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Assessing the sensitivity of foraging and vigilance to internal state and environmental variables in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris)

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Abstract

Both internal and environmental factors influence the trade-offs animals make between foraging and antipredator vigilance. However, few studies examine both internal and environmental factors simultaneously, preventing us from drawing inferences about their relative importance during foraging. We capitalized on a long-term study of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to compare the relative importance of internal state-based factors versus external environmental factors in explaining variation in marmot foraging and vigilance behavior. Results indicate that while internal factors such as baseline fecal glucocorticoid metabolites, parasite infection, and body condition influence the time allocated to both foraging and vigilance, environmental factors such as group size and habitat characteristics only explain variation in the time allocated to vigilance. Thus, our findings reveal not only the importance of considering effects of both internal and environmental factors in explaining behavioral trade-offs but also the value in evaluating the subtle ways in which factors explaining vigilance and foraging differ.

Significance statement

Studies on foraging and vigilance typically focus either on internal or environmental factors that influence behavior. This paper makes contributions to the field by integrating both internal factors, such as parasite infection, body condition, and fecal glucocorticoid hormone levels, and external factors, such as group size and habitat characteristics, in evaluation of behavioral trade-offs. We find that foraging and vigilance are affected differently by internal and external factors. This highlights the fact that even though foraging and vigilance are closely related, they are unique behaviors and there are opportunities in understanding how the factors that influence them differ.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the many marmoteers who assisted with data collection in the field. Sara Hiebert Burch provided feedback during early drafts of this manuscript. We also thank several anonymous reviewers for their useful and constructive feedback during the revision process. Funding for this project came from the Swarthmore College Biology Department (HC), a Department of Education GAANN fellowship, an NSF GK-12 fellowship, a UCLA Chancellor’s Prize (TWW), the National Geographic Society, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, the Unisense foundation, a UCLA Faculty Senate Faculty Research Grant, the US National Science Foundation (IDBR 0754247, DEB-1119660), and UCLA Division of Life Sciences Dean’s recruitment and retention funds (to Blumstein); and NSF-DBI-0242960 and NSF-DBI-0731346 (to the RMBL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Helen E. Chmura

  2. Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Tina W. Wey

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1606, USA

    Daniel T. Blumstein

  4. Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA

    Daniel T. Blumstein

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  1. Helen E. Chmura
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Correspondence to Helen E. Chmura.

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Ethical standards

Marmots were studied under research protocol ARC 2001–191-01 as well as permits issued by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The research protocol was approved by the UCLA Animal Care Committee on 13 May 2002 and renewed annually.

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Communicated by E. Korpimäki

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Chmura, H.E., Wey, T.W. & Blumstein, D.T. Assessing the sensitivity of foraging and vigilance to internal state and environmental variables in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) . Behav Ecol Sociobiol 70, 1901–1910 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-016-2195-y

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