粉红椋鸟聚群觅食行为

粉红椋鸟是社群型动物,在迁徙、繁殖和觅食中都聚集成群。聚群觅食是依靠从隐蔽处惊吓出猎物而采用一种捕食方式,是对其主要食物蝗虫普遍具有保护色的适应。     

根田鼠幼体食物选择的社群学习

社群学习为动物的一种可塑性表型行为,能使动物获得适应于栖息地的行为模式.本文在实验室条件下,通过自助餐式食物选择实验,测定栖息于青藏高原高寒草甸生态系统的根田鼠断乳幼体间食物选择的社群学习模式.结果表明,同伴对其学习个体的食物选择具有显著的作用(P<0.001).学习个体对同伴已觅食食物的摄入量占其总摄入量的71%以上.在多同伴及单同伴与学习个体相互作用4 h后,同伴对学习个体的食物选择的学习具有显著的作用(P<0.01),而在24 h后,同伴对学习个体食物选择的作用则消失.多同伴与单同伴对学习个体的食物选择作用的差异不显著(P>0.05).熟悉同伴对学习个体的食物选择具有显著的效应(P<0.01),而陌生同伴对学习个体的食物选择则无显著作用(P >0.05).     

植食性哺乳动物食物选择的生态学意义及行为机制

综述了植食性哺乳动物食物选择行为机制的研究进展。植食性动物的食物选择是觅食生态学研究最为活跃的领域,动物食物选择对策主要有营养选择、植物次生化合物假设、营养平衡假设、最优觅食理论和条件性气味回避假设。动物学习食物选择的行为过程中,觅食个体能通过其认知过程和感知过程来处理食物信息、学习选择食物项目是一种可塑性行为方式,有利于动物获得适应栖息地的行为模式。幼体通过社会学习自母体学习的觅食经验,在幼体一生的食物选择中均具有重要的作用。在环境条件相对稳定条件下,幼体可模仿成体的食物选择模式;在环境剧烈变化的条件下,动物通过试错学习选择的食物项目可能较模仿成体所摄取的食物项目营养含量更丰富。     

东方田鼠社群气味对家族群成员个体觅食行为的影响

东方田鼠家族群成员个体的觅食行为是否因食物斑块存有家族群自身及非亲缘家族群气味而发生变异,进而影响其摄入率。在新鲜马唐叶片构建的均质密集食物斑块上,分别配置家族群自身巢垫物及非亲缘家族群巢垫物作为社群气味,测定东方田鼠家族群在食物斑块觅食时,其成员个体觅食行为的序列过程及参数,检验家族群自身气味及非亲缘家族群气味对成员个体觅食行为的影响。结果表明,家族群自身气味能显著地缩短本群成员个体的觅食决定时间,通过减少成员个体的嗅闻及直立扫视动作时间比例、增大一般扫视、盯视及静听动作时间比例,降低觅食中断时间比例,提高其摄入率;而非亲缘家族群气味则能显著地延长家族群成员个体的觅食决定时间,通过增大家族群成员个体的嗅闻和一般扫视动作时间比例、减小直立扫视、盯视及静听动作时间比例,增大觅食中断时间比例,降低其摄入率。结果揭示,熟悉的社群气味会促使觅食活动中的家族群成员个体,在监测环境风险时,将精力更多地用于观察和监听群内其他成员个体的行为及其发出的警报信息,以便在有效规避环境风险的同时减缓个体间因干扰性竞争对觅食活动所造成的不利影响;而陌生的社群气味会迫使成员个体,将精力由依赖群内其他成员个体的行为转向凭借自身直接警觉周围环境。     

植物化学防卫与植食性哺乳动物的适应对策

植物化学防卫与植食性哺乳动物的适应是动物—植物系统协同进化研究的重要内容。植物次生化合物可降低动物的食物摄入量及消化率、蛋白质可利用率。某些次生化合物还影响植食性哺乳动物的正常繁殖活动。单宁是动物的重要觅食阻遏剂之一。动物在学习食物选择的过程中 ,通过认知过程和感知过程处理食物信息 ,选择食物项目。幼体在胚胎期和哺乳期能从母体获得食物信息 ,或向有觅食经验的同胞伙伴学习处理食物的经验。动物亦可通过形成络和物 ,改变体内环境 ,通过微生物降解、氧化还原、基础代谢率等降低生理对策 ,以降低植物次生化和物的影响。     

东方田鼠家族群对成员个体觅食行为的影响

植食性哺乳动物在分享社群觅食带来好处的同时,是否因个体间的相互干扰而影响其摄入率。在新鲜马唐叶片构建的均质密集食物斑块上,测定东方田鼠家族群成员个体在食物斑块上的觅食行为序列过程及行为参数,检验家族群存在对成员个体觅食行为的影响。结果发现,东方田鼠家族群雌、雄成员个体的觅食行为参数均无显著差异。然而,与单只个体相比,家族群觅食尽管能显著地缩短成员个体的觅食决定时间,但却显著地降低了成员个体的摄入率。分析觅食行为参数觅食中断时间发现,相较于单只个体,家族群成员个体间因相互干扰而引起的觅食中断时间的增加,不但增大了收获每口食物的时间,而且导致其摄入率下降。检测家族群成员个体各警觉行为动作参数,发现,成员个体间的相互干扰能引致个体的一般扫视、盯视及嗅闻动作时间比例显著增大,尽管直立扫视和静听动作时间比例减少显著,但并未使个体的觅食中断时间减小。结果充分说明,东方田鼠家族群成员个体间的相互干扰能使个体觅食行为参数发生变异,导致觅食中断时间增加,摄入率降低。     

非人灵长类觅食行为生态学研究进展

觅食行为生态学是动物生态学研究的主要内容之一.从食物选择研究方法、食物选择策略机制、觅食行为的影响因素等方面综述非人灵长类动物觅食行为生态学研究进展.食物选择策略和活动时间分配是觅食行为生态学研究的主要内容.非人灵长类动物觅食行为生态学的研究对动物保护、人工驯养和繁殖具有重要意义.     

视野受阻对东方田鼠觅食行为的影响

植食性小型哺乳动物的觅食行为是对特定生境的适应性产物。食物斑块周边植被对动物视野遮挡是否通过作用于其觅食活动中的警觉而影响摄入率。采用新鲜白三叶叶片构建东方田鼠密集均质食物斑块,以牛皮纸模拟食物斑块周边植被遮挡田鼠视野,测定其在食物斑块上的觅食行为序列过程及行为参数,检验食物斑块周边植被高度对东方田鼠摄入率的影响。结果发现,个体在不同程度视野受阻条件下食物摄入率无显著差异。分析觅食行为参数动态发现,在不同视野受阻条件下,个体能通过调整各采食回合内警觉行为动作的发生频次和持续时间,维持觅食回合内总的觅食中断时间的稳定,进而保证进食时间的稳定。东方田鼠在不同程度的视野遮挡条件下均能通过行为变异和优化使摄入率保持稳定。结果亦充分说明,东方田鼠在警觉强度上的变化不能反映觅食中断所带来的食物收益减损的代价,但觅食活动中各警觉动作的持续时间的变异却能够明确指示个体摄入率的动态变化,因此,以觅食活动中警觉引起的觅食中断时间代价为线索,检验其对摄入率的影响,是评价植食性小型哺乳动物在不同生境觅食适应性策略的有效的方法。     

植食性哺乳动物觅食的功能反应及其模型

章主要介绍植食性哺乳动物觅食功能反应与模型的研究进展。植食性哺乳动物觅食的摄入率与其食物可利用性的功能反应是动物觅食生态学过程的基础。可利用植物的生物量密度、植物密度、植物大小、以及动物觅食的口量是影响动物觅食功能反应的潜在变量集。这些变量的差异导致动物功能反应格局的复杂化。生物量密度和植物密度对动物摄入率无明显影响,而植物大小对动物摄入率则有显影响。有食物密集的斑块条件下,以植物大小代替动物     

饥饿和食物单宁酸对东方田鼠(Microtus fortis)食物摄入量和觅食行为的影响

实验室条件下,测定饥饿和食物单宁酸对东方田鼠食物摄入量和觅食行为的影响。结果表明,饥饿使实验个体的食物总摄入量增加,食物摄入率及口量大小随饥饿强度的增大而增加,而觅食频次则无显著改变,实验个体每取食回合的觅食时间呈缓慢增加的趋势,与对照组比较,觅食时间差异不显著。东方田鼠优先选择0％单宁酸食物,次为3%单宁酸食物,而对6%单宁酸食物的摄入量最少。在饥饿条件下,东方田鼠食物摄入率的增加主要源于其口量大小,觅食频次和觅摄食时间对食物摄入量增加的贡献不显著。在饥饿条件下,植食性小哺乳动物并未通过延长觅食时间,降低用于防卫、繁殖活动时间来增加食物摄入量,而是通过增加口量大小,提高其食物摄入率来满足其营养需要。验证了饥饿与植物次生化合物共同作用引起田鼠类动物生理的改变,能影响其食物摄入量及觅食行为的假设。     

Social interaction with non-averse group-mates modifies a learned food aversion in single- and mixed-species groups of tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis and S. labiatus)

For social species, being a member of a cohesive group and performing activities as a coordinated unit appear to provide a mechanism for the efficient transmission of information about food. Social learning about food palatability was investigated in two captive primates, Saguinus fuscicollis and S. labiatus, which form stable and cohesive mixed-species groups in the wild. We explored whether an induced food aversion toward a preferred food is modified during and after social interaction with non-averse conspecifics or congeners. Sets of intra- and interspecific pairs were presented with two foods, one of which was considered distasteful by one of the pairs (the other was palatable), and their behavior was compared pre-interaction, during interaction, and post-interaction. For the aversely-conditioned individuals of both species, the change in social context corresponded to a change in their preference for the food that they considered unpalatable, regardless of whether they had interacted with a conspecific or congeneric pair, and the change in food preference was maintained post-interaction. In a control condition, in which averse individuals did not have the opportunity to interact with non-averse animals, S. fuscicollis sampled the preferred food, but not as quickly as when given the opportunity to interact. We conclude that the social learning demonstrated here may allow individual tamarins to track environmental change, such as fruit ripening, more efficiently than asocial learning alone, because social learners can more quickly and safely focus on appropriate behavior by sharing up-to-date foraging information. Furthermore, since the behavior of congeners, as well as conspecifics, acts to influence food choice in a more adaptive direction, social learning about food palatability may be an advantage of mixed-species group formation to tamarins of both species.     

实验检验东方田鼠学习能力的性别差异

东方田鼠选择从禾本科植物叶片的不同部位采食会引起食物摄入率的巨大差异,这项具有明显的认知和学习行为的觅食活动是否存在性别差异。在由带两片叶的新鲜马唐茎秆配置的密集食物斑块上,测定东方田鼠觅食马唐叶片的行为序列、过程及参数,检验其在学习能力上的性别差异。结果表明,雌鼠和雄鼠的觅食决定时间尽管均随觅食学习天数的增加而减小,但雌鼠的觅食决定时间显著地高于雄鼠的;雌鼠和雄鼠均由从对叶片部位无差别选择和采食转向偏爱从叶片基部采食。学会这项采食技能后,雌鼠从叶片基部采食的选择指数显著地高于雄鼠的;二者的摄入率均随觅食学习天数的增加极显著地增大,但雌鼠的摄入率却极显著地高于雄鼠的。研究结果充分验证了提出的假设:雄鼠较雌鼠能更快地习得从禾本科植物叶片的基部采食和收获食物;但当二者习得这项采食技艺后,雌鼠较雄鼠能获得更高的食物摄入率;同时也说明,新建立的评价小型植食性哺乳动物认知和学习能力的实验方法,具有可靠的有效性和实用性。     

The Payoffs to Producing and Scrounging: What Happens when Patches are Divisible?

Although many group-foraging models assume that all individuals search for and share their food equally, most documented instances of group foraging exhibit specialized use of producer and scrounger strategies. In addition, many of the studies have focused on groups with strong individual asymmetries exploiting food that is not easily divisible. In the present study we describe individual foraging behavior of relatively nonaggressive flock foragers exploiting divisible clumps of food. Two experiments, one with flocks of spice finches and another with flocks of zebra finches, suggest that divisibility of food patches may have important consequences for social foraging behavior. Neither dominance nor the distribution and quality of food patches affect the relative advantage that producing individuals enjoy over those that scrounge. Specialized producers and scroungers are absent from flocks of both species. Systems where patches are shared may differ fundamentally from those where patches are monopolized by scroungers.     

Predation Risk Perception,Food Density and Conspecific Cues Shape Foraging Decisions in a Tropical Lizard

When foraging, animals can maximize their fitness if they are able to tailor their foraging decisions to current environmental conditions. When making foraging decisions, individuals need to assess the benefits of foraging while accounting for the potential risks of being captured by a predator. However, whether and how different factors interact to shape these decisions is not yet well understood, especially in individual foragers. Here we present a standardized set of manipulative field experiments in the form of foraging assays in the tropical lizard Anolis cristatellus in Puerto Rico. We presented male lizards with foraging opportunities to test how the presence of conspecifics, predation-risk perception, the abundance of food, and interactions among these factors determines the outcome of foraging decisions. In Experiment 1, anoles foraged faster when food was scarce and other conspecifics were present near the feeding tray, while they took longer to feed when food was abundant and when no conspecifics were present. These results suggest that foraging decisions in anoles are the result of a complex process in which individuals assess predation risk by using information from conspecific individuals while taking into account food abundance. In Experiment 2, a simulated increase in predation risk (i.e., distance to the feeding tray) confirmed the relevance of risk perception by showing that the use of available perches is strongly correlated with the latency to feed. We found Puerto Rican crested anoles integrate instantaneous ecological information about food abundance, conspecific activity and predation risk, and adjust their foraging behavior accordingly.     

Variation in foraging behavior facilitates resource partitioning in a polymorphic cichlid, Herichthys minckleyi

We examined foraging behavior (microhabitat use and feeding behavior) in a trophically polymorphic cichlid fish, Herichthys minckleyi, to address several questions regarding resource partitioning in this threatened species. These include: (1) do morphotypes demonstrate different foraging behaviors? (2) do individuals within a morphotype vary in their foraging behavior (e.g. are some individuals specialists, only using a subset of available resources, while other are generalists)? (3) do foraging behaviors vary between isolated pools? (4) do foraging behaviors vary across seasons? We quantified microhabitat use and feeding behavior for over 100 individuals (of two morphotypes) feeding freely in two isolated pools (populations) and across two seasons (winter and summer). We found differences in foraging behavior between morphotypes and individual specializations within morphotypes; i.e. some individuals specialize on certain food resources by using a few feeding behaviors within a subset of microhabitats, whereas others employ a range feeding behaviors across many microhabitats. Foraging behavior also varied between pools and across seasons. This spatial and temporal variation in foraging behavior and resource use may serve to maintain this polymorphism, as the relative fitness of the each morph may vary over space and time.     

Adaptation to Forest Life During the Reintroduction Process of Immature <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pongo abelii</Emphasis>

Reintroduction of Sumatran orangutans can be an important tool to conserve the species in the face of the current decline of wild populations. Monitoring ex-captive orangutans during the reintroduction process provides insight into their adaptation to forest life and is important for evaluating the success of such programs. We investigated activity patterns, food choice, height use, and nest-building abilities of 8 immature orangutans at a reintroduction station in Sumatra. All focal individuals spent most of their time in the forest feeding, but at a lower proportion than wild conspecifics. Among the focal individuals, the behavior of orangutans that avoided human contact differed in several aspects from those that were human bonded. Their diet was composed mainly of fruits, similar to the food choice of wild orangutans, and their ground-avoidance and superior nest-building abilities indicated more effective predation-avoidance behavior vs. that of human-bonded animals. Finally, these immatures showed regular social contact with more experienced conspecifics, which ultimately may facilitate the social learning of local feral expertise. Human-bonded individuals, in contrast, preferentially stayed on the ground and at low heights and rarely built nests, thereby increasing predation risk. Their choice of leaves over fruits as foods indicated a less effective foraging strategy. Nevertheless, this group exhibited individual learning trends toward an adult-like foraging pattern and height use. We conclude that social interactions with conspecifics and humans, especially during an early developmental period, can affect adaptation to forest life and probably also influence the success of orangutan reintroduction processes.