Different antipredator responses by Microcavia australis (Rodentia, Hystricognate, Caviidae) under predation risk

PAULA ANDREA TARABORELLI; PABLO MORENO; ANA SRUR; ANA J. SANDOBAL; MARIANA G. MARTÍNEZ; STELLA M. GIANNONI

BEHAVIOUR

Lugar: Germantown. USA; Año: 2008 vol. 145 p. 829 - 942

0005-7959

The antipredator response of rodents may depend on the species of predator and the structureof the vegetation. To investigate these effects, we compared the antipredator response ofMicrocavia australis to two predator models. We used two populations occurring at sitesof the Monte desert that differ in plant structure and availability, and in predation risk. AtÑacuñán plant cover is 54.3%, the major risk of predation is from raptors. At El Leoncitoplant cover is 21.9%, the predation risk is similar by raptors and carnivores. In addition weinvestigated whether olfactory cues for different predators may elicit different antipredatorresponses in absence of visual cues. This was done by presenting feces of two predators andcontrols in an experimental set-up. The exposed individuals reduced their activity in responseto feces of both predators and not in response to the control, but they did not respond in thesame way to each predator (their response to each predator was not the same). The resultsshow that M. australis recognizes different predators through both sight and smell, and thatthe response may be influenced by vegetation structure.