Alarm call modification by prairie dogs in the presence of juveniles

While several drivers of wildlife alarm calls have been identified, recent work on the impact of the audience on the plasticity of alarm calling indicates that intraspecific communication can drive this behavior. We build on this literature by assessing changes in call characteristics in black-taile...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethology 2019-05, Vol.37 (2), p.167-174
Main Authors: Wilson-Henjum, Grete E., Job, Jacob R., McKenna, Megan F., Shannon, Graeme, Wittemyer, George
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal Ecology
Behavioral plasticity
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Conspecifics
Evolutionary Biology
Life Sciences
Prairie dogs
Zoology
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Summary:While several drivers of wildlife alarm calls have been identified, recent work on the impact of the audience on the plasticity of alarm calling indicates that intraspecific communication can drive this behavior. We build on this literature by assessing changes in call characteristics in black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) in the presence of recently emerged juveniles. Alarm calls were elicited by approaching individuals, and then recorded using a shotgun microphone. Presence and distance of pups were noted prior to recording. Alarm calls were analyzed for changes in spectral and temporal characteristics relative to those of adults that were not in the immediate presence of pups. Our analyses indicated that adult prairie dogs lowered the central concentration of energy in their alarm calls when calling in the presence of pups. This may show that prairie dogs are conscious of the type of alarm call produced based on the behavioral context of calling and potentially the audience receiving the message. Furthermore, this may support the hypothesis that alarm calling is intended to reach conspecifics, rather than to send a message to the predator itself.
ISSN:0289-0771
1439-5444
DOI:10.1007/s10164-018-0582-8