Abstract
Smooth newt foraging on Daphnia was studied to uncover mechanisms affecting sizeselective predation. Factors examined were size difference between small and large prey, visibility of prey, hunger, foraging experience, encounter rate with the most rewarding prey, and available light. Reactive distances and handling times increased with Daphnia size. The newts' ability to distinguish between small and large prey improved with the size difference of the two prey classes. A clear preference for larger prey was observed. The newts were less successful in capturing large prey than small prey. Brown-pigmented Daphnia were selected significantly more often than pale Daphnia. Well-fed newts were more selective than starved newts.
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