When searching for flying insects, Molossops temminckii uses unusual echolocation calls characterized by upward modulation of frequency vs time (UFM). Call frequency increases asymptotically
in the relatively long (∼8 ms) pulses from a starting frequency of ∼40 kHz to a long narrowband tail at ∼50 kHz. When approaching
a prey, the bat progressively increases the duration of calls and intersperses in the sequence broadband downwardly frequency-modulated
signals with a terminal frequency of about 53 kHz, which totally replaces the UFM signals at the end of the approach phase.
The sequence progresses to a capture buzz resembling those from other molossid and vespertilionid bats. The M. temminckii wing morphology is characterized by an average aspect ratio and a high wing loading, suggesting that it is more maneuverable
than the typical Molossidae but less than typical Vespertilionidae. M. temminckii regularly forages near clutter, where it needs to pay attention to the background and might face forward and backward masking
of signals. We hypothesize that the UFM echolocation signals of M. temminckii represent an adaptation to foraging near background clutter in a not very maneuverable bat needing a broad attention window.
The broadband component of the signal might serve for the perception of the background and the narrowband tail for detection
and perhaps classification of prey. Bats may solve the signal masking problems by separating emission and echoes in the frequency
domain. The echolocation behavior of M. temminckii may shed light on the evolution of the narrowband frequency analysis echolocation systems adopted by some bats foraging within
clutter. 相似文献
Abstract: Forest-associated species in fragmented landscapes must traverse potentially inhospitable gaps to move between habitat patches. Although conservation biologists advocate connecting patches with corridors or improving the matrix to make it suitable for movement, little is known about the factors influencing gap-crossing decisions for most species. We investigated gap crossing by the red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) in logged landscapes in southeastern Alaska, where the species avoids microhabitats associated with gaps created by clearcutting. We released individuals across clearcuts and determined the routes they took home with tracking spools and radio telemetry. Of 36 adult red squirrels translocated across six clearcuts, 14 crossed clearcuts to reach home. Squirrels were more likely to cross clearcuts if the detour efficiency (distance to home crossing gap divided by distance of forested detour) was low, indicating an ability to compare distances along alternate routes and travel costs or risks in different habitats. No other landscape metrics, such as gap size or crossing distance, predicted crossing behavior. Red squirrels of low body mass were more likely to cross clearcuts, where the probability of encountering conspecifics is low. Distance predicted route choice for squirrels detouring around clearcuts. Indirect evidence suggests that perceived predation risk, energetic costs, or both are higher in clearcuts. Detour efficiency reportedly influences the gap-crossing decisions of some forest-associated birds, but this is the first demonstration of its role in gap-crossing decisions by a mammal. 相似文献
Prey require information if they are to respond to predation threat in a risk-sensitive manner. One way that individuals can obtain this information is through the predator-mediated, threat-induced behavior of conspecifics. We examined such a possibility in a refuge-seeking species, the sand fiddler crab (Uca pugilator). Crabs were either exposed directly to a simulated predation threat (a moving cylinder) or the threat-induced response of a near neighbor. We found that fiddler crabs responded to the flight of their neighbors even when they, themselves, were not privy to the stimulus that induced their neighbors response. However, the wider range of behaviors exhibited by these crabs—which included no reaction, freezing, running back to the burrow entrance, and burrow retreat—suggest that non-threatened crabs either (1) perceived the gravity of the predation threat differently from their directly threatened neighbors and/or (2) engaged in behaviors that allowed them to acquire further information in the face of uncertainty. Conspecific behaviors also had an effect on the hiding duration of crabs, with individuals hiding longer if they saw both the predation threat and the flight of their neighbor. Our results suggest that cues provided by conspecifics can play an important role in guiding the antipredator response of refuge-seeking prey. 相似文献
Objective: The present study investigated the relationships between safety climate and driving behavior and crash involvement.
Methods: A total of 339 company-employed truck drivers completed a questionnaire that measured their perceptions of safety climate, crash record, speed choice, and aberrant driving behaviors (errors, lapses, and violations).
Results: Although there was no direct relationship between the drivers' perceptions of safety climate and crash involvement, safety climate was a significant predictor of engagement in risky driving behaviors, which were in turn predictive of crash involvement.
Conclusions: This research shows that safety climate may offer an important starting point for interventions aimed at reducing risky driving behavior and thus fewer vehicle collisions. 相似文献