Chapter 26 - The Response of Tree Squirrels to Conspecific and Heterospecific Alarm Calls

Abstract

This chapter focuses on whether tree squirrels respond more strongly (or even exclusively) to the alarm calls of their own species, or whether they also attend to the alarm calls of other species within their environment though a lab experiment. The hypothesis might be that squirrels respond more strongly to alarm calls of their own species than to alarm calls of other species, because natural selection has presumably favored squirrels' communicating clearly with others of their species. Alternatively, squirrels might respond just as strongly to the alarm calls of other species within their environment, such as bluejays and chipmunks, because the squirrels are likely to be threatened by the same predators, such as hawks and house cats. There should, therefore, be strong selective pressure for animals to respond quickly and appropriately to conspecific alarm calls. Different species within the same environment may be threatened by the same predators and thus may also benefit from listening for and responding to the alarm calls of other species