Competition affects risk-sensitivity in foraging shrews |
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Authors: | C J Barnard C A J Brown |
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Institution: | (1) Animal Behaviour Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD Nottingham, England |
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Abstract: | Summary Studies of risk-sensitive foraging have so far focused only on the effect of food demand on choice of feeding site. We suggest that competition is likely to be another factor influencing risksensitivity. A choice experiment with common shrews showed that, in the absence of competition, risk-aversion increased with increasing food intake relative to requirement. When apparent competitors were present, however, shrews were risk-indifferent regardless of their estimated requirement. The switch to risk-indifference in the presence of competitors appears to be an all-or-nothing rule of thumb which is not modified by experience with reward probability distributions. |
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