Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears
Intraspecific communication in mammals is well-documented but generally restricted to chemical and acoustic signaling. However, other overlooked channels, such as visual signaling, may be used to communicate among conspecifics. Here, by using experimental manipulations together with camera traps on...
Published in: | Journal of Mammalogy |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2023
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80712 https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 |
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ftunivgranada:oai:digibug.ugr.es:10481/80712 2023-06-11T04:17:27+02:00 Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears Penteriani, Vincenzo González Bernardo, Enrique 2023-02-09 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80712 https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 eng eng Oxford University Press Vincenzo Penteriani. [et al.]. Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears, Journal of Mammalogy, 2023;, gyac126, [https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80712 doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Chemical marking Debarking Large carnivores Mating Rubbing trees Ursus arctos Visual marking Visual signaling Apareamiento Árboles de marcaje Descortezado Grandes carnívoros Marcaje químico Marcaje visual Señalización visual info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2023 ftunivgranada https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 2023-04-18T23:28:31Z Intraspecific communication in mammals is well-documented but generally restricted to chemical and acoustic signaling. However, other overlooked channels, such as visual signaling, may be used to communicate among conspecifics. Here, by using experimental manipulations together with camera traps on 13 brown bear (Ursus arctos) rubbing trees in the Cantabrian Mountains (northwestern Spain), we document detailed temporal patterns and behavioral aspects of a recently discovered novel communication channel for this species, visual signaling through the trunk debarking of focal trees. Video footage showed that visual marking is a sex-, age-, and time-specific means of communication in brown bears, being performed exclusively by adult males during the mating season (mainly April–June in the study area). Trunk debarking was always associated with chemical marking and was never an isolated behavior, suggesting that visual and chemical signals might be complementary. Visual and chemical marks may provide different information; for example, visual marks could be an indicator of individual size and, thus, the dominance status of adult males looking for mating opportunities. This is the first time that evidence is provided showing that visual signaling in a large carnivore is exclusive to a specific class of individuals (adult males) and linked to reproductive needs only. Bear visual signaling not only represents an advance in our comprehension of animal communication but may also serve to easily locate the mating areas of mammals, which are crucial for large carnivore species, such as the brown bear, that frequently need specific and urgent plans for conservation and management. La comunicación intraespecífica en los mamíferos está bien documentada, pero generalmente se limita a la señalización química y acústica. Sin embargo, otros canales ignorados, como la señalización visual, pueden ser utilizados para comunicarse entre conespecíficos. Aquí, utilizando manipulaciones experimentales junto con cámaras trampa en trece ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Ursus arctos DIGIBUG: Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Granada Canales ENVELOPE(-59.693,-59.693,-62.498,-62.498) Journal of Mammalogy |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
DIGIBUG: Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Granada |
op_collection_id |
ftunivgranada |
language |
English |
topic |
Chemical marking Debarking Large carnivores Mating Rubbing trees Ursus arctos Visual marking Visual signaling Apareamiento Árboles de marcaje Descortezado Grandes carnívoros Marcaje químico Marcaje visual Señalización visual |
spellingShingle |
Chemical marking Debarking Large carnivores Mating Rubbing trees Ursus arctos Visual marking Visual signaling Apareamiento Árboles de marcaje Descortezado Grandes carnívoros Marcaje químico Marcaje visual Señalización visual Penteriani, Vincenzo González Bernardo, Enrique Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
topic_facet |
Chemical marking Debarking Large carnivores Mating Rubbing trees Ursus arctos Visual marking Visual signaling Apareamiento Árboles de marcaje Descortezado Grandes carnívoros Marcaje químico Marcaje visual Señalización visual |
description |
Intraspecific communication in mammals is well-documented but generally restricted to chemical and acoustic signaling. However, other overlooked channels, such as visual signaling, may be used to communicate among conspecifics. Here, by using experimental manipulations together with camera traps on 13 brown bear (Ursus arctos) rubbing trees in the Cantabrian Mountains (northwestern Spain), we document detailed temporal patterns and behavioral aspects of a recently discovered novel communication channel for this species, visual signaling through the trunk debarking of focal trees. Video footage showed that visual marking is a sex-, age-, and time-specific means of communication in brown bears, being performed exclusively by adult males during the mating season (mainly April–June in the study area). Trunk debarking was always associated with chemical marking and was never an isolated behavior, suggesting that visual and chemical signals might be complementary. Visual and chemical marks may provide different information; for example, visual marks could be an indicator of individual size and, thus, the dominance status of adult males looking for mating opportunities. This is the first time that evidence is provided showing that visual signaling in a large carnivore is exclusive to a specific class of individuals (adult males) and linked to reproductive needs only. Bear visual signaling not only represents an advance in our comprehension of animal communication but may also serve to easily locate the mating areas of mammals, which are crucial for large carnivore species, such as the brown bear, that frequently need specific and urgent plans for conservation and management. La comunicación intraespecífica en los mamíferos está bien documentada, pero generalmente se limita a la señalización química y acústica. Sin embargo, otros canales ignorados, como la señalización visual, pueden ser utilizados para comunicarse entre conespecíficos. Aquí, utilizando manipulaciones experimentales junto con cámaras trampa en trece ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Penteriani, Vincenzo González Bernardo, Enrique |
author_facet |
Penteriani, Vincenzo González Bernardo, Enrique |
author_sort |
Penteriani, Vincenzo |
title |
Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
title_short |
Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
title_full |
Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
title_fullStr |
Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
title_sort |
sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80712 https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-59.693,-59.693,-62.498,-62.498) |
geographic |
Canales |
geographic_facet |
Canales |
genre |
Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Ursus arctos |
op_relation |
Vincenzo Penteriani. [et al.]. Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears, Journal of Mammalogy, 2023;, gyac126, [https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/80712 doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 |
op_rights |
Atribución 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac126 |
container_title |
Journal of Mammalogy |
_version_ |
1768376668568682496 |