DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Consequences of Food Assessment and Cache Placement on Social Competition and Cache Pilfering in a Scatter-hoarding Tree Squirrel

许多动物囤积食物，把食物藏在不同的地方，以便在以后的某一天，例如，当资源稀缺时，取回它们。分散囤积动物将每一种食物储存在不同的地方，并经常采取保护行为，以防止它们的食物储存（贮藏物）被盗。这些行为包括在掩埋食物之前广泛地处理食物，远离竞争对手去掩埋食物，小心地覆盖隐藏的食物。分散囤积的狐松鼠（Sciurus niger）表现出独特的行为（头部轻弹，爪子操作），使它们能够确定单个食物的重量和价值，并相应地保护它们的贮藏物。通过使用全球定位系统（GPS）和跟踪技术、行为观察和DNA测试，研究人员将探索这些食物保护行为如何有助于成功获取贮藏物或防止其他松鼠盗窃贮藏物。这项研究还将探讨个体是否更有可能从他们的亲属那里偷东西。这项拟议中的研究将填补动物行为文献中的空白，提高我们对动物如何恢复它们埋葬的食物的理解，并阐明分散囤积动物是否通过允许偷窃它们的贮藏物来为它们的后代或近亲提供食物。对分散囤积动物的研究尚未解决关键问题：贮藏物保护策略是否能阻止小偷盗窃，并帮助分散囤积动物找回它们的贮藏物？狐松鼠（Sciurus niger）表现出独特的评估行为（头部轻弹，爪子操纵），使它们能够调整对缓存的投资。拟议的研究将确定松鼠对食物的评估与它在贮藏物中的投资是如何相关的，以及这些行为是否会减少偷窃。这项研究将使用GPS数据和无线电遥测/被动应答器来测量缓存和盗窃行为。他们还将扩增和测序已建立的微卫星位点，以估计遗传相关性，并将相关性纳入缓存检索和盗窃模型。储存食物的动物参与贮藏保护行为是因为偷窃是常见的。先前的研究未能检验食物评估、贮藏物保护、社会环境和贮藏物长期命运之间的复杂关系。此外，大多数研究都使用人类或实验动物制造的人工贮藏器。这项实地研究将采用一种创新的跨学科方法来检查自由放养的松鼠对贮藏物的盗窃行为。本研究还将研究亲缘选择和偷窃耐受之间的关系，支持这一研究将对我们理解分散囤积和社会行为产生重大影响。所有数据和分析将通过发表的手稿、会议报告、NSF报告以及NSF指南建议的其他方式提供。

Many animals hoard their food, hiding food items in various locations in order to retrieve them at a later date, for example, when resources are scarce. Scatter-hoarding animals store each food item in a different location and often engage in protective behaviors that may prevent their food stores (caches) from being stolen. These behaviors include handling food items extensively before burying them, travelling away from competitors to bury food, and carefully covering caches. Scatter-hoarding fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) perform unique behaviors (head flicks, paw manipulations) that allow them to determine the weight and value of individual food items and protect their caches accordingly. By using Global Positioning System (GPS) and tracking technology, behavioral observations, and DNA testing, the researchers will explore how these food protection behaviors contribute to successful cache retrieval or prevent theft of caches by other squirrels. This study also will explore whether individuals are more or less likely to steal from their relatives. The proposed research will fill a gap in the animal behavior literature by advancing our understanding of how animals recover food they have buried, and illuminating whether scatter-hoarding animals provide for their offspring or close relatives by allowing theft of their caches. Studies of scatter-hoarding animals have yet to address key questions: do cache protection strategies deter theft by pilferers and help scatter-hoarding animals recover their caches? Fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) perform unique assessment behaviors (head flicks, paw manipulations) that allow them to adjust investments in caches. The proposed studies will determine how a squirrel's assessment of food is related to its investment in a cache, and whether these behaviors reduce pilferage. This study will use GPS data and radio-telemetry/passive transponders to measure caching and pilfering behavior. They will also amplify and sequence established microsatellite loci to estimate genetic relatedness and incorporate relatedness into models of cache retrieval and pilferage. Food-storing animals engage in cache protection behaviors because theft is common. Previous studies have failed to examine the complex relationship between food assessment, cache protection, social context and the long-term fate of caches. Moreover, most studies utilize artificial caches made by humans or laboratory animals. This field study will use an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to examine the pilferage of caches made by free-ranging squirrels. This study also will examine the relationship between kin selection and pilferage tolerance, support for which would have major implications for our understanding of scatter-hoarding and social behavior. All data and analyses will be made available via published manuscripts, conference presentations, reports to the NSF and otherwise as suggested by NSF guidelines.