Effects of reproduction on activity and foraging behaviour of adult female Columbian ground squirrels

Abstract

In this study I evaluated six ways in which adult female Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) potentially alter their overall activity and foraging behaviour to satisfy the increased energetic needs of reproduction, all of which may involve a trade-off with predation risk. A sample of nonparous females was obtained by administering a short-term chemosterilant at the time of breeding. Relative to nonparous females, parous females spent more time above ground, more time foraging, and less time vigilant, particularly during lactation, and had a longer active season. Thus, in absolute terms, parous females spent more time exposed to aboveground predators than did nonparous females. Parous females spent less time at burrow entrances and, during lactation, were active farther from escape burrows than were nonparous females. Parous and nonparous females did not differ in the percentage of time spent vigilant during foraging bouts. These results indicate that females respond to the energetic demands of reproduction by increasing the absolute amount of time spent foraging, which entails an acceptance of an increase in exposure to predators, and not by modifying their behaviour during foraging bouts.