High human disturbance decreases individual variability in skink escape behavior.

Abstract

Animals living around people may modify their antipredator behavior as a function of proximity to humans, and this response has profound implications for whether or not a population can coexist with humans. We asked whether inland blue-tailed skinks Emoia impar modified their individual antipredator behavior as a function of differential exposure to humans. We conducted multiple consecutive flushes and recorded 2 measures of antipredator response: flight initiation distance (FID), the distance from a threatening stimulus at which an individual flees, and distance fled, the distance an individual fled after a flush. We used a multiple model comparison approach to quantify variation in individual escape behavior across multiple approaches and to test for differences in between-individual variation among populations. We found that individuals tolerated closer approach and fled shorter distances at locations with relatively less human disturbance than at locations with medium and high human disturbance, respectively. In addition, skinks living at high human disturbance sites had less variable FIDs than at low human disturbance sites. Two theories may explain these results. Selection against less favorable phenotypes has reduced behavioral variation in urban habitats and behavioral plasticity allows individuals to flexibly adjust their behavioral patterns in response to human disturbance. These results highlight the importance of studying variation within populations, at the individual level, which may better elucidate the impact that human disturbance has on the behavioral composition of populations.