Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies

Food acquisition patterns of the three-striped palm squirrel are influenced by interactions: variation in foraging response across an urban-rural gradient

This study examines how urbanisation affects foraging behavior and social interactions in palm squirrels, finding that urban squirrels show stronger approach tendencies and increased exploration due to higher competition.

First confirmed record in Melilla of Gerbillus campestris Loche, 1867 (Muridae: Gerbillinae) for Spain

The paper confirms the first record of Gerbillus campestris in Melilla, Spain, through camera traps and DNA analysis.

Feral Pig Invasion Dynamics in Central Brazil: Human-Driven Introduction, Landscape Drivers, and Ecological Consequences

This study tracks the spread of feral swine in Brazil, showing how human activities and agricultural landscapes drive their invasion and ecological impact.

Real-time invasion dynamics reveal the drivers of predator spread and prey extirpation on an island

The paper uses field surveys and citizen science to study the non-linear spread of a snake and its impact on a lizard on an island, showing accelerated prey extirpation.

From introduction to eradication: reconstructing population size and removal history of an invasive species

This study reconstructs the spatio-temporal population dynamics of an invasive species using a hierarchical harvest-based model and evaluates eradication success.

Can urban fence lizards identify cats?

This study shows urban fence lizards can detect and respond to visual cues of domestic cats, suggesting cat-induced mortality is not due to undetectability.

One scale does not fit all: invasive predator identity determines the impact on native prey

The paper shows that invasive mink's impact on water voles varies by individual residency status, suggesting targeted removal strategies based on spatial scales can improve conservation outcomes.

Is water vole diet consistent with the plant hypothesis for explaining population fluctuations?

This study investigates the diet of water voles in different regions and seasons to assess whether dandelion is a key winter resource that could explain population fluctuations.

Increases in invertebrate abundance and shifts in assemblage composition following Rodent Eradication on Lord Howe Island

This study examines the impact of rodent eradication on invertebrate abundance and assemblage composition on Lord Howe Island, finding increased abundance and shifts in composition but no change in ordinal diversity.

Killer Mice: First Documentation of Lethal and Near-Lethal Attacks on Bank Voles by Free-Living Yellow-Necked Mice

The paper documents the first recorded lethal and near-lethal attacks by yellow-necked mice on bank voles, revealing these interactions are driven by interspecies competition rather than predation.

The effect of long-term management on wild pig (Sus scrofa x domesticus) populations across the southeastern United States

The paper evaluates the effectiveness of wild pig removal efforts by analyzing population dynamics and management data across the southeastern United States.

The LAST mile: Evaluating genetic biocontrol as a supplemental tool for eradicating invasive rodents on islands

This study evaluates genetic biocontrol methods as supplements to toxicant-based eradication of invasive rodents on islands, finding Gravid Lethal to be effective under certain strategies.

Twenty-five years of monitoring reveals that uninterrupted rodent control is the fundamental driver of breeding success in the Galapagos Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia

The study shows that uninterrupted rodent control is crucial for breeding success in Galapagos Petrels, as a one-year control failure led to significant declines in hatching and breeding success.

Age-dependent effects of infection on survival of a wild rodent reservoir host

This study shows that PUUV infection reduces survival of bank voles, especially young ones, in a natural setting, contradicting the expectation that reservoir hosts are unaffected.

Broadleaved hedgerows as complementary habitats for small mammals in pine plantation landscapes

The paper assesses small mammal communities in pine plantations and hedgerows, finding hedgerows benefit some species but not restore forest specialists.

Chronoecological interactions: Temporal niche-switching by black-striped mice after agonistic food competition with a dominant sympatric mouse species

This study observes how black-striped mice shift their activity times to avoid competition with a dominant species, reducing direct encounters and enabling safe resource access.

The Frequency of Population and Masting Fluctuations Is Increasing Globally

The paper analyzes global population and masting fluctuations, finding an increasing frequency of fluctuations over 60 years with moderate effect size.

The impacts of grazing pressure by large herbivores on short-tailed field vole (Microtus agrestis) population cycles: results from a long-term upland experiment

This study shows that grazing by large herbivores reduces vole population cycles in upland areas, with effects on abundance and amplitude but not periodicity.

Integrating predator energetic balance, risk-taking behavior and microhabitat in functional response: Untangling indirect interactions in a multispecies vertebrate community

The paper integrates predator energetics and behavior into a functional response model to explain indirect interactions in a vertebrate community, finding that predator energetic balance drives changes in prey interactions.

Improving a removal model for evaluating density changes in a widespread invasive species

The paper improves a removal model for estimating density changes in invasive species by integrating it into an IPM and applying it to wild pig data, showing good performance across densities but bias under low effort and density conditions.

Fueling a predator death-trap: Trophic subsidies and the risk of management-induced collapse in a predator-prey system

The paper examines how trophic subsidies interact with invasive predator management in skink populations, finding that subsidies increase density but not individual fitness, and that predator control is essential to prevent collapse.

Human subsidies facilitate hyperpredation of Mediterranean island wildlife by outdoor cats

The paper shows that human food subsidies increase cat populations on Mediterranean islands, leading to hyperpredation and declines in reptile populations.

How rat flooding occurs during mast seeding of Melocanna baccifera?

This study investigates how M. baccifera fruit consumption affects reproductive parameters in mice and rats, showing increased fertility and suggesting a link to rat population outbreaks during mast seeding.

Additive and substitutable prey responses to feral and native predator combinations.

The paper investigates how combinations of feral and native predators affect prey foraging behavior in the Negev Desert, finding that feral predators like cats and dogs elicit stronger anti-predator responses than native predators.

Dogs gone wild: habitat use and ecological impacts of feral dogs in sub-Antarctic Chile

This study assesses the spatial distribution and ecological impacts of feral dogs on Navarino Island, finding significant habitat overlap with guanacos and negative associations with upland geese.

Quantifying Feral Pig Interactions to Inform Disease Transmission Networks

This study quantifies feral pig social interactions in Australia using GPS tracking to inform disease transmission networks and control strategies.

Swiftly squeaky clean: lessons learned from eradicating an overpopulation of rats on an island of constraints

This study demonstrates a cost-efficient, adaptive management approach for rat eradication on a tropical island, achieving success within five months while adhering to environmental regulations.

A reliance on human habitats is key to the success of an introduced predatory reptile

The study shows that male Aesculapian snakes prefer buildings while females prefer woodland, highlighting the role of human habitats in their success as an introduced ectothermic predator.

Impact of Climate, Habitat and Scale on the Population Dynamics of Feral Goats on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland

The paper analyzes how climate, habitat, and scale affect feral goat population dynamics on the Isle of Rum, finding that winter temperatures and the NAO index influence growth rates, while red deer limit foraging access.