A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii)
Repeated exposure to human activity can change the behavioural response of wildlife, having implications for management. Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) breeding close to Antarctic research stations are easily accessible and regularly visited by people. To investigate the responses of Weddel...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Netherlands : Elsevier
2007
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/17757 |
id |
ftcquniv:oai:acquire.cqu.edu.au:cqu:3189 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcquniv:oai:acquire.cqu.edu.au:cqu:3189 2023-05-15T13:58:22+02:00 A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) van Polanen Petel, Tamara. Hindell, Mark. Giese, Melissa. 2007. http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/17757 eng eng Netherlands : Elsevier Applied animal behaviour science Netherlands : Elsevier, 2008. Vol. 112, no. 1-2 (July 2008), p. 205-211 7 pages Refereed 0168-1591 aCQUIRe [electronic resource] : Central Queensland University Institutional Repository. http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/17757 cqu:3189 van Polanen Petel, T, Giese, M & Hindell, M 2008, 'A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii)', Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 112, no. 1-2, pp. 205-211. Leptonychotes Weddell seal Marine mammals 770699 Other 270599 Zoology not elsewhere classified 270708 Conservation and Biodiversity 279999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Weddell seals -- Behavioural response -- Pedestrian activity -- Habituation -- Repeated approaches Journal Article 2007 ftcquniv 2019-04-18T07:09:52Z Repeated exposure to human activity can change the behavioural response of wildlife, having implications for management. Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) breeding close to Antarctic research stations are easily accessible and regularly visited by people. To investigate the responses of Weddell seals to repeated pedestrian approaches, we tested the effect of regular visitation over a short-time period (<2 h) on the behaviour of lactating seals. Seals showed evidence of rapid habituation, as assessed by the higher proportion of seals that responded, with 67% looking up during the first approach compared to 18% during the 10th approach (R2 = 0.398, P = 0.050), and by a decrease in the time spent looking at the approacher with repeated exposure (X2/9=36.078, P < 0.001). The effect of irregular pedestrian activity over a long-time period (approximately 3 weeks) was also examined, with results suggesting that such activity did not result in habituation, rather, adult female seals appeared to become sensitised to people (the majority of seals in both colonies looked up G1 = 0.027, P = 0.870). Weddell seal pups observed during the same experiment also failed to display signs of habituation to irregular pedestrian activity, with 47% of pups looking up in the colony subjected to pedestrian activity compared to 10% in the control colony (G1 = 5.811, P = 0.016). The implications of these results for managing human activity around breeding Weddell seals are discussed. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Weddell Seal Weddell Seals Central Queensland University: aCQUIRe Antarctic Weddell |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Central Queensland University: aCQUIRe |
op_collection_id |
ftcquniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Leptonychotes Weddell seal Marine mammals 770699 Other 270599 Zoology not elsewhere classified 270708 Conservation and Biodiversity 279999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Weddell seals -- Behavioural response -- Pedestrian activity -- Habituation -- Repeated approaches |
spellingShingle |
Leptonychotes Weddell seal Marine mammals 770699 Other 270599 Zoology not elsewhere classified 270708 Conservation and Biodiversity 279999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Weddell seals -- Behavioural response -- Pedestrian activity -- Habituation -- Repeated approaches van Polanen Petel, Tamara. Hindell, Mark. Giese, Melissa. A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
topic_facet |
Leptonychotes Weddell seal Marine mammals 770699 Other 270599 Zoology not elsewhere classified 270708 Conservation and Biodiversity 279999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Weddell seals -- Behavioural response -- Pedestrian activity -- Habituation -- Repeated approaches |
description |
Repeated exposure to human activity can change the behavioural response of wildlife, having implications for management. Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) breeding close to Antarctic research stations are easily accessible and regularly visited by people. To investigate the responses of Weddell seals to repeated pedestrian approaches, we tested the effect of regular visitation over a short-time period (<2 h) on the behaviour of lactating seals. Seals showed evidence of rapid habituation, as assessed by the higher proportion of seals that responded, with 67% looking up during the first approach compared to 18% during the 10th approach (R2 = 0.398, P = 0.050), and by a decrease in the time spent looking at the approacher with repeated exposure (X2/9=36.078, P < 0.001). The effect of irregular pedestrian activity over a long-time period (approximately 3 weeks) was also examined, with results suggesting that such activity did not result in habituation, rather, adult female seals appeared to become sensitised to people (the majority of seals in both colonies looked up G1 = 0.027, P = 0.870). Weddell seal pups observed during the same experiment also failed to display signs of habituation to irregular pedestrian activity, with 47% of pups looking up in the colony subjected to pedestrian activity compared to 10% in the control colony (G1 = 5.811, P = 0.016). The implications of these results for managing human activity around breeding Weddell seals are discussed. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van Polanen Petel, Tamara. Hindell, Mark. Giese, Melissa. |
author_facet |
van Polanen Petel, Tamara. Hindell, Mark. Giese, Melissa. |
author_sort |
van Polanen Petel, Tamara. |
title |
A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
title_short |
A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
title_full |
A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
title_fullStr |
A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
title_full_unstemmed |
A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) |
title_sort |
preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to weddell seals (leptonychotes weddellii) |
publisher |
Netherlands : Elsevier |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/17757 |
geographic |
Antarctic Weddell |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Weddell |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Weddell Seal Weddell Seals |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Weddell Seal Weddell Seals |
op_source |
van Polanen Petel, T, Giese, M & Hindell, M 2008, 'A preliminary investigation of the effect of repeated pedestrian approaches to Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii)', Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 112, no. 1-2, pp. 205-211. |
op_relation |
Applied animal behaviour science Netherlands : Elsevier, 2008. Vol. 112, no. 1-2 (July 2008), p. 205-211 7 pages Refereed 0168-1591 aCQUIRe [electronic resource] : Central Queensland University Institutional Repository. http://hdl.cqu.edu.au/10018/17757 cqu:3189 |
_version_ |
1766266612068909056 |