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Related Experiment Videos

Future value and patch choice in least chipmunks

Devenport1, Humphries, Devenport

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Oklahoma

Animal Behaviour
|December 16, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Least chipmunks foraging on non-renewable seed patches discount patch value based on harvest amount. Their patch assessment is facultative, adapting to whether patches are expected to replenish.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Foraging Behavior
  • Animal Cognition

Background:

  • Animals foraging from finite resources face a valuation challenge where patch value decreases with harvest.
  • Understanding how animals assess and value foraging patches is crucial for behavioral ecology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if least chipmunks (Tamias minimus) subjectively value foraging patches based on depletion.
  • To determine if chipmunks discount patch value based on harvest history or remaining resources.

Main Methods:

  • Captive least chipmunks foraged on buried seed patches with varying depletion levels.
  • Experiments manipulated patch depletion and refill status to assess chipmunk choice behavior.
  • Chipmunks' patch selection was recorded following partial or complete depletion, and after patch refilling.

Main Results:

  • Chipmunks preferentially selected less depleted patches, indicating they discounted value based on harvest amount.
  • Animals avoided returning to completely depleted patches and showed random selection when refilled, suggesting a focus on remaining resources.
  • When refilled, chipmunks treated patches as renewable, valuing them by amount removed, not remaining.

Conclusions:

  • Least chipmunks possess a facultative patch assessment mechanism, expecting non-renewal but adapting to renewable conditions.
  • Their foraging decisions reflect an ability to adjust valuation strategies based on past experience and environmental cues.

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