SCATTER HOARDING BY KANGAROO RATS (DIPODOMYS-MERRIAMI) AND PILFERAGE FROM THEIR CACHES

被引:108
作者
DALY, M
JACOBS, LF
WILSON, MI
BEHRENDS, PR
机构
[1] Department of Psychology, McMaster University, Ontario L8S 4K1, Hamilton
基金
加拿大自然科学与工程研究理事会; 美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
D O I
10.1093/beheco/3.2.102
中图分类号
B84 [心理学]; C [社会科学总论]; Q98 [人类学];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 030303 ; 04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
We observed radio-implanted Merriam's kangaroo rats disposing of 10-g bonanzas of rolled oats in 48 trials in the field. The principal determinant of the initial disposition of discovered food was apparently its distance from the day burrow: food found within about 10 m was mainly larder hoarded, whereas food encountered farther afield was usually dispersed immediately in shallow caches. Cache sites were newly dug for the purpose and not reused; most caches were nearer the current day burrow than was the food source, but a few were placed far from both the cacher's day burrow and its habitual nocturnal range. An experiment with artificial caches indicated that security from discovery increases with spacing and with proximity to perennial shrubs. Nine kangaroo rats cached dyed food, and fecal dye traces revealed extensive pilferage from five of them, by both conspecifics and other rodent species. Limited evidence indicates that food encountered nearer home and initially larder hoarded was more secure from pilferage than food initially scattered, and yet kangaroo rats were observed to scatter caches soon after initial larder hoarding. A kangaroo rat whose dyed stores escaped pilferage fed from them at intervals for at least 12 days. Even cachers who incurred pilferage made as much, or more, use of their caches as any thief, suggesting that scattering caches may be a defense against catastrophic losses.
引用
收藏
页码:102 / 111
页数:10
相关论文
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