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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Henrik Lange
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In gregarious species, rates of foraging behaviour are often positively related to group size while there is simultsneously a negative relation between group size and vigilance. Although the mechanisms underlying these behavioural patterns are still incompletely understood, decreased predation risk or increased foraging competition in larger groups have been put forward as two possible explanations. Since most empirical tests of these two hypotheses have used manipulative experiments, they have mainly been limited to small-bodied species or to animals in captivity. Here we suggest a time-budget model to test for the causal effects of predation risk and foraging competition that does not necessitate manipulative approaches. We used this method on two species of gregarious antelope, blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) and impala (Aepyceros melampus). We suggest that increased foraging competition In large groups drives the negative relationship between vigilance and group size in these species. This study shows that observational data can be used to test explicit hypotheses on species that are logistically unsuitable for manipulative experiments, and also render support for hypotheses suggesting that factors unrelated to predation risk are involved in shaping the differences in vigilance rates over different group sizes in gregarious species.
Author(s): Dalerum F, Lange H, Skarpe C, Rooke T, Inga B, Bateman PW
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: South African Journal of Wildlife Research
Year: 2008
Volume: 38
Issue: 2
Pages: 138-145
Print publication date: 01/10/2008
ISSN (print): 0379-4369
ISSN (electronic): 1996-8477
Publisher: South African Bureau for Scientific Publications
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3957/0379-4369-38.2.138
DOI: 10.3957/0379-4369-38.2.138
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