e. illumination) and direct cues (i.e. predator odour) did not. Giving-up-density at above-ground feeders was always lower than at on-ground feeders. Possums spent more time and foraged more at the above-ground feeders than at the on-ground feeders. Our results demonstrate that when multiple cues are present, varying in
the accuracy of the information they provide about predation risk, possums HSP inhibitor respond to habitat-related cues. Possums manage risk by modifying behaviours, reducing time spent foraging in areas where potential risk is perceived as high. Thus, when the location of a predator at a certain point in time and space is unknown, and food demands are high, habitat-related cues are a safe choice to assess predation risk, with reliable returns for free-ranging herbivores. “
“The Atlantic forest of Brazil is a biodiversity hot spot, but is extremely fragmented. Local extinction of important seed dispersers, such
as primates, threatens the maintenance of these fragments. It is important to evaluate the capacity of fragment-tolerant species to disperse seeds and help maintain plant communities within fragments. Green iguanas Iguana iguana are large, fragment-tolerant, canopy-dwelling lizards and have been noted to disperse seeds. We described the seed dispersal patterns selleck inhibitor produced by green iguanas in six urban forest fragments (1.2–8 ha in size) in the Atlantic forest of north-east Brazil, over 20 months. A total of 294 seeds were counted in 321 scats, and 12 plant species were dispersed. The largest seeds dispersed were 14.9 mm long and up to 9.2 mm wide. Iguanas deposited 86.9% MCE of scats within latrines, which
were used over a mean of at least 9 months. We show that iguanas can be effective seed dispersers and might partially replicate deposition patterns produced by howler monkeys in other studies. It is critical that we improve our understanding on the functional roles played by these cryptic, yet common, iguanas in order to determine whether they could buffer the negative effects caused by the local extinction of primates from forest fragments. “
“Home range size of terrestrial animals may be influenced by spatiotemporal dynamics of resources. However, little is known regarding the effects of spatiotemporal resource availability on semi-aquatic central place foragers such as the American beaver Castor canadensis. From January 2011 to April 2012, 26 beavers at 11 wetlands at Redstone Arsenal in north-central Alabama, USA, were captured and radio-tracked using radio telemetry.