Tag: predation

Behind the paper

James Mouton: Red-breasted nuthatches smear sap around their nest entrances to protect against predators

James and team tap into the behavioural dynamics of red-breasted nuthatches and their use of conifer resin (sap). In their paper “Behavioural co-option of plant secondary compounds by a cavity-nesting bird is an adaptation against competition and predation”, James studies the how and why of nuthatch nesting behaviour and their apparent love for sticky, smelly conifer resin! On top of a delightful explanation on the … Continue reading James Mouton: Red-breasted nuthatches smear sap around their nest entrances to protect against predators

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Behind the paper

Austin Allison: Ground squirrels hibernate to avoid predation, but not at the expense of reproductive opportunities

Austin Allison—a PhD student at Colorado State University and recent MS graduate from the University of Idaho—discusses his recently accepted paper: “Why hibernate? Tests of four hypotheses to explain intraspecific variation in hibernation phenology.” About the Paper Why do animals hibernate? I—like many people—assumed I knew the answer to that question. Animals obviously hibernate to avoid seasonally unsuitable environmental conditions such as freezing temperatures and … Continue reading Austin Allison: Ground squirrels hibernate to avoid predation, but not at the expense of reproductive opportunities

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Behind the paper, Translation

A varangyméreg az állatvilág svájci bicskája

Üveges Bálint This blog is available in English here. A kutatás A ragadozás (predáció) mindennapos jelenség a természetben, ezért a préda állatoknak folyamatosan fel kell mérniük környezetüket, és reagálniuk kell a ragadozók jelenlétére és táplálékszerzési kísérleteikre. Ezt tehetik például úgy, hogy felkészülnek a támadásra fenotípusuk megváltoztatásával, vagy, hogy nagyobb csapatokba tömörülnek. Az előbbi azt jelenti, hogy a potenciális prédaállat érzékeli a ragadozók (vagy bármely más … Continue reading A varangyméreg az állatvilág svájci bicskája

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Bálint Üveges
Behind the paper

Bálint Üveges: Toad poison is a Swiss army knife against multiple enemies

In this post Bàlint Uvëges, postdoc at Bangor University, present his latest work ‘Chemical defence effective against multiple enemies: Does the response to conspecifics alleviate the response to predators?’, discuss the multiple ways animals have to avoid predation and shares his passion for venomous creatures. Ez a blog magyarul is elérhető itt! About the paper Predation is commonplace in nature, so prey animals need to … Continue reading Bálint Üveges: Toad poison is a Swiss army knife against multiple enemies

Unknown's avatarBritish Ecological Society2 Comments
Study co-authors conducting fieldwork in The Bahamas. Counterclockwise from left is Allison Stringer with a live lionfish (Pterois volitans), Robert Lamb conducting a transect survey, and Lillian Tuttle observing cleaning stations at a coral patch reef. Photo credits: Lillian Tuttle, Tim Pusack, and Severin Vaillancourt, respectively.
Behind the paper

Lillian Tuttle: Coral-reef predators must learn that the cleaner goby is a friend, not food

Lillian Tuttle of NOAA’s Pacific Island Regional Office in Honolulu, Hawai‘i talks about the inspiration behind her new research “Differential learning by native versus invasive predators to avoid distasteful cleaning mutualists” and the privilege we have to be able to observe the natural world. About the paper What’s your paper about?My co-authors and I studied the behaviours of invasive lionfish and cleaning mutualists on coral … Continue reading Lillian Tuttle: Coral-reef predators must learn that the cleaner goby is a friend, not food

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