食鱼蝙蝠形态和行为特化研究

总结了食鱼蝙蝠种类、分布 ,及其形态结构、回声定位功能和捕食行为的研究成果。比较食鱼蝙蝠与近水面“拖网式”食虫蝙蝠在形态、回声定位信号及捕食行为方面的异、同 ,推测食鱼蝙蝠起源于“拖网式”食虫蝙蝠类 ;体形和回声定位信号的几种特异性是捕食行为进化压力 ,而环境是决定因素。     

马铁菊头蝠不同行为下的回声定位叫声

蝙蝠回声定位的研究自50年代以来在世界范围内经久不衰,从行为生态学及神经生物学两方面研究回声定位又是该领域最近十几年的热点.其中从行为生态学角度主要研究蝙蝠回声定位对其所处生境及捕食行为的适应性;神经生物学则研究蝙蝠通过回声定位而"观察"周围世界的神经生理学基础.相比之下我国对蝙蝠的回声定位行为研究较少,孙心德等对鲁氏菊头蝠(Rhinolophus rouxi)进行过回避障碍物及听觉神经机理的研究,而对于蝙蝠回声定位超声波信号的研究则基本是空白.     

食虫蝙蝠与昆虫之间的相互作用和协同进化关系

食虫蝙蝠与昆虫之间是捕食和被捕食的关系,夜行性昆虫是食虫蝙蝠主要的食物来源。在漫长的协同进化中,蝙蝠施加的捕食压力导致夜行性昆虫一系列特征的进化,其中一部分昆虫进化出能听到蝙蝠的超声波信号并采取逃跑行为或者能通过其它方式躲避蝙蝠,同时昆虫的适应性特征同样影响着蝙蝠的回声定位和捕食策略。本文从蝙蝠捕食昆虫的种类、昆虫对蝙蝠捕食的反应和食虫性蝙蝠对昆虫防卫的适应对策等三个方面对食虫蝙蝠与昆虫之间的相互关系进行了概述。     

新基因揭秘回声定位进化机制

人们知道．食虫性蝙蝠在夜空中准确捕食．依靠的是敏锐的听觉。它与生俱来的回声定位功能,可以通过收发高频声判断位置,从而让猎物无处藏身。那么,究竟是体内的什么物质．才让食虫性蝙蝠具备了如此神奇的听觉呢？     

南蝠回声定位叫声的分析

蝙蝠科是翼手目中种类最繁多、分布最广泛、进化最成功的科之一 ,全球共有 42属 35 5种(Ｎｏｗａｋ ,1991)。该类群的大多数物种都以超声波回声定位来进行捕食 ,其回声定位行为的多样性以及捕食策略的多样性 ,一直都是动物生态学中的研究热点。南蝠 (Ｉａｉｏ)属蝙蝠科南蝠属 ,为单型种 ,主要分布于我国 (罗蓉等 ,1993)。它是蝙蝠科中体形最大者 ,以前对其生态学方面的研究非常少 ,而对其回声定位的研究则未见报道。南蝠捕食时的叫声与飞行及悬挂状态下的叫声的基本特征一致 (声谱图及谐波等 ) ,仅在叫声次数上有一定差异。因此本文将录制南…     

菊头蝠耳廓方位对障碍回避能力的影响

实验在24只鲁氏菊头蝠(Rhinolophus rouxi)中进行。使用障碍回避测定法,观察了蝙蝠耳廓方位对其回避障碍能力的影响。发现动物耳廓呈自然状态时,回避障碍成功率最高,平均为86.64±8.29%。当将一侧耳廓向头部后方翻转后,其障碍回避的成功率降为71.37±6.59%,平均下降了15.27%。差异非常显著。当将双侧耳廓同时翻向头部后方,动物回避障碍能力进一步下降。较改变单侧耳廓方位的回避障碍成功率又平均下降11.08%,差异显著。实验结果提示,食虫蝙蝠的耳廓方位,在其回声定位中起着重要作用。文中还从听觉神经生理学方面,对论了耳廓方位影响回声定位行为的可能机理。     

我国学者发现蝙蝠具有暗视觉并非“瞎子”

<正>一直以来,人们认为蝙蝠是夜行性动物,食虫蝙蝠主要用回声定位来确定方位、捕捉昆虫,其眼睛退化,蝙蝠被认为是"瞎子"。然而,中国科学院昆明动物研究所张亚平院士及其博士生沈永义发现,旧大陆果蝠并没有回声定位能力,它们主要依赖视觉和嗅觉来寻找食物,眼睛很发达。     

同一山洞中五种蝙蝠的回声定位比较及生态位的分化

对同一山洞中5种蝙蝠的回声定位叫声和外部形态作了比较分析,根据蝙蝠回声定位叫声,形态特征与捕食策略之间的联系,并结合部分的野外观察研究,推断其捕食生境及捕食策略,并对洞中5种共栖蝙蝠的生态位分化进行了分析;研究结果如下：（1）南蝠（Ia io)在地面或树冠中间的开阔空间捕食个体较大的昆虫;（2）大鼠耳蝠（Myotis myotis)主要以掠食性方式（gleaning) 捕食森林或草地地表面的昆虫;（3）黄大蹄幅（Hipposideros pratti)主要在树冠周围或树冠上方进行捕蝇器式（Fly-catching)（即倒挂于一固定枝条或地点,探索周围飞行或接近的昆虫,探索到后捕捉回原倒挂地点再进食）或飞行捕食,它主要捕食个体较大的甲虫;（4）角菊头蝠（Rhinolophus cornutus)主要在较密集树木中（枝叶间）,农田及树木周围捕食型较小的翼拍动昆虫;（5）三叶蹄幅（Aselliscus wheeleri)是在树木,灌丛或在其周围空间内捕食较小的翼拍动昆虫,但其食性可能菊头蝠不同,根据以上研究结果,认为这5种蝙蝠的取食生态位存在着明显的分化。     

皮氏菊头蝠夏季的捕食行为对策

利用蝙蝠超声波探测器和CoolEditor 2 0 0 0声波分析软件研究了皮氏菊头蝠 (Rhinolophuspearsoni)的超声波信号 ,同时在野外研究了其捕食行为。研究结果显示皮氏菊头蝠是FM/CF/FM型的食虫蝙蝠。其回声定位信号的CF声波两端均附有短暂的FM信号 ,每次声波脉冲包含 2段信号 ,第 1段信号的CF频率为 (6 1 0 8±0 0 19)kHz ,持续时间为 (4 6 85± 3 72 )ms ;第 2段信号的CF频率为 (6 0 97± 0 0 3)kHz ,持续时间为 (35 12± 2 6 7)ms。在对皮氏菊头蝠的捕食行为研究中 ,通过运用生物多样性指数分析和Spearman相关性分析 ,结果表明皮氏菊头蝠在常绿阔叶落叶混交林中主要以式捕食鳞翅目 (Lepidoptera)、鞘翅目 (Coleoptera)等中型个体的昆虫 ,对食物种类及其体型具有选择性。此外 ,其形态与回声定位功能之间还表现出相关性。     

蝙蝠回声定位与捕食对策的研究

蝙蝠的回声定位可以在相当程度上反映出其捕食对策以及栖息环境的特点,回声定位在强度、持续时间及频率等方面的变化模式显示出这类声学信号的多样性,而这种多样性与蝙蝠的捕食对策相关。这方面的研究在国际上历经几十年不衰,然而,在我国,蝙蝠回声定位的研究基本上是空白?..     

Determination of clutch-size in the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

We studied the clutch-size distribution of Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus in 1991 and 1992 and tested three hypotheses for determination of clutch-size: egg-formation ability of females, incubation ability of parents and nest predation. Variation in clutch-size was small: 71 out of 74 clutches had three eggs (coeff. var. = 7%). Females spent more time foraging (51 ± 6%) pre-laying and during egg-laying than their mates (39 ± 5%). However, we concluded that egg-formation was not constrained by food availability because 77% and 100% of clutches were initiated before the peaks of prey density and of prey mass, respectively. Furthermore, the number of clutches initiated and completed over time was unrelated to prey density. By experimentally reducing and enlarging clutches, we found that enlarged clutches of four eggs took longer to hatch (24.8 ± 0.9 days) than control clutches of three (21.6 ± 0.7 days). Eggs of enlarged clutches also lost weight more slowly during incubation in both years compared with control clutches. No difference was found in the incubation behaviour or weight loss of parents between reduced, control and enlarged clutches. We found no evidence to support the nest predation hypothesis, since neither the proportion of nests predated nor the number of chicks hatched was different between reduced, control and enlarged clutches. The results of this study are most consistent with the incubation ability hypothesis, although the parental ability hypothesis has remained untested.     

微小花蝽对小菜蛾捕食控制的能力

为了明确微小花蝽以小菜蛾卵做为饲料的适宜性及其对小菜蛾的控制能力,在室内以桃蚜作为参比猎物,研究捕食小菜蛾卵对微小花蝽生长发育、繁殖的影响,并结合捕食功能反应评价微小花蝽对小菜蛾的捕食能力.结果表明: 微小花蝽取食小菜蛾卵能够完成世代发育,并能够正常繁育后代.取食小菜蛾卵时,微小花蝽雌、雄若虫的历期(♀: 12.3 d,♂: 12.2 d)、成虫体长[♀: (2.13±0.01) mm,♂: (1.91±0.00) mm]、体宽[♀: (0.87±0.01) mm,♂: (0.71±0.01) mm]、单雌产卵量(12.7±1.1)、产卵前期[(5.1±0.6) d]和产卵期[(3.7±0.4) d]均与桃蚜处理组无显著差异;雌、雄成虫寿命[♀: (10.7±1.4) d,♂: (9.1±1.3) d]显著长于桃蚜处理组[♀: (8.5±0.5) d,♂: (6.4±0.3) d];若虫存活率[(65.0±6.8)%]不及桃蚜处理组[(80.0±8.2)%],且雌性比例偏低.微小花蝽对小菜蛾的捕食功能反应符合HollingⅡ型方程.微小花蝽1～5龄若虫对小菜蛾卵的日均最大捕食量(N_max)分别为7.5、16.3、23.3、29.1和38.7粒;雌、雄成虫的日均最大捕食量分别为39.0和26.9粒;5龄若虫对小菜蛾低龄幼虫的日均最大捕食量为41.3头;雌、雄成虫的日均最大捕食量分别为40.8和23.9头.单头雌、雄微小花蝽一生中最多可捕食小菜蛾卵(711.3±58.1)和(535.4±30.6)粒,小菜蛾低龄幼虫(371.9±52.0)和(253.9±32.3)头.微小花蝽以小菜蛾卵饲养可行,且对小菜蛾具有良好的控制作用.     

Obstacle avoidance in Down syndrome

IntroductionThe ability to avoid obstacles requires to represent the properties of the obstacle, represent the location of the obstacle relative to the body and update these representations as the body moves. Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) often have trouble avoiding obstacles, leading to increased frequency of trips and falling. The aim of the present study was to deeply analyze obstacle avoidance strategies in normally developed young adults (N) and in young adults with DS, at different levels of obstacle heights, with particular attention to the strategies used for clearing the obstacle and to how the walking pattern was modified by obstacle perception.Methods10 DS and 16 age-matched N walked along a walkway in three conditions: plain walking, walking with obstacle at ground level, walking with obstacle at 10% of the subject’s height. Spatiotemporal parameters were analyzed.ResultsThere was evidence for a different avoidance strategy in DS, and for a difficulty in regulating gait parameters when challenged with a complex situation as the presence of an obstacle. This may lead to an increased risk of fall. The results in addition suggested a lack in anticipatory movement adjustments in DS and provided further evidence of the presence of difficulties in perceptual–motor coupling in DS.     

Multiscale wolf predation risk for elk: does migration reduce risk?

While migration is hypothesized to reduce predation risk for ungulates, there have been few direct empirical tests of this hypothesis. Furthermore, few studies examined multiscale predation risk avoidance by migrant ungulates, yet recent research reveals that predator–prey interactions occur at multiple scales. We test the predation risk reduction hypothesis at two spatial scales in a partially migratory elk (Cervus elaphus) population by comparing exposure of migrant and resident elk to wolf (Canis lupus) predation risk. We used GPS and VHF telemetry data collected from 67 migrant and 44 resident elk over the summers of 2002–2004 in and adjacent to Banff National Park (BNP), Canada. We used wolf GPS and VHF telemetry data to estimate predation risk as a function of the relative probability of wolf occurrence weighted by a spatial density model that adjusted for varying pack sizes. We validated the predation risk model using independent data on wolf-killed elk, and showed that combining wolf presence and spatial density best predicted where an elk was likely to be killed. Predation risk on summer ranges of migrant elk was reduced by 70% compared to within resident elk summer ranges. Because wolves avoided areas near high human activity, however, fine-scale selection by resident elk for areas near high human activity reduced their predation risk exposure to only 15% higher than migrants, a difference significant in only one of three summers. Finally, during actual migration, elk were exposed to 1.7 times more predation risk than residents, even though migration was rapid. Our results support the hypothesis that large-scale migrations can reduce predation. However, we also show that where small-scale spatial variation in predation risk exists, nonmigratory elk may equally reduce predation risk as effectively as migrants under some circumstances.     

Influence of rearing and experimental temperatures on predator avoidance behaviour in a freshwater pulmonate snail

1. Predicted increases in the temperature of freshwaters is likely to affect how prey species respond to predators. We investigated how the predator avoidance behaviour of the freshwater pulmonate snail Lymnaea stagnalis is influenced by the temperature at which it was reared and that at which behavioural trials were carried out. 2. Crawl‐out behaviour of juvenile snails from two populations (high predation risk versus low predation risk) reared at either 15 or 20 °C was assessed in response to predation cues (predatory fish kairomones and conspecific alarm cues) in behavioural trials at both 15 and 20 °C. 3. Trial temperature had a significant effect on the time that snails spent in avoidance, regardless of their population of origin. Crawl‐out behaviour was greater during behavioural trials at 15 °C, but there was no effect of trial temperature on the speed with which animals showed avoidance behaviour. 4. There was no interactive effect of rearing temperature (RT) and trial temperature, but the effect of RT on avoidance behaviour did differ between populations. For an RT of 15 °C, snails from the South Drain (high risk) population showed a more rapid and longer avoidance response than those from the Chilton Moor (low risk) population. In contrast, for snails reared at 20 °C, there was no difference between populations for the duration of the avoidance response and snails from Chilton Moor crawled out faster than those from South Drain. 5. Hence, whilst (predictable) differences relative to natural predation threat in crawl‐out behaviour were apparent at 15 °C, raising the developmental temperature to 20 °C eliminated or, in the case of latency, reversed these differences. This suggests that L. stagnalis populations that cohabit with predatory fish and experience high developmental temperatures may have a reduced ability to respond to fish predation risk.     

Past and Present Risk: Exposure to Predator Chemical Cues Before and after Metamorphosis Influences Juvenile Wood Frog Behavior

Animals are exposed to different predators over their lifespan. This raises the question of whether exposure to predation risk in an early life stage affects the response to predators in subsequent life stages. In this study, we used wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) to test whether exposure to cues indicating predation risk from dragonfly larvae during the wood frog larval stage affected post‐metamorphic activity level and avoidance of garter snake chemical cues. Dragonfly larvae prey upon wood frogs only during the larval stage, whereas garter snakes prey upon wood frogs during both the larval stage and the post‐metamorphic stage. Exposure to predation risk from dragonflies during the larval stage caused post‐metamorphic wood frog juveniles to have greater terrestrial activity than juvenile wood frogs that were not exposed to larval‐stage predation risk from dragonflies. However, exposure to predation risk as larvae did not affect juvenile wood frog responses to chemical cues from garter snakes. Wood frogs exposed as larvae to predation risk from dragonfly larvae avoided garter snake chemical cues to the same extent as wood frog larvae not exposed to predation risk from dragonfly larvae. Our results demonstrate that while some general behaviors exhibit carry‐over effects from earlier life stages, behavioral responses to predators may remain independent of conditions experienced in earlier life stages.     

Habitat overlap of enemies: temporal patterns and the role of spatial complexity

Environmental heterogeneity can promote coexistence of conflicting species by providing spatial or temporal refuges from strong interactions (e.g., intraguild predation, competition). However, in many systems, refuge availability and effectiveness may change through time and space because of variability in habitat use by either species. Here I consider how the intensity of intraguild predation risk varies from day to night for aquatic insects that use both vegetated and open water habitats. Large (1,265 l) and small (42 l) mesocosms were used to test the hypothesis that Buenoa would choose an open-water habitat that minimized predation by the ambush predator Notonecta during the day, but that at night Buenoa would safely use both vegetated and open water. Regardless of container size, Notonecta remained in vegetated water during the day and exploited both habitats at night, despite exhibiting greatest instantaneous predation rates in open water during the day. In contrast, Buenoa maintained an even distribution throughout the mesocosms during day and night, even though habitat-specific predation risks were fivefold lower in open waters than in vegetation during the day and habitat-specific predation risk would have been reduced threefold by fully exploiting open waters. Thus, temporal heterogeneity was both beneficial and detrimental to Buenoa; darkness of night reduced predation, but spatial refuges also disappeared. Together, these patterns suggest that while environmental heterogeneity can dampen intense biotic interactions, enemies do not select habitats solely on the basis of conflict avoidance. Instead, it appears that habitat-specific variation in other biotic (e.g., visual predators) or physical factors (e.g., UV radiation) may also mediate species interactions by influencing habitat selection.     

Predation risk and the interspecific association of two Brazilian Atlantic forest primates in Cabruca agroforest

Forming interspecific associations is one of many strategies adopted by primates in order to avoid predation. In addition to improved predator detection and avoidance, benefits of interspecific associations relate to improved foraging efficiency. In this study we tested these two hypotheses explaining associations between the endangered golden-headed lion tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysomelas and the sympatric Wied's marmoset, Callithrix kuhlii. We estimated predation risk by recording the number of encounters between lion tamarins and potential predators in cabruca agroforest (shaded cacao plantation) and in mosaic forest (a mix of cabruca, primary and secondary forest). To evaluate if the association between the two species was related to foraging benefits we recorded the number of associations between the two species when the lion tamarins were eating and when they were not eating. To test if the association occurred to improve predator detection and avoidance, we evaluated if associations between the species were more frequent in areas with higher predation risk and during the part of the day when predation risk is higher. We also compared the number of associations 3 months before birth events and 3 months after, when the lion tamarins are more susceptible to predation. Predation risk, mainly by raptors, was significantly higher in cabruca than in mosaic forest (0.17 and 0.05 encounters with predators per hour of observation, respectively). Associations were significantly more frequent after birth events and during the part of the day when predation risk was also higher (5-6 am until noon). We did not observe any direct evidence of foraging-related advantages of interspecific associations for the lion tamarins. The tamarins did not associate more when they were foraging. Our findings suggest that lion tamarins are more exposed to predation in cabruca than in mosaic forest and associations between lion tamarins and Wied's marmosets are related to predation avoidance.