Optimal hunting conditions drive circalunar behavior of a diurnal carnivore
Optimal hunting conditions drive circalunar behavior of a diurnal carnivore
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DOI：
10.1093/beheco/aru122
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发表时间：
2014-09-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Macdonald, David W.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Broekhuis, Femke;Gruenewaelder, Steffen;Macdonald, David W.
觅食的要求和捕食风险形状的活动模式和时间行为模式广泛的类群。虽然这已经在小型哺乳动物中得到了广泛的研究，但捕食和猎物获取对大型食肉动物活动和行为的影响却很少受到关注。昼夜活动描述为典型的猎豹（Acinonyx jubatus）已被解释为他们避免与其他较大的捕食者的拮抗作用。然而，最近的一项研究表明，猎豹经常在夜间活动，特别是在满月期间。作为捕食者和“猎物”在一个环境中具有相对高密度的大型和竞争优势的夜间捕食者物种，我们调查了猎豹的夜间行为是否可以解释为1）捕食者回避或2）猎物收购的有利条件。我们使用了一个连续记录的行为数据集，该数据集是使用机器学习技术在现场收集的行为数据上创建的，将无线电项圈记录的2D活动值转换为3种不同的行为状态（进食，移动和休息）。我们发现，32.5%的猎豹觅食行为发生在夜间，在旱季，夜间觅食行为与月光强度呈正相关。我们的研究结果表明，猎豹的夜间和轮月行为是由最佳狩猎条件驱动的，超过了遇到其他捕食者的风险。使用新的方法，结果提供了新的见解的时间分布的行为，有助于我们了解的重要性，月光和季节的昼夜物种的行为模式。
Foraging requirements and predation risk shape activity patterns and temporal behavior patterns widely across taxa. Although this has been extensively studied in small mammals, the influence of predation and prey acquisition on the activity and behavior of large carnivores has received little attention. The diurnal activity described as typical for cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) has been explained in terms of their avoidance of antagonistic interactions with other larger predators. However, a recent study revealed that cheetahs are frequently active at night, especially during periods of full moon. Being both predator and "prey" in an environment with comparatively high densities of larger and competitively dominant nocturnal predator species, we investigated whether cheetah nocturnal behavior could be explained by favorable conditions for 1) predator avoidance or 2) prey acquisition. We used a data set of continuously recorded behavior created using machine-learning techniques on behavioral data collected in the field to transform recorded 2D activity values from radio-collars into 3 distinct behavioral states (feeding, moving, and resting). We found that 32.5% of cheetah feeding behavior occurred at night and that, in the dry season, nocturnal feeding behavior was positively correlated with moonlight intensity. Our results suggest that nocturnal and circalunar behavior of cheetahs is driven by optimal hunting conditions, outweighing the risks of encountering other predators. Using novel methodology, the results provide new insights into the temporal distribution of behavior, contributing to our understanding of the importance of moonlight and season on the behavior patterns of diurnal species.