University:
Amherst College
Course:
BIOL 281 | Animal Behavior with Lab
Academic year:

2011
Views:

180

Pages:

13
Author:

Tyler Buck

Increasing prey profitability How to maximize e/h? Decrease h! star-nosed mole 22 appendages 25,000 Eimer’s organs 100,000 neurons (6x that of human hand) How to reduce handling time How to reduce handling time cortical magnification: area of somatosensory cortex per sensory organ Moles like fast food Less than ¼ of a second to identify and handle prey Moles like fast food Ken Catania The optimal mole What should a mole do if it encounters prey 2? λ1e1 1 + λ1h1 > Eat it! λ1e1 + λ2e2 1 + λ1h1 + λ2h2 Predictions Handling times for small prey are negligible 1. If true, eat only prey 1 (specialize) 2. If not true, take both prey 1+2 (generalize) Where to forage? Prey found in patches Patches distributed in habitat Patch models Energy gain How long should an animal stay in a patch? Depends on the distance between patches Patch time Energy gain Patch models: marginal value theorem optimal patch times long short Travel time to next patch Patch time Empirical evidence: marginal value theorem Mantid predator House fly prey Empirical evidence: marginal value theorem great tit Exceptions to OFT Central place foragers violate patch laws Collect loads before returning to central place chipmunk Exceptions to OFT Constraints limit optimal foraging parasitoid wasp Sub-optimal foraging in Atta ants?

Bio 281 2011 Lecture 10 - Foraging Part 2

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