Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

European rabbits recognise conspecifics in their predators’ diets

European rabbits recognise conspecifics in their predators’ diets Rabbits can successfully avoid their enemies by evaluating the risk of predation. They have various defensive strategies, such as morphological adaptations and behaviours patterns, which enable them to perceive their predators and thus reduce the risk of predation. It is well documented that rabbits recognise the scats of terrestrial predators and avoid those areas in which they are present. However, few studies show whether the prey species can recognise the presence of congeners in carnivores’ scats, which would allow them to identify their predators in a more efficient manner. We have carried out a comparative analysis of the use of space made by rabbits on plots on which a neutral odour (water) or the odours of the ferrets’ scats that had consumed either rabbit or another mammal (beef) were applied. Our results showed a lower number of rabbit pellets on those plots containing predator odours than on the control plots. During the first 6 days after applying the first odour, the number of rabbit pellets was lower on plots on which rabbit had been included in the diet when compared with scats obtained from a beef diet. However, no differences between the two experimental plots were recorded during the third visit (9 days after applying the first odour). Our results suggest that rabbits may be able to detect congeners in their predators’ scats, thus leading them to, in the short term, avoid areas in which their terrestrial predators’ diet is based on conspecifics, probably as the result of them perceiving a higher risk of predation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png acta ethologica Springer Journals

European rabbits recognise conspecifics in their predators’ diets

Download PDF
6 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/european-rabbits-recognise-conspecifics-in-their-predators-diets-iyytUlGFuG
Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature and ISPA
Subject
Life Sciences; Behavioral Sciences; Zoology; Evolutionary Biology
ISSN
0873-9749
eISSN
1437-9546
DOI
10.1007/s10211-018-0295-6
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Rabbits can successfully avoid their enemies by evaluating the risk of predation. They have various defensive strategies, such as morphological adaptations and behaviours patterns, which enable them to perceive their predators and thus reduce the risk of predation. It is well documented that rabbits recognise the scats of terrestrial predators and avoid those areas in which they are present. However, few studies show whether the prey species can recognise the presence of congeners in carnivores’ scats, which would allow them to identify their predators in a more efficient manner. We have carried out a comparative analysis of the use of space made by rabbits on plots on which a neutral odour (water) or the odours of the ferrets’ scats that had consumed either rabbit or another mammal (beef) were applied. Our results showed a lower number of rabbit pellets on those plots containing predator odours than on the control plots. During the first 6 days after applying the first odour, the number of rabbit pellets was lower on plots on which rabbit had been included in the diet when compared with scats obtained from a beef diet. However, no differences between the two experimental plots were recorded during the third visit (9 days after applying the first odour). Our results suggest that rabbits may be able to detect congeners in their predators’ scats, thus leading them to, in the short term, avoid areas in which their terrestrial predators’ diet is based on conspecifics, probably as the result of them perceiving a higher risk of predation.

Journal

acta ethologica – Springer Journals

Published: Jul 20, 2018

References

  • The effects of predator odors in mammalian prey species: a review of field and laboratory studies
    Apfelbach, R; Blanchard, CD; Blanchard, RJ; Hayes, RA; McGregor, IS
  • Behavioral responses of predator-naïve dwarf hamsters (Phodopus campbelli) to odor cues of the European ferret fed with different prey species
    Apfelbach, R; Soini, HA; Vasilieva, NY; Novotny, MV
  • The response of water voles, Arvicola terrestris, to the odours of predators
    Barreto, GR; Macdonald, D
  • Alternative food and rabbit damage in vineyards of southern Spain
    Barrio, IC; Bueno, CG; Tortosa, FS
  • Prey naiveté in an introduced prey species: the wild rabbit in Australian
    Barrio, IC; Bueno, CG; Banks, PB; Tortosa, FS
  • Rabbit Oryctolagus Cuniculus habitats in Mediterranean scrubland: the role of scrub structure and composition
    Beja, P; Pais, M; Palma, L
  • Temporal abundance pattern of the wild rabbit in Doñana, SW Spain
    Beltran, JF
  • Responses by red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus) to fecal scents of predatory and nonpredatory neotropical mammals
    Caine, NG; Weldon, PJ
  • Evaluation of an unpalatable species (Anthemis arvensis L.) as an alternative cover crop in olive groves under high grazing pressure by rabbits
    Carpio, AJ; Soriano, MA; Guerrero-Casado, J; Prada, LM; Tortosa, FS; Lora, Á; Gómez, JA
  • Pest responses to odors from predators fed a diet of target species conspecifics and heterospecifics
    Cox, TE; Murray, PJ; Hall, GP; Li, X
  • Variation of prey responses to cues from a mesopredator and an apex predator
    Cremona, T; Crowther, MS; Webb, JK
  • Rabbits as a keystone species in southern Europe
    Delibes-Mateos, M; Redpath, SM; Angulo, E; Ferreras, P; Villafuerte, R
  • Foraging behavior of wood mice as related to presence and activity of genets
    Díaz, M; Torre, I; Peris, A; Tena, L
  • Diel activity patterns of northern Australian small mammals: variation, fixity, and plasticity
    Diete, RL; Meek, PD; Dickman, CR; Lisle, A; Leung, LKP
  • Towards a standardized index of European rabbit abundance in Iberian Mediterranean habitats
    Fernandez-de-Simon, J; Díaz-Ruiz, F; Cirilli, F; Tortosa, FS; Villafuerte, R; Delibes-Mateos, M; Ferreras, P
  • Detection and avoidance of a carnivore odour by prey
    Ferrero, DM; Lemon, JK; Fluegge, D; Pashkovski, SL; Korzan, WJ; Datta, SR; Spehr, M; Fendt, M; Liberles, SD
  • The short-term effect of total predation exclusion on wild rabbit abundance in restocking plots
    Guerrero-Casado, J; Ruiz-Aizpurua, L; Tortosa, FS
  • Short communication. The role of rabbit density and the diversity of weeds in the development of cover crops in olive groves
    Guerrero-Casado, J; Carpio, AJ; Prada, LM; Tortosa, FS
  • Naive tadpoles do not recognize recent invasive predatory fishes as dangerous
    Hettyey, A; Thonhauser, KE; Bókony, V; Penn, DJ; Hoi, H; Griggio, M
  • Effect of a predator’s visit on the spatial distribution of bank voles: experiments with weasels
    Jedrzejewski, W; Jedrzejewska, B
  • Ferret nutrition
    Johnson-Delaney, CA
  • Temporal variation in danger drives antipredator behavior: thepredation risk allocation hypothesis
    Lima, SL; Bednekoff, P
  • Hamsters use predator odors as indirect cues of predation risk
    McPhee, ME; Segal, A; Johnston, RE
  • Behavioural and physiological responses of naïve European rabbits to predator odour
    Monclús, R; Rödel, HG; Holstet, D; Miguel, J
  • Testing the threat-sensitive predator avoidance hypothesis: physiological responses and predator pressure in wild rabbits
    Monclús, R; Palomares, F; Tablado, Z; Martínez-Fontúrbel, A; Palme, R
  • Behavioural responses to indirect and direct predator cues by a mammalian herbivore, the common brushtail possum
    Nersesian, CL; Banks, PB; McArthur, C
  • Biologically meaningful scents: a framework for understanding predator–prey research across disciplines
    Parsons, MH; Apfelbach, R; Banks, PB; Cameron, EZ; Dickman, CR; Frank, ASK; Jones, ME; McGregor, IS; McLean, S; Müller-Schwarze, D; Sparrow, EE; Blumstein, DT
  • Ventilation responses to predator odors and conspecific chemical alarm cues in the frillfin goby
    Pereira, RT; Leutz, JDACM; Valença-Silva, G; Barcellos, LJG; Barreto, RE
  • Responses of striped mice, Rhabdomys pumilio, to faeces of a predatory snake
    Pillay, N; Alexander, GJ; Lazenby, SL
  • Houston toad (Bufo (Anaxyrus) houstonensis) tadpoles decrease their activity in response to chemical cues produced from the predation of conspecifics and congeneric (Bufo (Incilius) nebulifer) tadpoles
    Preston, DB; Forstner, MR
  • Sleeping sites, sleeping places, and presleep behavior of gibbons (Hylobates lar.)
    Reichard, U
  • Control of the European rabbit in Central Spain
    Ríos-Saldaña, CA; Delibes-Mateos, M; Castro, F; Martínez, E; Vargas, JM; Cooke, BD; Villafuerte, R
  • Behavioral styles in European rabbits: social interactions and responses to experimental stressors
    Rödel, HG; Monclús, R; Holst, D
  • The smell of fear: innate threat of 2, 5-dihydro-2, 4, 5-trimethylthiazoline, a single molecule component of a predator odor
    Rosen, JB; Asok, A; Chakraborty, T
  • Optimization and accuracy of faecal pellet count estimates of population size: the case of European rabbits in extensive breeding nuclei
    Rouco, C; Santoro, S; Delibes-Mateos, M; Villafuerte, R
  • Habitat use by the European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in a coastal sandy dune ecosystem of Central Italy. Hystrix
    Santilli, F; Bagliacca, M
  • A review of predator diet effects on prey defensive responses
    Scherer, AE; Smee, DL
  • Dissecting the smell of fear from conspecific and heterospecific prey: investigating the processes that induce anti-predator defenses
    Shaffery, HM; Relyea, RA
  • Ecological drivers of antipredator defenses in carnivores
    Stankowich, T; Haverkamp, PJ; Caro, T
  • No longer naïve? Generalized responses of rabbits to marsupial predators in Australia
    Tortosa, FS; Barrio, IC; Carthey, A; Banks, P
  • Innate antipredator responses of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) depend on predator species and their diet
    Vilhunen, S; Hirvonen, H
  • Shift in microhabitat use as a mechanism allowing the coexistence of victim and killer carnivore predators
    Viota, M; Rodríguez, A; López-Vao, JV; Palomares, F