Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots
Abstract The mechanism underlying olfactory predator identification may be relatively experience‐independent, or it may rely on specific experience with predators. A mechanism by which prey might identify novel predators relies on the inevitable creation of sulfurous metabolites that are then excret...
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x 2024-06-02T07:54:39+00:00 Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots Blumstein, Daniel T. Barrow, Lisa Luterra, Markael 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0310.2008.01563.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ethology volume 114, issue 11, page 1135-1143 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 journal-article 2008 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x 2024-05-03T11:03:45Z Abstract The mechanism underlying olfactory predator identification may be relatively experience‐independent, or it may rely on specific experience with predators. A mechanism by which prey might identify novel predators relies on the inevitable creation of sulfurous metabolites that are then excreted in the urine of carnivorous mammals. We tested whether free‐living, yellow‐bellied marmots ( Marmota flaviventris ) and mid‐sized herbivores that fall prey to a variety of carnivorous mammals could discriminate herbivore (elk— Cervus elephas ) urine from predator (red fox— Vulpes vulpes , coyote— Canis latrans , mountain lion— Felis concolor , wolf— Canis lupus ) urine, a novel herbivore (moose— Alces alces ), and a distilled water control. We further asked how specific this assessment was by testing whether marmots responded differently to predators representing different levels of risk and to familiar vs. unfamiliar predators. We found that marmots responded more to urine from coyotes (a familiar predator on adults), mountain lions (a potentially unfamiliar predator that could kill adults) and wolves (a locally extinct predator that could kill adults) than to elk urine (a non‐predator). Red fox (a predator that poses a risk only to recently emerged marmot pups) urine elicited a less substantial (but not significantly so) response than coyote urine. Marmots can identify predators, even novel ones, using olfactory cues, suggesting that experience with a specific predator is not required to identify potential threats. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alces alces Canis lupus Wiley Online Library Ethology 114 11 1135 1143 |
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description |
Abstract The mechanism underlying olfactory predator identification may be relatively experience‐independent, or it may rely on specific experience with predators. A mechanism by which prey might identify novel predators relies on the inevitable creation of sulfurous metabolites that are then excreted in the urine of carnivorous mammals. We tested whether free‐living, yellow‐bellied marmots ( Marmota flaviventris ) and mid‐sized herbivores that fall prey to a variety of carnivorous mammals could discriminate herbivore (elk— Cervus elephas ) urine from predator (red fox— Vulpes vulpes , coyote— Canis latrans , mountain lion— Felis concolor , wolf— Canis lupus ) urine, a novel herbivore (moose— Alces alces ), and a distilled water control. We further asked how specific this assessment was by testing whether marmots responded differently to predators representing different levels of risk and to familiar vs. unfamiliar predators. We found that marmots responded more to urine from coyotes (a familiar predator on adults), mountain lions (a potentially unfamiliar predator that could kill adults) and wolves (a locally extinct predator that could kill adults) than to elk urine (a non‐predator). Red fox (a predator that poses a risk only to recently emerged marmot pups) urine elicited a less substantial (but not significantly so) response than coyote urine. Marmots can identify predators, even novel ones, using olfactory cues, suggesting that experience with a specific predator is not required to identify potential threats. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Blumstein, Daniel T. Barrow, Lisa Luterra, Markael |
spellingShingle |
Blumstein, Daniel T. Barrow, Lisa Luterra, Markael Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
author_facet |
Blumstein, Daniel T. Barrow, Lisa Luterra, Markael |
author_sort |
Blumstein, Daniel T. |
title |
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
title_short |
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
title_full |
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
title_fullStr |
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
title_full_unstemmed |
Olfactory Predator Discrimination in Yellow‐Bellied Marmots |
title_sort |
olfactory predator discrimination in yellow‐bellied marmots |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0310.2008.01563.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x |
genre |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Alces alces Canis lupus |
op_source |
Ethology volume 114, issue 11, page 1135-1143 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01563.x |
container_title |
Ethology |
container_volume |
114 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
1135 |
op_container_end_page |
1143 |
_version_ |
1800742443688132608 |