Occurrence of Conspecific in the Neighboring Space Influence on Flight Initiation Distance in Cape Hare <i>Lepus capensis</i>under Human Stimuli

Optimal escape theory predicts that animals would balance the costs and benefits of flight. One cost of not fleeing is the ongoing cost of vigilance for upcoming environmental threats. Our results show that FID increases for vigilant hares with predator starting distance, due to the costs acquired by continuing to scan for ecological dangers. The presence of conspecifics within proximity distance for social hare was reduced FID due to collective vigilance, while a solitary animal had greater FID, due to less cooperative defense for predator detection. In both seasons, detection and flight initiation distance of the focal hare increased in open habitat due to a higher probability of detection for upcoming danger, while dense cover provided concealment but reduced the probability of detecting an incoming threat, reducing FID. Moreover, proximity to roads and the nearest refuge significantly influenced anti-predator risk by compensation energy to cope with approaching stimuli. In a landscape with heavy human hunting in retaliation to plantations damage has modified the natural behavior of the hare in the Shigar valley. The findings are discussed in the context of hare FID by humans and the suggestions for management and mitigation of human-wildlife conflict are also considered.

Flight Behavioural Responses for African Ungulates across Species and Vegetation Covers in a Trophy Hunting Ecosystem: A Case Study from Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Trophy hunting has severe consequences on wild animals’ behaviors, which in return has implications for affecting wildlife populations. The Selous Game Reserve is a protected area in Tanzania that has been subjected to commercial trophy hunting for decades, and information about the effects of trophy hunting on animals’ welfare is still scarce. The Flight Initiating Distance (FID) can be a good measure to evaluate the welfare of animals and the level of risk perception towards anthropogenic disturbances, including trophy hunting. The study used linear mixed models to assess the flight responses of twelve commonly hunted species in the Selous game reserve (S.G.R.). The study compared animal vigilance between species, vegetation types, and group size. The FID varied between species, with which more vigilance was observed in zebras, elands, wildebeests, and sable antelopes. The study found a significant influence of vegetation cover on individual species’ FID. Further, the study found a significant influence of group size on animals’ vigilance (L. M. M., 95% CI = 0.590 - 4.762), in which there was a decrease in FID with an increase in group size for wildebeests. At the same time, other species, such as buffaloes, eland, hartebeests, and zebras, had their FIDs increasing with the increase in group size. We conclude that the impact of trophy hunting on savannah ungulates varies between species, vegetation covers, and group size of individual species. Regulatory authorities should consider minimum approach distances by trophy hunters in different vegetation cover to reduce animal biological disturbances.

The Crested Ibises expanding to plain areas exhibit a higher tolerance of human proximity

Animals must strike a balance between anti-predation behavior and other essential behaviors,such as foraging.Within the same species,strategies may vary on individuals’risk-taking preferences,and in this process the environment is a determinant,in addition to predator regime.The Crested Ibis(Nipponia nippon)exhibits such tendency.This is an endangered species,once inhabiting exclusively in China’s Qinling Mountain.This used to be the sole remaining wild population.However,over recent decades,this population has expanded.A portion has relocated to breed in the lower plain area,which is characterized by elevated level of human activities and landscape complexity.We used flight initiation distance(FID)as an indicator of the ibises’risk-taking preference,particularly their response to human proximity.Additionally,we examined the environmental factors influencing their foraging site selection,including altitude,terrain openness,human activity intensity and human construction.Our findings revealed a significantly shorter FID among individuals relocating to plain habitats,indicating a higher tolerance of human proximity.The results showed that FID decreased with distance to the nearest human settlement.Another finding is that FID was independent of instant human activity intensity and environmental factors(altitude and terrain openness).These different may arise from various combinations of human activity,predation risk,and food abundance within the two habitats.These results provide insights into the in situ conservation of the threatened species within the context of global urbanization.

When Fleeing Matters:Differences in Escape Behaviours of Three Northeast Asian Anurans

Prey species may have their own optimal escape strategy to balance predation risks and the energetic cost of fleeing.Some species have an advantage when maintaining a short fleeing distance,while others may favour an earlier escape based on microhabitat,size,or body condition.Here,we examined the escape behaviour of the three syntopic Northeast Asian anuran species:Mongolian toads(Strauchbufo raddei),Amur brown frogs(Rana amurensis),and Japanese treefrogs(Dryophytes japonicus)in Mongolia,Russia,China and DPR Korea.We examined flight initiation distance(FID;the distance from a potential predator to the point when the individual starts to flee)and distance fled(DF;distance between flight initiation and flight termination points)of each species and the effects of microhabitat,sex,and body size.Strauchbufo raddei and R.amurensis had a longer FID than D.japonicus,and S.raddei also had a longer DF than D.japonicus.These trends remained similar when dividing FID and DF by a size proxy(snout-vent length)for all individuals.This suggests that the treefrog D.japonicus used a strategy to stay immobile even when they were detected,and the toad S.raddei reacted quicker and more sensitively to predators despite the presence of toxin.Female S.raddei had a significantly longer FID than males suggesting that females are more sensitive to predation risk in this species,but body size was not significant for any of the three species.Our results indicate that the three sympatric species have different escaping strategies,likely related to differences in physiology and crypticity.

Impact of tourism on the vigilance behavior of the Cyprus rock agama(Laudakia cypriaca)

Escape behavior is a common antipredator strategy among wild animals.Here,we investigated the effect of four factors on the vigilance behavior of the endemic Cyprus rock agama(Laudakia cypriaca).Flight initiation distance(FID,the minimum distance to which an observer can approach a lizard before it flees)was measured in relation to the type of location(tourist vs.nontourist area),the observer’s starting distance,air temperature,and substrate temperature.We collected data for 39 agamas in tourist areas and 34 of these lizards in nontourist areas.As a whole,the mean starting distance was 10.5 m and the FID was 3.6 m.The average substrate temperature was 34.0℃ and the average air temperature 29.6℃.Only the type of area affected the agamas’escape decisions with FID being 1.8 m shorter in tourist areas than in nontourist areas(2.7 m vs.4.5 m).This is probably due to the habituation of lizards to the presence of humans in the former areas.This study shows that tourism strongly affects the behavior of lizards,which may have consequences for the functioning of the population.Tourists can increase the safety of lizards by creating a human shield to deter predators.Once the tourist season is over,lizards may become more vulnerable to predators.

A test of the species confidence hypothesis in dusky damselfish

Visual cues are important in both interspecific and intraspecific communication.The species confidence hypothesis proposes that animals are more attracted to conspecific colors and repelled by colors,not on their bodies.Studies on terrestrial lizards and birds have tested the species confidence hypothesis and shown that conspecific colors elicit reduced antipredator behavior.To date,the species confidence hypothesis has not been tested in the marine environment,specifically on coral reefs where color communication is of vital importance.We addressed this knowledge gap by measuring flight initiation distance(the distance an individual moves away from an approaching threat)in dusky damselfish(Stegastes nigricans)in response to an approaching disc of 1 of 4 different color treatments:conspecific,blue,yellow,and black.If the species confidence hypothesis explained variation in damselfish flight initiation distance,then we expected individuals to tolerate closer approaches when approached by a conspecific color.In addition,we calculated the color difference between each stimulus and its corresponding back-ground as a potential alternative explanation for flight responses.Damselfish tolerated the closest approach from the conspecific color stimulus;there were no significant differences between other colors and there was no support for the alternative color difference hypothesis.As with similar terrestrial studies,these results are relevant to ecotourists'choice of swimsuit and wetsuit colors because color choice may modify naturalantipredatorbehavior.

Plateau pikas near roads are bold and silent when facing a potential predator

Human disturbance,particularly road traffic,is one of the greatest threats to wildlife.Considering the association between alerting behavior and the survival of animals,it is important to study the effects of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife.Previous studies assessing the shortterm impact of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife have focused on vigilance distances.However,studies on the use of alarm calls are scarce,and it is unclear whether such behavioral responses change after repeated exposure to road traffic.We assessed the alerting behavior of plateau pikas(Ochotona curzoniae)who were near or far from roads when facing a potential predator.We found that pikas near roads exhibited shorter vigilance and tolerance distances,and produced fewer alarm calls than those relatively far away from roads.Furthermore,both vigilance and tolerance distances of plateau pikas were significantly positively correlated with the distance from the burrow to the road.Road traffic reduced antipredator responses and shaped alerting behavior;that is,pikas near roads were bolder and more silent compared to those far away from roads.Our findings suggest that increasing urbanization will have corresponding effects on animal behavior,which may have significant fitness effects in the future.

Risk-taking behavior of bull-headed shrikes that recently colonized islands

Individuals which have invaded urbanized environments are reported to engage in riskier behav-iors,possibly influenced by the scarcity of predators in urbanized areas.Here,we studied the risk-taking behavior of birds which had invaded a new natural environment,rather than an artificial urban environment,using recently established populations of the bull-headed shrike Lanius bu-cephalus,which naturally colonized three subtropical islands in Japan.We compared flight initi-ation distance(FID),the distance at which an individual approached by a human initiates flight,be-tween the islands and the temperate mainland.FID was longer for the insular shrikes compared with the mainland shrikes after controlling for other factors,indicating that the individuals which had invaded a new natural environment had a lower propensity for risk-taking.A possible explan-ation for these results is that low risk-taking behavior might be adaptive on the islands due to predation by the black rat Rattus rattus,an unfamiliar predator not found in shrike habitats on the temperate mainland.Further studies are needed to examine the nest predation rate,predator species,and nest site selection of these insular shrike populations.