Abstract
Olfactory signals constitute an important mechanism in interspecific interactions, but little is known regarding their role in communication between predator species. We analyzed the behavioral responses of a mesopredator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), to an olfactory cue (scat) of an apex predator, the lynx (Lynx lynx) in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland, using video camera traps. Red fox visited sites with scats more often than expected and the duration of their visits was longer at scat sites than at control sites (no scat added). Vigilant behavior, sniffing and scent marking (including over-marking) occurred more often at scat sites compared to control sites, where foxes mainly passed by. Vigilance was most pronounced during the first days of the recordings. Red fox behavior was also influenced by foxes previously visiting scat sites. They sniffed and scent marked (multiple over-marking) more frequently when the lynx scat had been over-marked previously by red fox. Fox visits to lynx scats may be seen as a trade-off between obtaining information on a potential food source (prey killed by lynx) and the potential risk of predation by an apex predator.
Highlights
Olfactory communication via scent marking is common among mammals (Eisenberg and Kleiman 1972; Brown and McDonald 1985)
Scent marking, when urinating or defecating; this was defined as over-marking when it occurred on top of a lynx scat and as multiple over-marking when it occurred on top of a lynx scat that had been previously over-marked by fox
Foxes visited lynx scat sites more frequently, stayed there longer, and displayed a higher frequency of behaviors related to attraction than they did at
Summary
Olfactory communication via scent marking is common among mammals (Eisenberg and Kleiman 1972; Brown and McDonald 1985). Predator scent can induce behavioral responses of prey, including decreased movements, increased vigilance, and relocation to safer sites (Lima 1998; Apfelbach et al 2005; Zidar and Lovlie 2012; Kuijper et al 2014; Wikenros et al 2015). Whereas the costs and benefits of reciprocal interactions between predator and prey species (carnivores-herbivores) are straightforward, the role of scent marking in interspecific interactions between intraguild species remains largely unknown (Allen et al 2016). Studying the behavior of gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) at puma (Puma concolor) scent marking sites, Allen et al (2016) conclude that gray foxes use the puma scent to decrease predation risk, and suggest that
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