Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Sciuridae:Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) antipredator vigilance decreases as vigilance cost increases

Abstract

Vigilance is a commonly studied antipredator phenomenon. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of visual obstruction coupled with a manipulation of the cost of performing vigilance behaviours. We tested the hypothesis that antipredator vigilance decreases as the cost of performing antipredator vigilance increases in free-ranging thirteen-lined ground squirrels. We presented adult ground squirrels with peanut butter within six rectangular Plexiglas boxes (opaque on all sides; clear on top) ranging in length from 15.2 to 91.4cm. Squirrels repeatedly entered and withdrew from the boxes, to scan visually the surrounding area. As box length increased and, therefore, the cost of the vigilance behaviour increased, the ground squirrels increased their mean time within the box per entry and decreased their alertness per unit of trial time. Squirrels took longer to traverse the longer boxes, but their travel time into the boxes was significantly slower than their travel time out of the boxes. We interpreted this difference in travel time to indicate a behavioural conflict that occurred only when the squirrels entered the box (food versus vigilance) and did not exist once the squirrels had begun to exit from the box. The hypothesis that a decrease in ground squirrel antipredator vigilance would benefit the squirrels by decreasing their time exposed to predators (i.e. decreased trial duration, which was determined by the squirrels’ behaviour), was not supported.