The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats
Behavioral responses of animals to direct predator cues (DPCs; e.g., urine) are common and may improve their survival. We investigated wild meerkat (Suricata suricatta) responses to DPCs by taking an experimental approach. When meerkats encounter a DPC they often recruit group members by emitting a...
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ftunivzuerich:oai:www.zora.uzh.ch:85778 2024-09-30T14:33:34+00:00 The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats Zöttl, M Lienert, R Clutton-Brock, T Millesi, E Manser, M B 2013 application/pdf https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/ https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/1/ars154.pdf https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-85778 https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ars154 eng eng Oxford University Press https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/1/ars154.pdf doi:10.5167/uzh-85778 doi:10.1093/beheco/ars154 urn:issn:1045-2249 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Zöttl, M; Lienert, R; Clutton-Brock, T; Millesi, E; Manser, M B (2013). The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats. Behavioral Ecology, 24(1):198-204. Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies 570 Life sciences biology 590 Animals (Zoology) Journal Article PeerReviewed info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2013 ftunivzuerich https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-8577810.1093/beheco/ars154 2024-09-11T00:49:01Z Behavioral responses of animals to direct predator cues (DPCs; e.g., urine) are common and may improve their survival. We investigated wild meerkat (Suricata suricatta) responses to DPCs by taking an experimental approach. When meerkats encounter a DPC they often recruit group members by emitting a call type, which causes the group members to interrupt foraging and approach the caller. The aim of this study was to identify the qualities of olfactory predator cues, which affect the strength of response by meerkats, and determine the benefits of responses to such cues. Experimental exposure to dog (Canis lupus) urine as a DPC revealed that the recruited individuals increased vigilance to fresh urine in comparison to older urine, whereas a higher quantity of urine did not induce such an effect. Both freshness and higher quantities increased the proportion of group members recruited. These results indicate that recruitment might play a crucial role in correctly assessing the current level of danger and that recruiting might facilitate group decision making. To test the prediction that the reaction to a DPC enhances early predator response, we presented a DPC of a predator and a control cue of a herbivore, and each time simultaneously moved a full-mounted caracal (Caracal caracal) in the vicinity of the group. Meerkats responded earlier to the caracal when the DPC was presented, indicating that the response to a DPC facilitates predator response and that they use information from the cue that reliably reflects the risk in the current moment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Canis lupus University of Zurich (UZH): ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Zurich (UZH): ZORA (Zurich Open Repository and Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivzuerich |
language |
English |
topic |
Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies 570 Life sciences biology 590 Animals (Zoology) |
spellingShingle |
Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies 570 Life sciences biology 590 Animals (Zoology) Zöttl, M Lienert, R Clutton-Brock, T Millesi, E Manser, M B The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
topic_facet |
Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies 570 Life sciences biology 590 Animals (Zoology) |
description |
Behavioral responses of animals to direct predator cues (DPCs; e.g., urine) are common and may improve their survival. We investigated wild meerkat (Suricata suricatta) responses to DPCs by taking an experimental approach. When meerkats encounter a DPC they often recruit group members by emitting a call type, which causes the group members to interrupt foraging and approach the caller. The aim of this study was to identify the qualities of olfactory predator cues, which affect the strength of response by meerkats, and determine the benefits of responses to such cues. Experimental exposure to dog (Canis lupus) urine as a DPC revealed that the recruited individuals increased vigilance to fresh urine in comparison to older urine, whereas a higher quantity of urine did not induce such an effect. Both freshness and higher quantities increased the proportion of group members recruited. These results indicate that recruitment might play a crucial role in correctly assessing the current level of danger and that recruiting might facilitate group decision making. To test the prediction that the reaction to a DPC enhances early predator response, we presented a DPC of a predator and a control cue of a herbivore, and each time simultaneously moved a full-mounted caracal (Caracal caracal) in the vicinity of the group. Meerkats responded earlier to the caracal when the DPC was presented, indicating that the response to a DPC facilitates predator response and that they use information from the cue that reliably reflects the risk in the current moment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Zöttl, M Lienert, R Clutton-Brock, T Millesi, E Manser, M B |
author_facet |
Zöttl, M Lienert, R Clutton-Brock, T Millesi, E Manser, M B |
author_sort |
Zöttl, M |
title |
The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
title_short |
The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
title_full |
The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
title_fullStr |
The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
title_full_unstemmed |
The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
title_sort |
effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/ https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/1/ars154.pdf https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-85778 https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ars154 |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Zöttl, M; Lienert, R; Clutton-Brock, T; Millesi, E; Manser, M B (2013). The effects of recruitment to direct predator cues on predator responses in meerkats. Behavioral Ecology, 24(1):198-204. |
op_relation |
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/85778/1/ars154.pdf doi:10.5167/uzh-85778 doi:10.1093/beheco/ars154 urn:issn:1045-2249 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-8577810.1093/beheco/ars154 |
_version_ |
1811637424450699264 |