Behavioural response of wild rodents to the calls of an owl: a comparative study
Open accessAbstract
Effective anti‐predator defence mechanisms depend on efficient recognition of possible predators. However, nocturnal aerial predators, such as owls, present very few stimuli to enable their detection by potential prey. The most prominent of these are their territorial calls which are believed to provide sufficient stimuli to activate anti‐predator defence mechanisms in species heavily predated upon by owls. To test this hypothesis, the behaviour of voles (Microtus socialis), dormice (Eliomys melanurus), jerboas (Jaculus jaculus), and spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) was analysed during and following exposure to playback of tape recorded calls of the tawny owl (Strix aluco). In response, voles crouched, and retreated to a small burrow present in the test arena; dormice also reduced the distances they travelled in the arena, and spent an increased amount of time around the burrow; jerboas crouched and froze during the playback of the owl call but not thereafter; spiny mice, however, displayed enigmatic behaviour in apparently ignoring the owl calls. The results, which demonstrate an induction of defensive behaviours to recorded owl calls, support the results of others who have examined the effects of exposing wild rodents to live owls.
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In rats, ultrasonic vocalizations at 22 kHz constitute alarm calls used in the face of threat, and they are produced only in the presence of conspecifics.
“For instance, it has been shown that in rats ultrasonic vocalizations at 22 kHz constitute the alarm calls used in the face of threat.Importantly, they are produced only in the presence of conspecifics.162,163”
From Ecological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice (2019) · cites this paper as [163]
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Self-citationEcological validity of social interaction tests in rats and mice
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Chronobiology of interspecific interactions in a changing world
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- Authors
- Hendrie, C. A., Weiss, S. M., & Eilam, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Tel Aviv University (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Eilam, David
- ORCID
- Eilam, David
- Venue
- Journal of Zoology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-08
- Volume
- 245
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 439-446
- ISSN
- 0952-8369 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7998
- OpenAlex
- W2134038742
- Cited by
- 77
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 3.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Zoology (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Tel Aviv University
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Keywords
- tawny owl, Strix aluco, antipredator behavior, predator detection, voles, dormice, jerboa, spiny mouse, playback experiments, defensive behavior, burrowing behavior, freezing response, rodent predation
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