Fear, foraging and olfaction: how mesopredators avoid costly interactions with apex predators

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Wildlife Management

Background:

• Sympatric carnivores often coexist despite potential conflict.
• Mesopredators face risks from larger carnivores through interference and harassment.
• Foraging theory predicts behavioral adjustments to balance food acquisition with fitness costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the foraging behavior of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in response to olfactory risk cues from gray wolves (Canis lupus).
• To understand the behavioral mechanisms enabling predator coexistence.
• To highlight ecosystem service pathways influenced by large carnivore behavior.

Main Methods:

• Automated camera monitoring of red fox foraging.
• Repeated measures giving-up density (GUD) experiments.
• Manipulation of olfactory risk cues (wolf urine).

Main Results:

• Red foxes significantly increased GUDs (34%) and quitting harvest rates (29%) when exposed to wolf urine.
• Foxes reduced time spent at food patches and altered foraging behavior to mitigate risk.
• Olfaction serves as a key sensory modality for risk assessment in red foxes.

Conclusions:

• Red foxes exhibit behavioral plasticity in response to perceived predation risk from gray wolves.
• Behavioral adaptations facilitate coexistence between competing predators.
• Understanding these interactions is crucial for effective wildlife management and conservation, especially concerning large carnivores.