Facultative Hunting Behavior in Rodents as a Possible Evolutionarily Stable Strategy

Autor: Sofia Panteleeva, J. V. Levenets, Zh. I. Reznikova
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Biology Bulletin Reviews. 10:407-416
ISSN: 2079-0872
2079-0864
Popis: In three rodent species with different types of nutrition, a targeted “predator–prey” type interaction with mobile prey was revealed for the first time and described in detail. The granivorous striped field mouse, herbivorous narrow-skulled vole, and omnivorous Campbell’s dwarf hamster have an equally efficient, stereotypical hunting behavior that is in many ways similar to the behavior of the common shrew (specialized insectivorous species). At the same time, the hunting rate in rodents is lower than in insectivores. Unlike insectivorous species, rodents have a stereotypical hunting behavior that is manifested facultatively (completely, but not in all individuals). The portion of “hunters” in narrow-skulled voles is two times lower than that in striped field mice. The tactics of prey killing vary in different species: striped field mice, narrow-skulled voles, and shrews immobilize an insect with a series of quick bites; Campbell’s dwarf hamsters bite off limbs of the prey, which is apparently a manifestation of a more specialized hunting behavior. The nature of hunting attacks is different: first capturing the prey by teeth, rodents move to a capture with paws, while shrews use only teeth, which indicates a relative primitiveness of their predatory behavior. Campbell’s dwarf hamsters can start the attack with a capture using both teeth and paws, which characterizes their hunting behavior as the most evolutionarily advanced among the studied species. The stereotypes of hunting behavior in all three rodent species are manifested according to the principle “all at once” and are not affected by experience. The hunting behavior of rodents can be considered an evolutionarily stable strategy that supports the ability of populations to hunt moving insects in order to expand the spectrum of food resources.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: