Individual variation in vigilance in female eastern grey kangaroos

Abstract

For herbivores, vigilance usually involves a trade-off with foraging, and a further trade-off between antipredator and social vigilance. Thus individual variation in vigilance may result in significant fitness consequences. We used mixed-effects models to document individual variation in vigilance in wild adult female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) in Queensland, Australia. We tested the effects of group size, presence of adult males and wind on vigilance patterns and variation by analysing 399 five-minute samples on 31 individually identified females who were foraging on the periphery of groups. We determined the proportion of time that individuals spent vigilant, and the proportions of vigilance time spent in social versus antipredator vigilance and in low- versus high-intensity vigilance postures. The proportion of time females spent vigilant decreased with increasing group size but was not affected by wind speed or male presence, while the amount of their vigilance time spent in social vigilance was affected by interactions among the variables. After controlling for these effects, 13 females’ vigilance patterns were significantly different from the population mean. Individual variation was also found in vigilance postures used and the effect of male presence. Understanding individual variation in vigilance is important for understanding individuals’ antipredator and social strategies.