subject to environmental forces and organisms that are designed solely for the accumulation of photosynthate. Plants are revealing themselves to be dynamic and highly sensitive organisms that actively and competitively forage for limited resources, both above and below ground, organisms that accurately gauge their circumstances, use sophisticated cost-benefit analysis, and take clear actions to mitigate and control diverse environmental threats. Moreover, plants are also capable of complex recognition of self and non-self and are territorial in behavior. They are as sophisticated in behavior as animals but their potential has been masked because it operates on time scales many orders of magnitude less than those of animals. Plants are sessile organisms. As such, the only alternative to a rapidly changing environment is rapid adaptation. This book will focus on all these new and exciting aspects of plant biology.
