Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey
Prey selection is a key factor shaping animal populations and evolutionary dynamics. An optimal forager should target prey that offers the highest benefits in terms of energy content at the lowest costs. Predators are therefore expected to select for prey of optimal size. Stalking predators do not p...
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ftunivwuerz:oai:opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de:16682 2023-09-05T13:24:03+02:00 Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey Heurich, Marco Zeis, Klara Küchenhoff, Helmut Müller, Jörg Belotti, Elisa Bufka, Luděk Woelfing, Benno 2016 application/pdf https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16682 https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/files/16682/Heurich_PLoS_ONE.PDF eng eng https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16682 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/files/16682/Heurich_PLoS_ONE.PDF https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ddc:570 article doc-type:article 2016 ftunivwuerz https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 2023-08-13T22:33:48Z Prey selection is a key factor shaping animal populations and evolutionary dynamics. An optimal forager should target prey that offers the highest benefits in terms of energy content at the lowest costs. Predators are therefore expected to select for prey of optimal size. Stalking predators do not pursue their prey long, which may lead to a more random choice of prey individuals. Due to difficulties in assessing the composition of available prey populations, data on prey selection of stalking carnivores are still scarce. We show how the stalking predator Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) selects prey individuals based on species identity, age, sex and individual behaviour. To address the difficulties in assessing prey population structure, we confirm inferred selection patterns by using two independent data sets: (1) data of 387 documented kills of radio-collared lynx were compared to the prey population structure retrieved from systematic camera trapping using Manly’s standardized selection ratio alpha and (2) data on 120 radio-collared roe deer were analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among the larger red deer prey, lynx selected against adult males—the largest and potentially most dangerous prey individuals. In roe deer lynx preyed selectively on males and did not select for a specific age class. Activity during high risk periods reduced the risk of falling victim to a lynx attack. Our results suggest that the stalking predator lynx actively selects for size, while prey behaviour induces selection by encounter and stalking success rates. Article in Journal/Newspaper Lynx Lynx lynx lynx Würzburg University: Online Publication Service PLOS ONE 11 8 e0158449 |
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English |
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ddc:570 |
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ddc:570 Heurich, Marco Zeis, Klara Küchenhoff, Helmut Müller, Jörg Belotti, Elisa Bufka, Luděk Woelfing, Benno Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
topic_facet |
ddc:570 |
description |
Prey selection is a key factor shaping animal populations and evolutionary dynamics. An optimal forager should target prey that offers the highest benefits in terms of energy content at the lowest costs. Predators are therefore expected to select for prey of optimal size. Stalking predators do not pursue their prey long, which may lead to a more random choice of prey individuals. Due to difficulties in assessing the composition of available prey populations, data on prey selection of stalking carnivores are still scarce. We show how the stalking predator Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) selects prey individuals based on species identity, age, sex and individual behaviour. To address the difficulties in assessing prey population structure, we confirm inferred selection patterns by using two independent data sets: (1) data of 387 documented kills of radio-collared lynx were compared to the prey population structure retrieved from systematic camera trapping using Manly’s standardized selection ratio alpha and (2) data on 120 radio-collared roe deer were analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among the larger red deer prey, lynx selected against adult males—the largest and potentially most dangerous prey individuals. In roe deer lynx preyed selectively on males and did not select for a specific age class. Activity during high risk periods reduced the risk of falling victim to a lynx attack. Our results suggest that the stalking predator lynx actively selects for size, while prey behaviour induces selection by encounter and stalking success rates. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Heurich, Marco Zeis, Klara Küchenhoff, Helmut Müller, Jörg Belotti, Elisa Bufka, Luděk Woelfing, Benno |
author_facet |
Heurich, Marco Zeis, Klara Küchenhoff, Helmut Müller, Jörg Belotti, Elisa Bufka, Luděk Woelfing, Benno |
author_sort |
Heurich, Marco |
title |
Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
title_short |
Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
title_full |
Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
title_fullStr |
Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
title_full_unstemmed |
Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey |
title_sort |
selective predation of a stalking predator on ungulate prey |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16682 https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/files/16682/Heurich_PLoS_ONE.PDF |
genre |
Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
genre_facet |
Lynx Lynx lynx lynx |
op_relation |
https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/16682 urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/files/16682/Heurich_PLoS_ONE.PDF |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.de info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158449 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
e0158449 |
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1776204625753407488 |