Open AccessCross-sensory modulation in a future top predator, the young Nile crocodile
Author(s) -
Laura Chabrolles,
Gérard Coureaud,
Nicolas Boyer,
Nicolas Mathevon,
Marilyn Beauchaud
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
royal society open science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 51
ISSN - 2054-5703
DOI - 10.1098/rsos.170386
Subject(s) - sensory system , stimulus modality , odor , stimulus (psychology) , foraging , perception , crocodylus , olfaction , sensory cue , biology , predator , psychology , communication , crocodile , neuroscience , audiology , cognitive psychology , ecology , predation , medicine
Animals routinely receive information through different sensory channels, and inputs from a modality may modulate the perception and behavioural reaction to others. In spite of their potential adaptive value, the behavioural correlates of this cross-sensory modulation have been poorly investigated. Due to their predator life, crocodilians deal with decisional conflicts emerging from concurrent stimuli. By testing young Crocodylus niloticus with sounds in the absence or presence of chemical stimuli, we show that (i) the prandial (feeding) state modulates the responsiveness of the animal to a congruent, i.e. food-related olfactory stimulus, (ii) the prandial state alters the responsiveness to an incongruent (independent of food) sound, (iii) fasted, but not sated, crocodiles display selective attention to socially relevant sounds over noise in presence of food odour. Cross-sensory modulation thus appears functional in young Nile crocodiles. It may contribute to decision making in the wild, when juveniles use it to interact acoustically when foraging.