a Graduate Degree Programin Ecology, Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
b Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
b Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Abstract
Rodents commonly use urine to communicate with conspecifics and might do so with heterospecifics. We exposed black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) to water (a control) and urine from different mammals and then noted whether the prairie dogs urinated near the liquid stimuli. Prairie dogs urinated near water during 15% of trials, compared to 3% of trials with coyote (Canis latrans) urine, suggesting they avoided urinating in the presence of a predatory stimulus. Prairie dogs most commonly urinated near urine from herbivores, especially Sylvilagus rabbits (89%, relative to 37% for mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus). Prairie dogs altered the spatial layout of their urine markings depending on the liquid stimulus, using localized markings near water and mule deer urine, but scattered markings near rabbit urine. These results collectively suggest that urine may function as a communicative resource between prairie dogs and rabbits. Prairie dogs and rabbits often live in close proximity and can compete for food, and prairie dogs are sometimes aggressive toward rabbits. Urine signals might enable each species to avoid agonistic encounters, while helping prairie dogs to reduce competition for food. © 2015 Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Firenze, Italia.
Author keywords
communication; Cynomys; key Canis latrans; lagomorph; Odocoileus hemionus; rodent; Sylvilagus
Indexed keywords
Species Index: Canis latrans; Cynomys; Cynomys ludovicianus; Lagomorpha; Mammalia; Odocoileus hemionus; Oryctolagus cuniculus; Rodentia; Sylvilagus
ISSN: 03949370 CODEN: EEEVESource Type: Journal Original language: English
DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2014.999828Document Type: Article
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd.
