Antagonistic interaction between plantain squirrel and Tanimbar corella (original) (raw)
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Friend or foe? Disparate plant–animal interactions of two congeneric rodents
Evolutionary Ecology, 2013
Food and water resources are limiting factors for animals in desert ecosystems. Fleshy fruits are a rare water source in deserts and when available they tend to attract a wide variety of organisms. Here we show that two congeneric rodent species, Acomys cahirinus and A. russatus, employ different fruit eating strategies that result in either dispersal or predation of the small seeds of the desert plant Ochradenus baccatus. The nocturnal A. cahirinus leaves intact seeds when consuming O. baccatus fruits and thus, acts mainly as a seed disperser; whereas the diurnal A. russatus consumes the whole fruit and digests the seeds and thus, acts mainly as a seed predator. Acomys russatus is subjected to the toxic products of the glucosinolates-myrosinase system found in O. baccatus fruits. Acomys cahirinus avoids the toxic compounds by consuming the pulp only, which contains glucosinolates but not the seeds that contain the enzyme that activates them. We suggest that the behavioral responses exhibited by A. russatus are the result of physiological adaptations to whole fruit consumption that are absent in A. cahirinus. Our results shed new light on the ecological divergence of the two congeneric species.
Plantain squirrel Callosciurus notatus in a plantation habitat
1998
Corak aktiviti /wrian atau aktogram Callosciurus notatus dalam ladaJlg I?elapa sawit daJl /<0/(0 di bawali kelapa ditentu/wll dengan mengguna!wn radiotelemetli. Hasil meJ11l'J1ju!dwJl C. notatus mempamerkaJl comk al?tiviti harian dari jam 0630 hingga 1730 del/gan beberapa pU'llcak aktiviti. Dua Plillcak lltama di/wwl pasti iaitu pada awaL pagi (jam 0730) dan sebeLu1n tengah hari (jam 1130). Ini dii/wti dengall fasa relwt),ang relatif pada waktu tengah hori (1430 hingga 1630). puncal? yang lebih kecil dicemp pada waMu pelang UalJl. 1730). KepeLbagaiall IJ/,ung/<in wujud I?erana satu individ'll mellllnjllkkan elllpal pUJlcak yang diselallg seli dengall beberapa fasa rehat yang seng/wt. Puncak aktiviti yang kerap lII'Ll1lgkin lIIeJlggalllbar!wn strategi pengge/inlaran untuk m,emeuuhi keperLuan maharwn yang terlent'll. KajiaJl isi perut 'Inelllllljll!dwn serallgga lIIerujJal?all lIIe/wnan utama pada awaL pagi tetapi menunjul?/wu lIIa/wnan yang pe/bagai lIIeliplili seraJlgga daJl bahallbahan tumbuhan selepasnJa.
DOI 10.1007/s00442-003-1445-7 PLANT ANIMAL INTERACTIONS
2015
Seed dispersal by animals is one of the most important plant-animal mutualisms, but saurochory, the dispersal of seeds by reptiles, has received little attention. We investigated the role of the Florida box turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) as a seed dispersal agent in pine rockland forests of the lower Florida Keys and examined the effect of turtle digestion on seed germina-tion. We obtained seeds of 11 species with fleshy fruits and 2 species with non-fleshy fruits (a grass and legume) from the feces of 145 box turtles collected on Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge from 1999 to 2000. We planted the seeds of nine species and germination percentage (percentage of seeds that germinated during the experi-ment) varied from 10 % to 80%. Comparative germination experiments were conducted with Thrinax morrissii, Serenoa repens, and Byrsonima lucida. We compared the germination percentage and germination rate (number of days from planting to seedling emergence) of seeds from three treatmen...
INTERSPECIFIC AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR OF EUROPEAN GROUND SQUIRREL (SPERMOPHILUS CITELLUS L.)
2010
Interspecific behaviour of European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) is still poorly studied. During behavioural studies of free-ranging European ground squirrels tree kinds of aggression to other vertebrate species: reptile, bird and mammal (Lacerta trilineata, Corvus frugilegus, Mustela nivalis) have been described. To our knowledge, this is the first field study describing interspecies aggressive behaviour in S. citellus. The description of this behaviour may have important implications for interpreting studies on interspecies competition and interactions, behaviour activity, and predation in this rear and threatened semi-fossorial rodent.
Scientific Reports, 2020
Many plant species bear fruits that suggest adaptation to seed dispersal by extinct megafauna. Present-day seed dispersal of these megafaunal plants is carried out by rodents, which can act as predators or dispersers; whether this interaction is primarily positive or negative can depend on the context. Here, we parameterized a stochastic model using data from the field and experimental arenas to estimate the effect of rodents on the recruitment of Myrcianthes coquimbensis -an Atacama Desert shrub with megafaunal fruits- and examine whether environmental conditions can alter the sign and strength of these rodent-plant interactions. We show that the outcome of these interactions is context-dependent: in wet conditions seed removal by rodents negatively impacts the recruitment probability of M. coquimbensis; in contrast, in dry conditions, the interaction with rodents increases recruitment success. In all cases, the strength of the effect of rodents on the recruitment success was deter...
Fruits of alien shrubs and deer mice: a test of the persistent fruit defense hypothesis.
Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, 1999
Because of extended exposure to potential seed predators and pathogens, persistent fruits of woody plants have been hypothesized to be chemically defended against biotic depredations. The "persistent fruit defense hypothesis" was tested using the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, in laboratory feeding trials with fruits of four alien shrubs naturalized in eastern North America: Ligustrum vulgare (common or European privet), Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle and Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose). Anecdotal observations suggested potential chemical defense against small mammal predation for fruits of Ligustrum vulgare and Lonicera maackii due to toxicity and extreme pericarp bitterness, respectively. In contrast, fruits of Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora are known to be readily eaten by smalI mammals and so apparently lack chemical defense. It was hypothesized that levels of deer mouse consumption of fruits and the seeds within would be lowest in Ligustrum vulgare and Lonicera maackii due to defensive unpalatability and greatest in non-defended Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora. Deer mice readily extracted and consumed seeds from persistent fruits of Ligustrum vulgare, Lonicera japonica, Lonicera maackii and Rosa multiflora at comparable levels during most feeding trials and generally showed no distinct preference for, or aversion to, fruits of any species. Thus, the persistent fruit defense hypothesis was not supported for fruits of these alien shrubs under laboratory conditions.