Spatial Memory Drives Foraging Strategies of Wolves, but in Highly Individual Ways

• Published in: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
• Main Authors: Gurarie, Eliezer, Bracis, Chloe, Brilliantova, Angelina, Kojola, Ilpo, Suutarinen, Johanna, Ovaskainen, Otso, Potluri, Sriya, Fagan, William
• Other Authors: Department of Environmental Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, United States, Translational Innovation in Medicine and Complexity / Recherche Translationnelle et Innovation en Médecine et Complexité - UMR 5525 (TIMC ), VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Modèles et Algorithmes pour la Génomique (TIMC-MAGe), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland System, Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), TKK Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), University of Jyväskylä (JYU), Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim (NTNU), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04665032; https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.768478

International audience The ability of wild animals to navigate and survive in complex and dynamic environments depends on their ability to store relevant information and place it in a spatial context. Despite the centrality of spatial memory, and given our increasing ability to observe animal movements in the wild, it is perhaps surprising how difficult it is to demonstrate spatial memory empirically. We present a cognitive analysis of movements of several wolves ( Canis lupus ) in Finland during a summer period of intensive hunting and den-centered pup-rearing. We tracked several wolves in the field by visiting nearly all GPS locations outside the den, allowing us to identify the species, location and timing of nearly all prey killed. We then developed a model that assigns a spatially explicit value based on memory of predation success and territorial marking. The framework allows for estimation of multiple cognitive parameters, including temporal and spatial scales of memory. For most wolves, fitted memory-based models outperformed null models by 20 to 50% at predicting locations where wolves chose to forage. However, there was a high amount of individual variability among wolves in strength and even direction of responses to experiences. Some wolves tended to return to locations with recent predation success—following a strategy of foraging site fidelity—while others appeared to prefer a site switching strategy. These differences are possibly explained by variability in pack sizes, numbers of pups, and features of the territories. Our analysis points toward concrete strategies for incorporating spatial memory in the study of animal movements while providing nuanced insights into the behavioral strategies of individual predators.