10.5061/DRYAD.8128H
Suraci, Justin P.
Western University
Roberts, Devin J.
University of Victoria
Clinchy, Michael
Western University
Zanette, Liana Y.
Western University
Data from: Fearlessness towards extirpated large carnivores may exacerbate
the impacts of naïve mesocarnivores
Dryad
dataset
2016
Procyon lotor
predation risk
playback experiment
predator naiveté
2016-11-18T19:12:23Z
2016-11-18T19:12:23Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arw178
19876 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
By suppressing mesocarnivore foraging, the fear large carnivores inspire
can be critical to mitigating mesocarnivore impacts. Where large
carnivores have declined, mesocarnivores may quantitatively increase
foraging, commensurate with reductions in fear. The extirpation of large
carnivores may further exacerbate mesocarnivore impacts by causing
qualitative changes in mesocarnivore behavior. Error management theory
suggests that, where predators are present, prey should be biased towards
over-responsiveness to predator cues, abandoning foraging in response to
both predator cues and benign stimuli mistaken for predator cues
(false-positives). Where predators are absent, prey may avoid these
foraging costs by becoming unresponsive (naïve) to both predator cues and
false-positives. If naiveté occurs in mesocarnivores where large
carnivores have been extirpated, it could substantively exacerbate their
impacts, as “fearless” mesocarnivores may engage in virtually unrestricted
foraging. We tested the naiveté of raccoons (Procyon lotor) to extirpated
large carnivores in the context of a larger experiment demonstrating that
fear of large carnivores can mediate mesocarnivore impacts. Raccoon
responsiveness to playbacks of their extirpated large carnivore predators
(cougars, Puma concolor; bears, Ursus americanus) was significantly less
than to the only extant large carnivore predator (dogs), and was no
greater than to non-predators (“seals”; Phoca vitulina, Eumetopias
jubatus). Raccoons failed to recognize their now extirpated predators as
threatening, spending as much time foraging as when hearing non-predators,
which we estimate has substantive impacts, based on results from the
larger experiment. We discuss the potentially powerful role of
“fearlessness” in exacerbating mesocarnivore impacts in systems where
large carnivores have been lost.
Data - Dog-Cougar-Seal AnalysesData used in all analyses comparing raccoon
responses towards cougars to responses towards dogs and
seals.Dog_Cougar_Seal.csvData - Dog-Bear-Seal AnalysesData used in all
analyses comparing raccoon responses towards bears to responses towards
dogs and seals.Dog_Bear_Seal.csv
Gulf Islands
British Columbia