The decision to feed by a scavenger in relation to the risks of predation and starvation |
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Authors: | S C McKillup R V McKillup |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, University of Central Queensland, 4702 Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
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Abstract: | Recent theoretical models have considered how nutritional status and predation risk affect the decision by an individual to forage. We consider the feeding behaviour of a scavenger under risk of predation. The intertidal gastropod Nassarius dorsatus Röding was used to test the following hypotheses: (1) a damaged conspecific should be a less preferred meal than a damaged predator or another species; (2) a scavenger should be able to discriminate between a damaged conspecific in the presence and one in the absence of its predator, preferring the latter; and (3) the decision by a scavenger to feed should reflect a trade-off between nutritional status and the above preferences. Results from the laboratory and field were consistent with predictions. Two hypotheses are suggested from the work: scavengers may generally be less willing to feed on carcases of conspecifics than on those of other species, and intertidal scavengers may commonly face a relative or absolute shortage of food. |
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Keywords: | Scavenger Starvation Trade-off Intertidal Foraging |
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