Divergent predator activity muddies the dynamic landscape of fear

Abstract

AbstractThe landscape of fear (LOF) hypothesis is a unifying idea explaining the effects of predators on the space use of their prey. However, empirical evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. Recent work suggests that the LOF is dynamic, depending on the daily activity of predators, which allows prey to utilize risky places during predator down times. While this notion clarifies some discrepancies between predictions and observations, support for a dynamic LOF remains mixed. The underlying assumption of a dynamic LOF is strong predictability in predator activity cycles. Work in multi‐predator systems demonstrates the effect of differential behavior between predator species on the predictions of prey space use. However, none have considered the effect of intraspecific variation in predator behavior. Most, if not all, dynamic LOF studies base inference on the species‐level average activity pattern, implicitly assuming similarity within the predator population. We examined the dynamics and intraspecific variation in activity cycles within a population of coyotes (Canis latrans). We found seasonality in the predictability of coyote behavior, as well as divergent nocturnal and crepuscular activity patterns between individuals during summer. Activity dynamics were not related to range size, sex, body mass, or habitat complexity, but did vary by year. These results suggest that the predictability of activity patterns is seasonally dynamic, and failure to account for intraspecific variation in activity may cloud inference in LOF studies. We argue that future studies should not neglect the potential complexity of predator behavior with simplistic assumptions. By considering intraspecific variation in activity patterns, we may gain a clear picture of LOF dynamics.