Red foxes avoid apex predation without increasing fear

Wooster, EIF; Ramp, D; Lundgren, EJ; O’Neill, AJ; Wallach, AD

Red foxes avoid apex predation without increasing fear

Wooster, EIF Ramp, D

Lundgren, EJ O’Neill, AJ Wallach, AD

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Publisher:: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Behavioral Ecology, 2021
Issue Date:: 2021-06-17

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wooster, EIF
dc.contributor.author	Ramp, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3202-9898
dc.contributor.author	Lundgren, EJ
dc.contributor.author	O’Neill, AJ
dc.contributor.author	Wallach, AD
dc.date.accessioned	2021-08-19T00:02:45Z
dc.date.available	2021-08-19T00:02:45Z
dc.date.issued	2021-06-17
dc.identifier.citation	Behavioral Ecology, 2021
dc.identifier.issn	1045-2249
dc.identifier.issn	1465-7279
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150160
dc.description.abstract	<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Apex predators structure ecosystems by hunting mesopredators and herbivores. These trophic cascades are driven not only by the number of animals they kill, but also by how prey alter their behaviors to reduce risk. The different levels of risk navigated by prey has been likened to a “landscape of fear.” In Australia, dingoes are known to suppress red fox populations, driving a trophic cascade. However, most of what we know of this relationship comes from circumstances where predators are persecuted, which can affect their social and trophic interactions. Utilizing camera traps, we monitored fox behavior when accessing key resource points used by territorial dingoes, in a region where both predators are protected. We predicted that foxes would avoid and be more cautious in areas of high dingo activity. Indeed, foxes avoided directly encountering dingoes. However, contrary to our expectations, foxes were not more cautious or vigilant where dingo activity was high. In fact, fox activity and scent-marking rates increased where dingo scent-marking was concentrated. Further, foxes were increasingly confident with increasing levels of conspecific activity. Our results suggest that responses to the threat of predation are more complex than fear alone. In socially stable conditions, it is possible that prey may develop knowledge of their predators, facilitating avoidance, and reducing fear.</jats:p>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Oxford University Press (OUP)
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180100272
dc.relation.ispartof	Behavioral Ecology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1093/beheco/arab053
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.subject	0602 Ecology, 0603 Evolutionary Biology, 0608 Zoology
dc.subject.classification	Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
dc.title	Red foxes avoid apex predation without increasing fear
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	0602 Ecology
utslib.for	0603 Evolutionary Biology
utslib.for	0608 Zoology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
utslib.copyright.embargo	2022-06-30T00:00:00+1000Z
dc.date.updated	2021-08-19T00:02:44Z
pubs.publication-status	Published online

Abstract:

Abstract Apex predators structure ecosystems by hunting mesopredators and herbivores. These trophic cascades are driven not only by the number of animals they kill, but also by how prey alter their behaviors to reduce risk. The different levels of risk navigated by prey has been likened to a “landscape of fear.” In Australia, dingoes are known to suppress red fox populations, driving a trophic cascade. However, most of what we know of this relationship comes from circumstances where predators are persecuted, which can affect their social and trophic interactions. Utilizing camera traps, we monitored fox behavior when accessing key resource points used by territorial dingoes, in a region where both predators are protected. We predicted that foxes would avoid and be more cautious in areas of high dingo activity. Indeed, foxes avoided directly encountering dingoes. However, contrary to our expectations, foxes were not more cautious or vigilant where dingo activity was high. In fact, fox activity and scent-marking rates increased where dingo scent-marking was concentrated. Further, foxes were increasingly confident with increasing levels of conspecific activity. Our results suggest that responses to the threat of predation are more complex than fear alone. In socially stable conditions, it is possible that prey may develop knowledge of their predators, facilitating avoidance, and reducing fear.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/150160