Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears
We describe an interspecific relationship wherein grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) appear to seek out and consume agricultural seeds concentrated in the middens of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which had collected and cached spilled grain from a railway. We studied this interaction...
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2017
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/12429/ |
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ftpensoft:10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 2023-05-15T18:41:50+02:00 Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears Put,Julia Put,Laurens St. Clair,Colleen Cassady 2017 text/html https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/12429/ en eng Pensoft Publishers info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1314-3301 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/1314-6947 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Nature Conservation 21: 1-14 Ursus arctos Tamiasciurus hudsonicus cache pilferage food conditioning caching behaviour Research Article 2017 ftpensoft https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 2022-03-01T12:35:15Z We describe an interspecific relationship wherein grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) appear to seek out and consume agricultural seeds concentrated in the middens of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which had collected and cached spilled grain from a railway. We studied this interaction by estimating squirrel density, midden density and contents, and bear activity along paired transects that were near (within 50 m) or far (200 m) from the railway. Relative to far ones, near transects had 2.4 times more squirrel sightings, but similar numbers of squirrel middens. Among 15 middens in which agricultural products were found, 14 were near the rail and 4 subsequently exhibited evidence of bear digging. Remote cameras confirmed the presence of squirrels on the rail and bears excavating middens. We speculate that obtaining grain from squirrel middens encourages bears to seek grain on the railway, potentially contributing to their rising risk of collisions with trains. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos Pensoft Publishers Nature Conservation 21 1 14 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Pensoft Publishers |
op_collection_id |
ftpensoft |
language |
English |
topic |
Ursus arctos Tamiasciurus hudsonicus cache pilferage food conditioning caching behaviour |
spellingShingle |
Ursus arctos Tamiasciurus hudsonicus cache pilferage food conditioning caching behaviour Put,Julia Put,Laurens St. Clair,Colleen Cassady Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
topic_facet |
Ursus arctos Tamiasciurus hudsonicus cache pilferage food conditioning caching behaviour |
description |
We describe an interspecific relationship wherein grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) appear to seek out and consume agricultural seeds concentrated in the middens of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which had collected and cached spilled grain from a railway. We studied this interaction by estimating squirrel density, midden density and contents, and bear activity along paired transects that were near (within 50 m) or far (200 m) from the railway. Relative to far ones, near transects had 2.4 times more squirrel sightings, but similar numbers of squirrel middens. Among 15 middens in which agricultural products were found, 14 were near the rail and 4 subsequently exhibited evidence of bear digging. Remote cameras confirmed the presence of squirrels on the rail and bears excavating middens. We speculate that obtaining grain from squirrel middens encourages bears to seek grain on the railway, potentially contributing to their rising risk of collisions with trains. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Put,Julia Put,Laurens St. Clair,Colleen Cassady |
author_facet |
Put,Julia Put,Laurens St. Clair,Colleen Cassady |
author_sort |
Put,Julia |
title |
Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
title_short |
Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
title_full |
Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
title_fullStr |
Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
title_full_unstemmed |
Caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
title_sort |
caching behaviour by red squirrels may contribute to food conditioning of grizzly bears |
publisher |
Pensoft Publishers |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/article/12429/ |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_source |
Nature Conservation 21: 1-14 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1314-3301 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/1314-6947 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.21.12429 |
container_title |
Nature Conservation |
container_volume |
21 |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
14 |
_version_ |
1766231384332959744 |