Abstract
Animals are faced with a range of ecological constraints that shape their behavioural decisions. Habitat features that affect resource abundance will also have an impact, especially as regards spatial distribution, which will in turn affect associations between the animals. Here we utilised a network approach, using spatial and genetic data, to describe patterns in use of space (foraging sites) by free-ranging Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) at the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt. We observed a decrease in home range size during spring, when food availability was lowest, which was reflected by differences in space sharing networks. Our data showed that when food was abundant, space sharing networks were less connected and more related individuals shared more foraging sites. In comparison, when food was scarce the bats had few possibilities to decide where and with whom to forage. Overall, both networks had high mean degree, suggesting communal knowledge of predictable food distribution.
Highlights
Behaviour is expressed as a response to intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include an individual’s physical and social environment, the latter comprising non-random and heterogeneous social interactions [1]
This paper explores a possible link between genetic relatedness, space sharing and the role of food availability in shaping associations among Egyptian fruit bats
Seasonal differences in spatial activity characterised by home-range and core area size reflected food availability
Summary
Behaviour is expressed as a response to intrinsic and extrinsic factors that include an individual’s physical and social environment, the latter comprising non-random and heterogeneous social interactions [1]. This response generally occurs in two major forms, i.e. innate behaviour and learned behaviour. Instinct-driven behaviour (i.e. innate behaviour) is genetically incorporated as soft wired “tendencies” that are vertically inherited from parents to offspring These can be moulded by lifetime experiences (i.e. learned behaviour), allowing an individual to acquire knowledge about the environment and adapt to it [2,3,4,5].
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