Predator and heterospecific stimuli alter behaviour in cattle

Area of Science:

• Ethology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Wildlife Science

Background:

• Ungulates exhibit behavioral changes in response to predator cues.
• Previous research has not comprehensively tested domestic species against diverse predator and prey stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate behavioral responses of domestic cattle (Bos taurus) to olfactory and visual cues from wolves (Canis lupus), mountain lions (Puma concolor), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).
• To determine if cattle can differentiate between predator types and other ungulate herbivores.

Main Methods:

• Experimental design using olfactory and visual stimuli (wolf, mountain lion, deer) and a control.
• Measurement of cattle vigilance, foraging rates, giving-up density (GUD) of food, and time spent in high-quality forage areas.

Main Results:

• Wolf stimuli significantly increased cattle vigilance and decreased foraging rates.
• Mule deer stimuli significantly increased cattle foraging rates and use of high-quality forage areas.
• Mountain lion stimuli did not significantly affect any measured behavioral variables.

Conclusions:

• Domestic herbivores, specifically cattle, exhibit distinct behavioral reactions to different predator cues.
• Cattle can differentiate between stimuli from different predatory species.
• The presence of heterospecifics (deer) may reduce cattle's anti-predator behavior.