Foraging in the subterranean social Damaraland mole-rat, Cryptomys damarensis:: an investigation into size-dependent geophyte utilization and foraging patterns

被引:6
作者
Barnett, M
Bennett, NC [1 ]
Telford, SR
Jarvis, JUM
机构
[1] Univ Pretoria, Mammal Res Inst, Dept Zool & Entomol, ZA-0002 Pretoria, South Africa
[2] Univ Cape Town, Dept Zool, ZA-7700 Rondebosch, South Africa
关键词
D O I
10.1139/Z03-051
中图分类号
Q95 [动物学];
学科分类号
071002 ;
摘要
The foraging behaviour of captive colonies of the Damaraland mole-rat, Cryptomys damarensis, was investigated in an artificial soil-filled burrow system provided with three tray patches that varied in bulb and corm (i.e., geophyte) density and size. Members of two founder colonies (comprising three and four mole-rats) were exposed to resource patches that varied in food profitability (both size and density of geophytes). There was no preference for excavating any of the patches with different densities or sizes of geophytes. The larger geophytes were preferentially stored and the smaller ones preferentially eaten both on encounter and within the food store. The duration of handling and rate of consumption of geophytes by 15 animals of various body sizes from three colonies were recorded. Handling time was related to the size of the geophytes. Small geophytes were less profitable to consume. It was concluded that the mole-rats generally followed the qualitative predictions of optimal foraging theory but fell short of being energy maximizers.
引用
收藏
页码:743 / 752
页数:10
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