ArticlePDF Available

The scent of your enemy is my friend? The acquisition of large carnivore scent by a smaller carnivore

Authors:

Abstract

Scent marking is critical to intraspecific communication in many mammal species, but little is known regarding its role in communication among different species. We used 4 years of motion-triggered video to document the use of scent marking areas—termed “community scrapes”—by pumas (Puma concolor) (http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812pc01a) and other carnivore species. We found that gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) routinely rubbed their cheeks on puma scrapes (http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc01a), and tested a series of hypotheses to determine its function. We found that gray foxes selected puma scrapes over other objects, and cheek rubbing by foxes was also correlated with how recently a puma had visited the scrape, suggesting that foxes were intent upon accumulating fresh puma scent. Cheek rubbing by foxes was not correlated with their breeding season or with how recently another fox had visited the site. Finally we found a cascading pattern in the occurrence of pumas, coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray foxes at community scrapes, suggesting that gray foxes may use puma scent to deter predation. This is the first published study to find evidence of a subordinate species using the scent of a dominant species to communicate with heterospecifics. The behavioral cascade we found in scent marking patterns also suggests that scent marking could be a mechanism that impacts the distribution and abundance of species. Additional videos pertaining to this article include http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc02a, and http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc03a.
VIDEO ARTICLE
The scent of your enemy is my friend? The acquisition of large
carnivore scent by a smaller carnivore
Maximilian L. Allen
1,2
Micaela S. Gunther
3
Christopher C. Wilmers
1
Received: 9 June 2016 / Accepted: 23 August 2016 / Published online: 7 September 2016
ÓJapan Ethological Society and Springer Japan 2016
Abstract Scent marking is critical to intraspecific commu-
nication in many mammal species, but little is known
regarding its role in communication among different species.
We used 4 years of motion-triggered video to document the
use of scent marking areas—termed ‘‘community scrapes’—
by pumas (Puma concolor)(http://www.momo-p.com/show
detail-e.php?movieid=momo160812pc01a) and other carni-
vore species. We found that gray foxes (Urocyon
cinereoargenteus) routinely rubbed their cheeks on puma
scrapes (http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?mo
vieid=momo160812uc01a), and tested a series of hypotheses
to determine its function. We found that gray foxes selected
puma scrapes over other objects, and cheek rubbing by foxes
was also correlated with how recently a puma had visited the
scrape, suggesting that foxes were intent upon accumulating
fresh puma scent. Cheek rubbing by foxes was not correlated
with their breeding season or with how recently another fox
had visited the site. Finally we found a cascading pattern in the
occurrence of pumas, coyotes (Canis latrans) and gray foxes at
community scrapes, suggesting that gray foxes may use puma
scent to deter predation. This is the first published study to find
evidence of a subordinate species using the scentof a dominant
species to communicate with heterospecifics. The behavioral
cascade we found in scent marking patterns also suggests that
scent marking could be a mechanism that impacts the distri-
bution and abundance of species. Additional videos pertaining
to this article include http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.
php?movieid=momo160812uc02a,andhttp://www.momo-p.
com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc03a.
Keywords Cheek rubbing Communication Interspecific
interactions Puma concolor Scent marking Urocyon
cinereoargenteus
Introduction
Scent marking is an integral aspect of communication for
many mammals (Ralls 1971; Johnson 1973). Scent mark-
ing is used to deposit volatile chemical compounds to
communicate signals (Ralls 1971; Johnson 1973), and is
often used as an indirect method of communicating with
conspecifics (Roper et al. 1993; Bel et al. 1999; King and
Gurnell 2007; Allen et al. 2015a). Scent marking is an
important aspect of intraspecific communication for mate
selection (Bel et al. 1999; Allen et al. 2015a) and adver-
tising the use of a territory (Roper et al. 1993; King and
Gurnell 2007), as well as for other functions such as noting
food resources (Henry 1977; Pineiro and Barja 2015).
Although there are many studies on intraspecific com-
munication, there is a general lack of current literature on
how scent marking is used for interspecific communication
(but see Rostain et al. 2004; Apfelbach et al. 2005). There
is some literature exploring how animals respond to
vocalizations of heterospecifics (Shriner 1998; Magrath
et al. 2015), and the lack of studies on interspecific com-
munication through scent marking may be due to its
complexity and difficulty in studying. Based on the lack of
literature about interspecific scent marking it would be
&Maximilian L. Allen
maximilian.allen@wisc.edu
1
Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental
Studies Department, University of California, 1156 High
Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
2
Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of
Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53704, USA
3
Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst
Street, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
123
J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19
DOI 10.1007/s10164-016-0492-6
reasonable to conclude that interspecific communication
through scent marking does not frequently occur. It is more
likely, however, that scent marking is an important aspect
of interspecific interactions in mammal communities of
which we remain remarkably unaware. Mammals within
given communities are known to partition resources
(Schoener 1974), and subordinate species avoid dominant
ones both spatially and temporally (Ordiz et al. 2012;
Darnell et al. 2014; Wang et al. 2015). Scent marking may
be key to both partitioning resources and avoidance tactics,
and it is therefore important to document instances of
interspecific communication and scent marking to under-
stand their functional and adaptive significance.
Over the course of 4 years, we documented gray foxes
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus) visiting scent marking areas
termed ‘‘community scrapes’’ (Allen et al. 2014). Commu-
nity scrapes are scent marking areas used by the carnivore
guild (Allen et al. 2015a), including pumas (Puma concolor),
who use the area for territorial marking and mate selection
(Allen et al. 2014,2015a,2016). Community scrapes are
defined as the broader areas across which scent marking
occurs, as opposed to the ‘‘individual scrape’’ created by an
individual puma during a scent marking event (Allen et al.
2014) (Fig. 1,http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.
php?movieid=momo160812pc01a). The gray foxes we
observed frequently used olfactory investigation and then
left urine scent marks at these areas. Less frequently gray
foxes exhibited cheek rubbing behavior, where they rubbed
their cheek, jaw, and neck on puma individual scrapes or
other nearby objects (Fig. 2,http://www.momo-p.com/
showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc01a). The use
of puma community scrapes for scent marking, and partic-
ularly the cheek rubbing behavior, by gray foxes suggests
some aspect of interspecific scent marking was occurring.
We could not find any reference in the literature to inter-
specific communication through cheek rubbing; thus we
examined gray fox behavior of cheek rubbing on puma
individual scrapes further to evaluate its functional signifi-
cance through testing a series of hypotheses.
Cheek rubbing, where an animal rubs its cheek, chin,
neck, or shoulder on objects, is a form of scent marking that
is infrequently documented compared to marking with urine
or feces, but is nevertheless exhibited by many mammals
(Reiger 1979; Mellen 1993; Gosling and McKay 1990;Bel
et al. 1999; Allen et al. 2014). Some species, like marmots
(Marmota marmota) primarily scent mark through cheek
rubbing (Bel et al. 1999), and dominant rabbits (Oryctola-
gus cuniculus) were found to exhibit cheek rubbing more
frequently than subordinate individuals (Mykytowycz
1965). These observations suggest that dominance can be
exhibited through cheek rubbing as well as through other
forms of scent marking. These species are easily observed,
and the infrequency of documentation of cheek rubbing for
many species could be due to the difficulty of observation;
cheek rubbing could be of greater importance than generally
recognized. Cheek rubbing releases compounds from the
sebaceous gland, allowing the animal to deposit its scent on
an object (Ralls 1971; Johnson 1973). At the same time,
cheek rubbing provides the opportunity for an animal to
accumulate scent from the environment onto itself (Johnson
1973; Gosling and McKay 1990).
We first determined baseline behavior for gray foxes at
puma community scrapes and how this varied when they
exhibited cheek rubbing. This included documenting their
frequency of display of olfactory investigation and urine
scent marking, and the duration of a visit during which they
exhibited cheek rubbing behavior in contrast to times they
did not. Next we generated two alternative hypotheses to
evaluate the role interspecific communication played in this
behavior; during cheek rubbing: (1) gray foxes may be
depositing their own scent onto the substrate in order to
compete with other conspecific individuals or advertise for
mates; alternatively (2) gray foxes may be transferring
Fig. 1 A video of a puma creating an individual scrape. The area in
view of the video is a community scrape
Fig. 2 A video of a gray fox exhibiting cheek rubbing behavior on an
individual scrape made by a puma
14 J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19
123
puma scent onto themselves either for mate attraction or
predator avoidance.
Canids and other carnivores are well known for rubbing
themselves on various scents (Johnson 1973; Gosling and
McKay 1990). If cheek rubbing behavior by gray foxes on
puma individual scrapes is for mate attraction, we expected
a significant peak in the display of this behavior in late
winter to spring to coincide with the peak of the breeding
season. Alternatively, gray foxes may rub puma scent onto
themselves in order to dissuade predation by larger
predators, including coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats
(Lynx rufus). Smaller carnivores have been shown to
increase caution and alter their feeding behavior when
exposed to the scent of larger carnivores (Garvey et al.
2016). If coyotes and bobcats exhibit caution when
exposed to puma scent, gray foxes may be able to deter
intraguild predation by applying puma scent to themselves
and potentially causing a coyote or bob cat to hesitate in an
attack and allow the gray fox to escape.
We tested the following predictions: if gray foxes are
depositing scent, they should be cheek rubbing on other
available objects as much as on puma individual scrapes. In
addition, because scent is ephemeral, if gray foxes were
depositing scent to communicate to conspecifics, we
expected the exhibition of cheek rubbing behavior to have a
significant positive relationship with how recently a gray fox
had visited, because they were likely responding to the most
recent visit of a conspecific. Alternatively, if gray foxes
aimed to acquire puma scent, we predicted that greater than
50 % of the objects on which they cheek rubbed should be
puma individual scrapes. We further expected that gray fox
cheek rubbing would have a significant positive relationship
with how recently a puma created the individual scrape,
because they would be trying to accumulate the puma scent
before it dissipated. Testing whether cheek rubbing behavior
is for predation avoidance is more difficult, as we could not
directly test the success of such a strategy. Therefore, we
instead tested for differences in the relative abundance of the
four carnivore species (gray fox, bobcat, coyote, puma) at
community scrapes, in order to assess whether or not puma
scent dissuaded bobcats and coyotes from using these areas,
and whether our predation avoidance hypothesis was worth
follow-up study in the future.
Materials and methods
Study area
We conducted our study in a 1700 km
2
area in the Santa
Cruz Mountains, including parts of Santa Cruz, San Mateo,
and Santa Clara Counties of California. Detailed descrip-
tions of the study area are available from Wilmers et al.
(2013) and Allen et al. (2014). The study area was bounded
by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the cities of San Francisco
and San Jose to the north, and Highway 101 to the east. An
arterial highway (Highway 17) bisected the study area.
Major habitat types in the study area varied with distance
from the coast, and included coastal scrub, annual grass-
land, redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest, and cha-
parral. Elevation ranged from sea level to 1155 m. The
climate is best described as mild Mediterranean, with the
majority of rainfall occurring from November to April.
Compliance with ethical standards
The data collected in this manuscript were obtained
through non-invasive methods, and no animals were han-
dled, drugged, or harmed during the course of the study.
All protocols were performed within the guidelines set by
the University of California and the American Society of
Mammalogists. The authors have no known conflicts of
interest.
Field methods
We documented 299 puma community scrapes from 2008
to 2015 using a custom algorithm to find potential com-
munity scrapes followed by field visits to confirm or deny
(Allen et al. 2014). We then set up motion-triggered video
cameras with infrared flash (Bushnell Trophy Cam, Over-
land Park, KS) at 26 spatially independent community
scrapes from 2011 to 2015. We programmed the cameras to
record a 60-s video every time motion was detected with a
1-s refractory period. We documented the date, time, and
duration of visits by gray foxes, pumas, bobcats, and
coyotes to community scrapes. For visits by gray foxes, we
also documented the display of: cheek rubbing (where the
gray fox rubbed its cheek and chin back and forth on an
object), olfactory investigation (noted by its nose being
within one head length of the object), and urine scent
marking (where the fox squatted or lifted its leg and uri-
nated on an object).
Statistical analyses
We used program Rversion 3.1.1 (R Core Team 2015) for
our statistical analyses, and in each statistical test, we
considered p\0.05 to be statistically significant.
We first summarized baseline behavior data in order to
lay a foundation for understanding unique behaviors in
gray foxes. We tested whether gray foxes performed dif-
ferent behaviors when exhibiting cheek rubbing at a com-
munity scrape than when they did not exhibit the behavior
during a visit. We first used a two-tailed t-test (Sokal and
Rohlf 1987) to determine if the duration of a visit was
J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19 15
123
longer when exhibiting cheek rubbing behavior as opposed
to none. Due to the lack of normality we first log-trans-
formed the data to meet the assumptions of the t-test. We
then used 2 92 chi-square tests (Sokal and Rohlf 1987)to
determine if olfactory investigation and urine scent mark-
ing were more frequently displayed during visits when
foxes exhibited cheek rubbing as compared to when they
did not.
We tested two predictions to distinguish whether gray
foxes were more focused on depositing their scent onto the
substrate or applying puma scent onto themselves. If gray
foxes are cheek rubbing to deposit scent, they should be
equally as likely to cheek rub on other objects as they
would be on puma individual scrapes. We used a 2 92
chi-square test to analyze the selection of each given object
compared to puma individual scrapes. Second, if gray
foxes aimed to acquire puma scent, we suggest that greater
than 50 % of the objects they cheek rub on should be puma
individual scrapes. We used a 2 92 chi-square test to
analyze observed values against expected values of cheek
rubbing on puma individual scrapes.
To test whether the exhibition of cheek rubbing behavior
was positively correlated with how recently a gray fox had
visited a community scrape (depositing scent), or with how
recently the puma created an individual scrape (acquiring
scent), we used a generalized linear model (GLM) with a
binomial link, with fox cheek rubbing or not as our binomial
dependent variable, and the number of days since a fox or
puma visited as our respective independent variables.
To test whether fox cheek rubbing behavior is exhibited
for mate attraction purposes, we used analyses of variance
(ANOVA) (Sokal and Rohlf 1987) to determine whether
gray fox visitation or cheek rubbing varied among seasons.
Seasons were defined as four equal time periods based on
the Julian calendar: spring, summer, winter, fall. We tab-
ulated the number of visits and cheek rubbing events in
each season, after excluding seasons with \60 days of
monitoring, and then log transformed each of the datasets
to meet the assumptions of the ANOVA.
To test whether the acquisition of puma scent was for
predation avoidance we tested for differences in the rela-
tive abundance of the four carnivores at community
scrapes. We calculated the relative abundance (RA) of
pumas, coyotes, bobcats, and gray foxes at each commu-
nity scrape as
RA ¼n100=D;
where nis the total number of visits recorded for each
species and Dis the number of days the community scrape
was monitored. We used an ANOVA to test for differences
in abundance, using relative abundance as the dependent
variable and species as the independent variable, after first
log transforming RA to meet the assumptions of the
ANOVA. We then performed post hoc Tukey tests to
determine where significant differences existed (Sokal and
Rohlf 1987).
Results
Overview
We documented gray foxes exhibiting cheek rubbing during
92 out of 903 (10.2 %) visits across our 4 years of obser-
vations. When exhibiting cheek rubbing, gray foxes per-
formed a mean of 3.9 (±0.3 SE) back and forth movements,
over a mean duration of 11.4 (±1.1 SE) s. The duration of
visits when exhibiting cheek rubbing was 37.9 (±2.2) s,
significantly longer than the 15.2 (±0.6) s for visits when not
exhibiting cheek rubbing (t
821
=10.90, p\0.0001).
Gray foxes exhibited olfactory investigation at 100 % of
visits that included cheek rubbing, significantly more fre-
quently than the 65.2 % at visits that did not include cheek
rubbing (v2
1¼31:87;p\0.0001). Gray foxes deposited
urine scent marks during 72.5 % of the visits when they
exhibited cheek rubbing, significantly more frequently than
the 34.4 % of visits that did not include cheek rubbing
(v2
1¼33:95;p\0.0001). There appeared to be a sequence
of events when cheek rubbing was involved, whereby the
fox first investigated the puma’s individual scrape, followed
by cheek rubbing, then sometimes urination on or near the
puma individual scrape (Fig. 3,http://www.momo-p.com/
showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc02a).
Gray foxes performed cheek rubbing on the ground
(n=12), a bobcat individual scrape (n=1), and a shrub
(n=1), as well as on puma individual scrapes (n=78)
(Fig. 4). Across all documented cheek rubbing events, gray
foxes performed cheek rubbing on puma individual scrapes
84.7 % of the time, significantly more frequently than on
other objects (v2
3¼141:53;p\0.0001), and significantly
more than would be predicted by chance (v2
1¼23:32;
p\0.0001).
Gray fox cheek rubbing in relation to recent visits
by other gray foxes or pumas
The exhibition of cheek rubbing was negatively related to
how recently a gray fox had visited (z
821
=2.28, p=0.02)
(Fig. 5a). Visits where gray foxes exhibited cheek rubbing
were a mean 13.4 (±1.7 SE) days since a fox visited, while
visits where they did not exhibit cheek rubbing were a
mean of 11.3 (±0.6) days since a fox visited. The exhibi-
tion of cheek rubbing by foxes was positively related to
how recently a puma had visited (z
817
=6.52, p\0.0001)
(Fig. 5b). Visits where gray foxes exhibited cheek rubbing
were a mean 8.0 (±1.4 SE) days since a puma visited,
16 J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19
123
while visits where they did not exhibit cheek rubbing were
a mean of 20.5 (±0.7) days since a puma visited. The
outlier visit that was 80?days since a puma visited was the
instance of a gray fox cheek rubbing on the shrub.
Seasonality and relative frequency of predator visits
We did not find variation among seasons for either visita-
tion (F
3,201
=1.219, p=0.3) or cheek rubbing
(F
3,201
=0.987, p=0.4) by gray foxes. Visitation ranged
from 3.11 (±0.56 SE) visits in autumn to 3.77 (±0.77)
visits in winter. Cheek rubbing ranged from occurring in
0.24 (±0.12) visits in summer to occurring in 0.59 (±0.19)
visits in spring.
In testing for predation avoidance, we recorded 1188
visits by pumas (RA =19.97), 22 visits by coyotes
(RA =0.48), 446 visits by bobcats (RA =9.51), and 903
visits by gray foxes (RA =18.19). There was a clear dif-
ference in the relative abundance of the four species
(F
3,100
=84.18 p\0.0001). Both coyotes and bobcats
were less abundant than pumas (p
coyote
\0.0001, p
bob-
cat
=0.0014). Coyotes were also less abundant than gray
foxes (p\0.0001), while bobcats were not significantly so
(p=0.1686). Gray foxes and pumas were not significantly
different in abundance (p=0.3143).
Discussion
Is cheek rubbing by gray foxes for depositing
or accumulating scent?
Our results suggest that the adaptive significance behind
gray fox cheek rubbing behavior is to acquire scent from
puma individual scrapes. Because most scent marking is
directed at conspecifics (Roper et al. 1993; Bel et al. 1999;
King and Gurnell 2007; Allen et al. 2015a), it was sur-
prising that cheek rubbing by gray foxes had a significant
negative relationship with how recently a gray fox had
visited. Instead, our results suggest that gray foxes seek out
puma community scrapes, and perform cheek rubbing at
these areas disproportionately on puma individual scrapes.
More specifically, 85 % of cheek rubbing events were
performed on puma individual scrapes, and cheek rubbing
Fig. 3 A video showing a typical sequence of events when cheek
rubbing was exhibited. The fox first investigates the puma’s
individual scrape, follows this by cheek rubbing, and then sometimes
urinates on or near the puma individual scrape
Fig. 4 Percentage of objects gray foxes performed cheek rubbing on
different substrates (n=92 cheek rubbing events)
Fig. 5 The relationship between cheek rubbing and recent visits by
gray foxes (a) and pumas (b). Visits are scaled to double at each time
interval to limit the size of the figure
J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19 17
123
had a significant positive relationship to how recently a
puma had created the individual scrape. Species are known
to use the vocal communications of other species for their
benefit (Hughes et al. 2012; Magrath et al. 2015), but this is
the first documentation of a species applying the scent from
another species onto themselves for their own benefit.
Gray foxes exhibited selection of puma individual scrapes
for the performance of cheek rubbing behavior, but mam-
mals often use different forms of scent marking to provide
different stimuli (Ralls 1971), and there may be other
instances when gray foxes use cheek rubbing to deposit scent
in order to communicate with conspecifics. Also, our study
was focused on puma community scrapes; if we had recorded
gray fox cheek rubbing behavior in other areas, we might
have found a higher rate of cheek rubbing on other objects.
The next leading object for cheek rubbing after puma indi-
vidual scrapes was the ground; however, the ground may
have been over-represented, as we likely did not document or
confirm every previous puma visit or individual scrape, and
some instances we attributed to marking on the ground had
the visual characteristics of a puma individual scrape. There
are many potential reasons for cheek rubbing (e.g., Gosling
and McKay 1990), and future research could be performed to
determine whether this is the only use of gray fox cheek
rubbing or whether they perform cheek rubbing for other
purposes and on other objects.
Is cheek rubbing by gray foxes for mate choice
or predator avoidance?
Cascading patterns in the abundance of carnivores, particu-
larly among canines, are known to occur (e.g., Levi and
Wilmers 2012). Wang et al. (2015) found a site-specific cas-
cading pattern in the activity patterns of pumas, coyotes and
gray foxes, while Allen et al. (2015b)foundacascadingpat-
tern in the feeding of carnivores at puma kills. We found a
similar cascading pattern in the relative abundance of carni-
vores at puma community scrapes. Cheek rubbing may be a
behavioral response used by gray foxes to deter or escape
predation from coyotes and bobcats, as smelling like a large
carnivore may deter predation events by meso carnivores long
enough for the gray fox to escape (e.g., Garvey et al. 2016).
This may be a particular advantage for gray foxes, as their
main predation avoidance technique is tree climbing (Fritzell
and Haroldson 1982)(Fig.6,http://www.momo-p.com/
showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo160812uc03a), and hesita-
tion by a larger predator may give the gray fox time to escape
into a tree. The giving up densities (GUP) of prey increase in
response to predator scent (Bytheway et al. 2013), and the
same may be true of carnivores avoiding larger carnivores.
This behavior is likely to be most beneficial against larger
predators that are smell-dominant, such as coyotes, and we
found that gray foxes visited community scrapes 38 times
more frequently than coyotes, suggesting that coyotes avoid
community scrapes and puma scent, while gray foxes do not.
These findings suggest our hypothesis of cheek rubbing being
for predation avoidance is worth follow-up work with studies
that can directly test the success of such a tactic.
The lack of seasonality in cheek rubbing behavior and the
negative relationship with how recently a gray fox had visited
suggest that the acquisition of puma scent was not for mate
attraction. The main purposes of scent marking are thought to
be for intraspecific territorial marking (Roper et al. 1993;King
and Gurnell 2007) and mate attraction (Bel et al. 1999; Allen
et al. 2015a). The cheek rubbing performed by gray foxes on
puma individual scrapes seems to deviate from this norm, as it
appears the gray foxes are accumulating puma scent rather
than depositing their own. The lack of seasonality may in part
be because gray foxes consort in pairs throughout the year
(Fritzell and Haroldson 1982). For example, scent marking is
thought to strengthen pair bonds, and cheek rubbing may also
serve this purpose. We also did not know the sexes of the foxes
performing the cheek rubbing, and this could be a confound-
ing factor, ascheek rubbing is thought to be more prevalent in
male mammals (Gosling and McKay 1990). Performing these
tests with tagged individuals may shed further light on the
pattern, both in discerning patterns for individuals, as well as
different sexes.
Conclusions
The mechanisms and importance of scent marking for
interspecific interactions are currently underrepresented in
the literature. Scent marking is an integral part of the
behavioral ecology of many mammals (Mellen 1993;
Rostain et al. 2004; Allen et al. 2016), but we have little
knowledge of how interspecific scent marking functions.
Previous research on interspecific scent marking is sparse,
but generally animals are thought to investigate other
Fig. 6 A video of a gray fox using its tree climbing ability to escape
predation by a bobcat
18 J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19
123
species’ scent to gain information (Rostain et al. 2004;Li
et al. 2013) or avoid predation (Apfelbach et al. 2005;
Bytheway et al. 2013). Interspecific vocal communications
are used to gain information, find food sources, and avoid
predators (Hughes et al. 2012; Magrath et al. 2015), and
interspecific use of scent marks may be used for similar
functions. The significance of our findings suggest that
interspecific scent marking is a potentially rich area of
research and an area in need of further research.
Gray foxes cheek rubbing on puma individual scrapes
appears to be part of a complex behavioral cascade where a
small carnivore acquires scent from a large carnivore to
potentially dissuade competition and predation from dom-
inant meso predators. This is the first published study of a
subordinate species using the scent of a dominant species
to communicate with heterospecifics, and our study sug-
gests that interspecific interactions through scent marking
may have important outcomes for community ecology.
Interspecific vocal communication can be a mechanism
that directly influences the distribution and abundance of
species (Goodale et al. 2010), and this behavioral cascade
suggests that scent marking could also be a mechanism that
impacts the distribution and abundance of species.
Acknowledgments Funding was provided by NSF Grants 0963022
and 1255913, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the
University of California at Santa Cruz. We thank P. Houghtaling, Y.
Shakeri, R. Peterson, and numerous technicians and volunteers for
their help on the project.
References
Allen ML, Wittmer HU, Wilmers CC (2014) Puma scrape and
communication behaviors: understanding functional use and
variation by sex and age. Behaviour 151:819–840
Allen ML, Wittmer HU, Houghtaling P, Smith J, Elbroch LM,
Wilmers CC (2015a) The role of scent marking in mate selection
by female pumas (Puma concolor). PLoS One 10:e0139087
Allen ML, Elbroch LM, Wilmers CC, Wittmer HU (2015b) The
comparative effects of large carnivores on the acquisition of
carrion by scavengers. Am Nat 185:822–833
Allen ML, Yovovich V, Wilmers CC (2016) Evaluating the responses
of a territorial solitary carnivore to potential mates and
competitors. Sci Rep 6:27257
Apfelbach R, Blanchard CD, Blanchard RJ, Hayes RA, McGregor IS
(2005) The effects of predator odors in mammalian prey species:
a review of field and laboratory studies. Neuro Biobehav Rev
29:1123–1144
Bel MC, Coulon J, Sreng L, Allaine D, Bagneres AG, Clement JL
(1999) Social signals involved in scent-marking behavior by
cheek-rubbing in Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota). J Chem
Ecol 25:2267–2283
Bytheway JP, Carthey AJR, Banks PB (2013) Risk vs. reward: how
predators and prey respond to aging olfactory cues. Behav Ecol
Sociobiol 67:715–725
Darnell AM, Graf JA, Somers MJ, Slotow R, Gunther MS (2014)
Space use of African wild dogs in relation to other large
carnivores. PLoS One 9:e98846
Fritzell EK, Haroldson KJ (1982) Urocyon cinereoargenteus. Mamm
Spec 189:1–8
Garvey PM, Glen AS, Pech RP (2016) Dominant predator odour
triggers caution and eavesdropping behavior in a mammalian
mesopredator. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 70:481–492
Goodale E, Beauchamp G, Magrath RD, Nieh JC, Ruxton GD (2010)
Interspecific information transfer influences animal community
structure. Trends Ecol Evol 25:354–361
Gosling LM, McKay HV (1990) Scent-rubbing and status signaling
by male mammals. Chemoecology 1:92–95
Henry JD (1977) The use of urine marking in the scavenging behavior
of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Behaviour 61:82–105
Hughes NK, Kelley JL, Banks PB (2012) Dangerous liaisons: the
predation risks of receiving social signals. Ecol Lett 15:1326–1339
Johnson RP (1973) Scent marking in mammals. Anim Behav
21:521–535
King SRB, Gurnell J (2007) Scent-marking behaviour by stallions: an
assessment of function in a reintroduced population of Przewal-
ski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii). J Zool 272:30–36
Levi T, Wilmers CC (2012) Wolves-coyotes-foxes: a cascade among
carnivores. Ecology 93:921–929
Li J, Schaller GB, McCarthy TM, Wang D, Jiagong Z, Cai P, Basang
L, Lu Z (2013) A communal signpost of snow leopards
(Panthera uncia) and other species on the Tibetan Plateau,
China. Int J Biodivers 2013:370905
Magrath RD, Haff TM, Fallow PM, Radford AN (2015) Eavesdrop-
ping on heterospecific alarm calls: from mechanisms to conse-
quences. Biol Rev 90:560–586
Mellen JD (1993) A comparative analysis of scent–marking, social
and reproductive behavior in 20 species of small cats. Am Zool
33:151–166
Mykytowycz R (1965) Further observations on the territorial function
and histology of the submandibular cutaneous (chin) glands in
the rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.). Anim Behav 13:400–412
Ordiz A, Stoen OG, Saebo S, Kindberg J, Delibes M, Swenson JE (2012)
Do bears know they are being hunted? Biol Conserv 152:21–28
Pineiro A, Barja I (2015) Evaluating the function of wildcat faecal
marks in relation to the defence of favourable hunting areas.
Ethol Ecol Evol 27:161–172
R Core Team (2015) R: a language and environment for statistical
computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna,
ISBN 3-900051-07-0. http://www.R-project.org/. Accessed 25
Sept 2015
Ralls K (1971) Mammalian scent marking. Science 171:443–449
Reiger I (1979) Scent rubbing in carnivores. Carnivore 2:17–25
Roper TJ, Conradt L, Butler J, Christian S, Ostler J, Schmid TK
(1993) Territorial marking with faeces in badgers (Meles meles):
a comparison of boundary and hinterland latrine use. Behaviour
127:289–307
Rostain R, Ben-David M, Groves P, Randall JA (2004) Why do river
otters scent-mark? An experimental test of several hypotheses.
Anim Behav 68:703–711
Schoener TW (1974) Resource partitioning in ecological communi-
ties. Science 185:27–39
Shriner WM (1998) Yellow-bellied marmot and golden-mantled
ground squirrel responses to heterospecific alarm calls. Anim
Behav 55:529–536
Sokal RS, Rohlf FJ (1987) Introduction to biostatistics. W.H.
Freeman and Company, New York
Wang Y, Allen ML, Wilmers CC (2015) Mesopredator spatial and
temporal responses to large predators and human development in
the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Biol Conserv 190:23–33
Wilmers CC, Wang Y, Nickel B, Houghtaling P, Shakeri Y, Allen
ML, Kermish-Wells J, Yovovich V, Williams T (2013) Scale
dependent behavioral responses to human development by a
large predator, the puma. PLoS One 8:e60590
J Ethol (2017) 35:13–19 19
123
... La depredación es un factor que ha favorecido el desarrollo de diversos mecanismos para detectar depredadores y adoptar estrategias antidepredatorias antes de un ataque, lo cual es fundamental para la supervivencia de una especie presa (Pembury & Ruxton 2020). Estas adaptaciones se han producido a nivel morfológico, fisiológico o comportamental para muchas especies de mamíferos esto incluye la sensibilidad a los olores derivados de los depredadores (Allen et al. 2017). Los olores por lo general provienen de la piel, el pelaje, la orina, las heces y las secreciones de algunas glándulas del depredador (Apfelbach et al. 2005). ...
... Con los avances tecnológicos, son pocos los estudios que comprenden la comunicación entre especies diferentes a través del olor (Allen et al. 2017). La distribución de los recursos sucede entre las comunidades de mamíferos donde comúnmente las especies subordinadas evitan a las dominantes tanto espacial como temporalmente (Apps et al. 2019). ...
... La distribución de los recursos sucede entre las comunidades de mamíferos donde comúnmente las especies subordinadas evitan a las dominantes tanto espacial como temporalmente (Apps et al. 2019). A pesar de que este medio de comunicación entre especies es poco conocido, se sabe que el Puma (Puma concolor; Felidae: Carnivora) utiliza el olor para comunicarse de forma diversa con sus congéneres (Allen et al. 2015), pero también se ha identificado que diversas especies de mesocarnívoros y algunos herbívoros utilizan su olor principalmente para camuflarse (Allen et al. 2017). ...
Article
Full-text available
Resumen El marcado con el olor es un aspecto integral de la comunicación para muchas especies, en esta nota registramos que Didelphis marsupialis y Dasyprocta punctata se frotan en los rascaderos de Puma concolor. En este registro fotográfico se evidencia que las dos especies de presas buscan captar el olor del Puma lo que podría brindarles ventajas de supervivencia al camuflar su olor, ante sus depredadores usando el mismo hábitat. Palabras clave: Carnívoro, presas, Sureste de México, Selva Maya, Puma, mamíferos, marcaje con olores. Abstract Scent marking through urine, glands, or the fur itself is an integral aspect of communication for many species, in this note we recorded through the use of camera traps within the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Mexico, that Didelphis marsupialis and Dasyprocta punctata are rubbed on Puma concolor scratchers to acquire the scent of the predator. This photographic record shows that the two prey species seek to capture the scent of the Puma, which could represent survival advantages by camouflaging its scent, which represents an advantage against possible predators that occupy the same habitat.
... Olfactory communication in terms of scent marks is often used by mammalian species operating in territories, such as many carnivores, to claim territory ownership (Kruuk 1972;Gosling 1982;Gorman and Mills 1984). While olfactory information is mainly directed to conspecifics, it is also used between individuals of different species (Apfelbach et al. 2005;Allen et al. 2017;Apps et al. 2019;Cornhill and Kerley 2020). The latter received increased attention with the increased use of camera traps over the last one or two decades. ...
... Interspecific communication can also occur by rubbing body parts at the marking sites of other species. Depending on the species, body rubbing is interpreted as leaving or receiving information (Allen et al. 2017). Non-prey species/dominant predator species might perform body rubbing to leave information (Cornhill and Kerley 2020;Verschueren et al. 2021), while prey species and competitively subordinate carnivore species might perform body rubbing to receive the odour of the predator/more dominant predator species (King et al. 2016). ...
... Marking sites of large carnivores being visited by a number of species within the wider mammalian wildlife community is an emerging topic that holds the potential of uncovering a complex network of communication between different mammalian species. A number of previous studies have recorded visits by mammals to the marking sites belonging to a variety of predatory species, including snow leopard (Li et al. 2013), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis; King et al. 2016), puma (Puma concolor; Allen et al. 2017), North American river otter (Lontra canadensis; Wagnon and Serfass 2016) and cheetah (Cornhill and Kerley 2020). Given the potential cascading influences of large carnivores on mammalian communities (Shurin et al. 2002), the community members may gain fitness benefits from accessing olfactory information produced by large carnivores. ...
Article
Full-text available
Many mammalian species communicate via olfactory communication placed at particular locations. The majority of these studies focused on intraspecific communication. More recently, studies have also investigated interspecific communication and recorded prey animals sniffing olfactory cues left by predators and predators investigating or counter-marking cues left by other predator species. The purpose of exchanging olfactory cues within a species community is little understood. Using a comparative study design, we investigated the behaviour of a mammalian community at cheetah marking trees and paired control trees using camera traps on Namibian farmland. We tested the predictions derived from hypotheses regarding the reasons for visits to the marking trees. Cheetah marking trees and control trees were visited 1101 times by 29 mammalian species (excluding cheetahs), with more species recorded at the marking trees than control trees. Two competitively subordinate carnivore species made more visiting and sniffing events, respectively, at cheetah marking trees than control trees, possibly to assess the time since cheetahs were in the area. Two opportunistic scavenger species sniffed more frequently at the marking trees than control trees, perhaps to feed on undigested prey remains in scats. One common prey species of cheetahs had fewer visiting events at the marking trees than control trees, likely to reduce encounters with cheetahs. Further, one species that is rarely preyed by cheetahs marked cheetah marking trees at the same frequency as control trees, suggesting it uses conspicuous sites rather for intraspecific than interspecific communication. Thus, trees used by cheetahs for marking also play an important role in olfactory communication for a variety of mammalian species.
... Therefore, the origin of mesopredator DNA cannot be fully attributed to over-marking alone. The role of over-marking and competition in interspecific interactions between intraguild species remains largely unknown (Allen et al., 2016). Mesopredator visits to apex predator scats may be seen as a trade-off between obtaining information on a potential food source (e.g., prey killed by lions) and the potential risk of predation by an apex predator (Wikenros et al., 2017). ...
Article
Full-text available
Knowledge of food web interactions is essential for understanding the role of carnivores in an ecosystem and designing appropriate conservation and management strategies to preserve them. These interactions can only be understood by studying carnivores' diets and obtaining comprehensive and unbiased diet data. For large carnivores—which typically rely on large herbivores as prey—the role of smaller prey species has not received attention. This study aims to quantify the contribution of small (5–50 kg) and very small (<5 kg) prey taxa in the diet of lions ( Panthera leo melanochaita ) in four Kenyan National Parks (NPs). We use DNA metabarcoding to achieve higher‐resolution insights into prey composition, which is less biased toward large prey species compared to traditional methods, such as carcass counts. Our study identified 24 prey taxa in a total of 171 lion fecal samples. Small and very small prey taxa together contributed 18.7% out of 278 prey occurrences in all fecal samples, with comparable small prey presence (ranging from 8% to 15%) in the diet for each NP studied. This approach proved to be useful in detecting small and very small prey species in the diet of lions and can therefore be used in future research to uncover the diverse diet composition of these large carnivores. The consistent presence of smaller prey species in the diet indicates that lions generally supplement their large prey diet with smaller prey.
... Coyotes were ubiquitous in our study area but shift areas of activity when larger intraguild predatory wolves (Canis lupus) are present (Ripple et al., 2013) which could provide increased niche space for gray fox. Red fox populations are known to benefit from the presence of wolves (Levi & Wilmers, 2012;Newsome & Ripple, 2015), and gray foxes will intentionally acquire scent from puma (Puma concolor) scrapes to deter coyotes (Allen et al., 2017). Large carnivore populations are recovering and expanding in North America and there are indications of possible human support for large carnivores in the region (Smith et al., 2014). ...
Article
Full-text available
Species coexistence is governed by availability of resources and intraguild interactions including strategies to reduce ecological overlap. Gray foxes are dietary generalist mesopredators expected to benefit from anthropogenic disturbance, but populations have declined across the midwestern USA, including severe local extirpation rates coinciding with high coyote and domestic dog occurrence and low red fox occurrence. We used data from a large-scale camera trap survey in southern Illinois, USA to quantify intraguild spatial and temporal interactions among the canid guild including domestic dogs. We used a two-species co-occurrence model to make pairwise assessments of conditional occupancy and detection rates. We also estimated temporal activity overlap among species and fit a fixed-effects hierarchical community occupancy model with the four canid species. We partitioned the posterior distributions to compare gray fox occupancy probabilities conditional on estimated state of combinations of other species to assess support for hypothesized interactions. We found no evidence of broadscale avoidance among native canids and conclude that spatial and temporal segregation were limited by ubiquitous human disturbance. Mean guild richness was two canid species at a site and gray fox occupancy was greater when any combination of sympatric canids was also present, setting the stage for competitive exclusion over time. Domestic dogs may amplify competitive interactions by increasing canid guild size to the detriment of gray foxes. Our results suggest that while human activities can benefit some mesopredators, other species such as gray foxes may serve as bellwethers for habitat degradation with trophic downgrading and continued anthropogenic homogenization.
... Is it possible that some of this inconsistency reflects adaptive variation in relation to predation risk? Several recent studies have highlighted surprising and unexpected behaviours that prey adopt to reduce their risk of being eaten 19,20 ; if rodents are found more generally to engineer their nests or their habitats to thwart their predators, it is the elegant work of Zhong et al. 7 that will have paved the way. ...
Article
Ecosystem engineers are typically seen as organisms whose activities modulate the availability of resources for other species. A new study shows that Brandt's vole engineers its local environment specifically to reduce its own risk of being killed by predatory birds.
... In fur seals for example, chemical fingerprints help to determine mother-offspring similarity and colony membership (Stoffel et al. 2015), and in many other taxa infochemicals shape preferences for particular mates or ensure recognition and avoidance of individuals from species that are otherwise ecologically similar (Caspers et al. 2009). Infochemicals also shape the outcomes of competitive, mutualistic, commensal, predatory, and parasitic interactions among species (e.g., Lewis et al. 2013;Allen et al. 2017;Chrétien et al. 2021;Scogings et al. 2021), and are being used increasingly in programs of conservation management (Norbury et al. 2021). ...
Article
Full-text available
An important but understudied modality for eavesdropping between predators and prey is olfaction, especially between non-mammalian vertebrate predators and their prey. Here we test three olfactory eavesdropping predictions involving an apex reptilian predator, the sand goanna Varanus gouldii, and several species of its small mammalian prey in arid central Australia: 1) small mammals will recognize and avoid the odour of V. gouldii; 2) V. gouldii will be attracted to the odour of small mammals, especially of species that maximize its energetic returns; and 3) small mammals will be less mobile and will show higher burrow fidelity where V. gouldii is absent compared with where it is present. As expected, we found that small mammals recognized and avoided faecal odour of this goanna, feeding less intensively at food patches where the odour of V. gouldii was present than at patches with no odour or a pungency control odour. Varanus gouldii also was attracted to the odour of small mammals in artificial burrows and dug more frequently at burrows containing the odour of species that were energetically profitable than at those of species likely to yield diminishing returns. Our third prediction received mixed support. Rates of movement of three species of small mammals were no different where V. gouldii was present or absent, but burrow fidelity in two of these species increased as expected where V. gouldii had been removed. We conclude that olfaction plays a key role in the dynamic interaction between V. gouldii and its mammalian prey, with the interactants using olfaction to balance their respective costs of foraging and reducing predation risk. We speculate that the risk of predation from this apex reptilian predator drives the highly unusual burrow-shifting behaviour that characterizes many of Australia's small desert mammals.
... While most of these cascades include grey wolves, which have a positive effect on grey foxes by suppressing coyotes (Levi & Wilmers, 2012;Newsome & Ripple, 2015), we did not have sufficient grey wolf detections to include in models. Pumas also often have either positive effects, by directly limiting coyotes at feeding sites and communication sites (Allen et al., 2017), or neutral effects (Davis et al., 2011) on grey foxes. Because our dataset was limited to 29 puma detections, our results do not preclude the possibility of cascades among carnivores (e.g. ...
Article
Full-text available
Aim Understanding the range‐wide distribution and abundance of species is critical for their conservation and management. Grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) are an understudied, low‐density mesocarnivore with a broad geographic range. However, the factors that underlie this broad distribution are poorly understood and large‐scale analyses of this species’ range and ecological niche are lacking. Location We modelled the probability and intensity of site use for grey foxes at two spatial scales using a coordinated survey of 1485 camera traps across the contiguous United States in 2019. Methods We used Bayesian occupancy modelling and post hoc species interaction comparisons to evaluate factors hypothesized to affect grey fox site use, including habitat, anthropogenic effects, and intraguild interactions. Results Our results showed that the presence of bobcats (Lynx rufus) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), as well as forest variables, had positive associations with grey fox site use. Surprisingly, we found no support for negative effects on grey fox space use from dominant competitors (coyotes, Canis latrans, or pumas, Puma concolor), and a complete lack of effects from urbanization metrics and gross primary productivity. We did, however, find a consistent negative association with red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), which is the most ecologically and morphologically similar competitor of grey foxes. Main conclusions Taken together, these results imply that grey fox distribution is not limited by dominant carnivores or anthropogenic pressure. Rather, this species seems to occupy a unique niche across its broad range by exploiting diverse forest habitats shared with less ecologically similar competitors (striped skunks and raccoons, Procyon lotor), while being somewhat limited by a competitor occupying a similar ecological niche (red foxes). Our study highlights the value of broad‐scale approaches for evaluating factors influencing the distribution and abundance of understudied species, as local dynamics might fail to manifest across geographic ranges.
Article
Full-text available
Olfactory communication is important for many solitary carnivores to delineate territories and communicate with potential mates and competitors. Pallas’s cats (Otocolobus manul) are small felids with little published research on their ecology and behaviour, including if they avoid or change behaviours due to dominant carnivores. We studied their olfactory communication and visitation at scent-marking sites using camera traps in two study areas in Mongolia. We documented four types of olfactory communication behaviours, and olfaction (sniffing) was the most frequent. Pallas’s cats used olfactory communication most frequently at sites that were not visited by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and when they used communal scent-marking sites, they were more likely to use olfactory communication when a longer time had elapsed since the last visit by a snow leopard. This suggests that Pallas’s cats may reduce advertising their presence in response to occurrence of snow leopards, possibly to limit predation risk.
Preprint
Full-text available
An important but understudied modality for eavesdropping between predators and prey is olfaction, especially between non-mammalian vertebrate predators and their prey. Here we test three olfactory eavesdropping predictions involving an apex reptilian predator, the sand goanna Varanus gouldii , and several species of its small mammalian prey in arid central Australia: 1) small mammals will recognise and avoid the odour of V. gouldii ; 2) V. gouldii will be attracted to the odour of small mammals, especially of species that maximise its energetic returns; and 3) small mammals will be less mobile and will show higher burrow fidelity where V. gouldii is absent compared with where it is present. As expected, we found that small mammals recognised and avoided faecal odour of this goanna, feeding less intensively at food patches where the odour of V. gouldii was present than at patches with no odour or a pungency control odour. Varanus gouldii also was attracted to the odour of small mammals in artificial burrows, and dug more frequently at burrows containing the odour of species that were energetically profitable than at those of species likely to yield diminished returns. Our third prediction received mixed support. Rates of movement of three species of small mammals were no different where V. gouldii was present or absent, but burrow fidelity in two of these species increased as expected where V. gouldii had been removed. We conclude that olfaction plays a key role in the dynamic interaction between V. gouldii and its mammalian prey, with the interactants using olfaction to balance their respective costs of foraging and reducing predation risk. We speculate that the risk of predation from this apex reptilian predator drives the highly unusual burrow-shifting behaviour that characterises many of Australia's small desert mammals.
Article
Full-text available
Successful communication is critical to the fitness of individuals and maintenance of populations, but less is known regarding the social contexts and reactions to scent marking by other individuals in solitary carnivores, including pumas. We evaluated the responses of resident male pumas to visitation and scent marking by potential competitors (other male pumas) and potential mates (female pumas) by capturing and marking 46 pumas (Puma concolor), and documenting scent marking behaviours using motion-triggered video cameras. By comparing resident male puma visitation rates and communication behaviours in response to either male or female visitors, we found that their visitation and communication behaviours were best explained by the combination of visitation by both competitors and potential mates. Resident males returned to scent marking sites more quickly and increased their rate of flehmen response after visitation by a females, while they increased their rate of visitation and duration of visits in response to other males. Male pumas also visited less frequently in summer and autumn when female visitation rates were lower, but males created nearly twice as many scrapes during these visits. This study suggests that advertising for mates when scent marking may sometimes overshadow the importance of deterring competitors and claiming territory.
Article
Full-text available
Mesopredators need to satisfy their energetic requirements while avoiding potentially lethal encounters with apex predators. Predators release odours into the environment through natural processes, and many antipredator adaptations are induced by the detection of these scents. We tested whether a mesopredator adjusted its behaviour when it encountered dominant predator odour in an outdoor arena. Eighteen wild-captured stoats (Mustela erminea) were exposed to the body odour of three predators: two previously encountered sympatric apex predators [cat (Felis catus) and ferret (Mustela furo)] and a novel apex predator (African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)). Foraging areas were created that varied in perceived risk, based on the presence or absence of predator odour. Detection of kairomones (chemical cues from predators) triggered cautious inspection and altered the mesopredator’s foraging activity. However, in contrast to our predictions, dominant predator odour was an attractant rather than a deterrent; food was consumed earlier in foraging areas with apex predator odour than in unscented controls. Sympatric predator odour elicited the most pronounced behavioural changes, with stoats cautiously approaching, but readily investigating, the odour source. Ferret odour stimulated the most marked changes. Mesopredators may benefit from exploitative eavesdropping as detection of predator odour primes antipredator behaviours, avoids the energetic cost of unnecessary flight and may also help a mesopredator to locate resources. This experiment highlights the role of odour in the assessment of risk and its capacity to alter foraging behaviour by a subordinate member of a predator guild. Significance statement A predator encounters a myriad of scents when foraging, which can then be used to make inferences about its environment. In an outdoor arena, we tested behavioural responses of stoats to the odour of three dominant predators. Upon detecting the scent of a co-evolved predator (cat or ferret), stoats increased their cautious behaviour, but contrary to our initial prediction, they were attracted to the odour; food was consumed earlier in foraging areas with co-evolved predator odour than in unscented areas, or areas with the scent of a novel predator (African wild dog). Mesopredators ‘eavesdropped’ on the olfactory communication system of larger predators to reduce an encounter risk while obtaining food resources. Our results have practical applications for wildlife management and also increase our understanding of the role of scent communication in predator assemblages.
Article
Full-text available
Mate selection influences individual fitness, is often based on complex cues and behaviours , and can be difficult to study in solitary species including carnivores. We used motion-triggered cameras at 29 community scrapes (i.e. scent marking locations used by multiple individuals) and home range data from 39 GPS-collared pumas (Puma concolor) to assess the relevance of communication behaviours for mate selection by female pumas in Califor-nia. Female pumas visited community scrapes irregularly and visitation bouts appeared to be correlated with oestrus. Female pumas on average selected from 1.7 collared males, and selection was based on multiple cues that varied among the different time periods measured (i.e. the female's visitation bout and in 90 days previous to the consorting event). Female mate selection over the course of a visitation bout was based on frequency of the male visitation, mass, and age. In the 90 days previous to consorting, the number of scrapes a male created was the most important contributor to selection, which was likely related to his residency status. We also found that at least 14% of females mated with multiple males, thus possibly confusing paternity. Our findings provide a mechanistic understanding of how female pumas use scent and auditory communication at community scrapes to select dominant resident males to mate with.
Article
Full-text available
Human-driven declines of apex predators can trigger widespread impacts throughout ecological communities. Reduced apex predator occupancy or activity can release mesopredators from intraguild competition, with unknown repercussions on the ecological community. As exurban development continues to expand worldwide, it is important to document how mesopredators are impacted by the combined influences of apex predators and humans. We used motion-detecting camera traps to examine spatial and temporal patterns of meso-and apex predator occupancy and activity in a fragmented landscape in California. We hypothesized that both spatial and temporal partitioning among the carnivore guild would be affected by varied levels of human influence. We found that higher residential development reduced puma occupancy but was not related to the occupancy of mesopredators. Bobcats, grey foxes, and Virginia opossums were detected more often at sites occupied by pumas, whereas coyotes and raccoons were detected less often. The detection probabilities of smaller mesopredators were related to coyotes, a dominant mesopredator, but the magnitude and direction of these correlations differed depending upon puma occupancy. We also found that species altered their activities temporally in locations with higher human use, with pumas, bobcats and coyotes reducing diurnal activities and increasing nocturnal ones. These activity shifts were reflected in reduced temporal partitioning between intraguild competitors, with unknown effects on species interactions and repercussions to the prey community. Our results suggest that human development and activity alters predator community structure through both direct and indirect pathways. Therefore effective carnivore conservation requires an understanding of how mesopredators respond to varying levels of apex predator and anthropogenic influences.
Article
Full-text available
Pumas (Puma concolor) and black bears (Ursus americanus) are large carnivores that may influence scavenger population dynamics. We used motion-triggered video cameras deployed at deer carcasses to determine how pumas and black bears affected three aspects of carrion acquisition by scavengers: presence, total feeding time, and mean feeding bout duration. We found that pumas were unable to limit acquisition of carrion by large carnivores but did limit aspects of carrion acquisition by both birds and mesocarnivores. Through their suppression of mesocarnivores and birds, pumas apparently initiated a cascading pattern and increased carrion acquisition by small carnivores. In contrast, black bears monopolized carrion resources and generally had larger limiting effects on carrion acquisition by all scavengers. Black bears also limited puma feeding behaviors at puma kills, which may require pumas to compensate for energetic losses through increasing their kill rates of ungulates. Our results suggest that pumas provide carrion and selectively influence species acquiring carrion, while black bears limit carrion availability to all other scavengers. These results suggest that the effects of large carnivores on scavengers depend on attributes of both carnivores and scavengers (including size) and that competition for car- casses may result in intraguild predation as well as mesocarnivore release.