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WEASELS’ ( MUSTELA NIVALIS NIVALIS ) PREFERENCE FOR OLFACTORY CUES OF THE VOLE ( CLETHRIONOMYS GLAREOLUS )
Author(s) -
Ylönen Hannu,
Sundell Janne,
Tiilikainen Raisa,
Eccard Jana A.,
Horne Taina
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084[1447:wmnnpf]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - weasel , predation , bank vole , biology , zoology , ecology , nest (protein structural motif) , odor , clethrionomys glareolus , vole , olfactory cues , reproductive success , olfaction , population , demography , biochemistry , neuroscience , sociology
Many studies on life history strategies of small mammals under predation risk are based on assumptions that mammalian predators use scent marking from prey in searching and hunting. This is especially true for small mustelids hunting in the tunnels and cavities of their prey. It is assumed that weasels use the estrous signs of female voles as hunting cues, which exposes such females to a more pronounced risk of predation. We studied the preferences of 57 least weasels ( Mustela nivalis nivalis ) toward odor cues from four different reproductive categories of the bank vole ( Clethrionomys glareolus ). In the first experiment, weasels selected clearly for vole odors over clean bedding in a Y‐maze arena. The second experiment demonstrated that there was no difference in weasel preference between estrous and pregnant or lactating females. Thirdly, there was no preference for odors from dominant vs. subordinate males. Finally, we offered weasels a dyadic choice between olfactory signs of six possible combinations of four prey categories: reproductive females, reproductive males, immature females, and immature males. There was no clear preference for any of the categories; only immature males seemed to be preferred less than females of the same age. Our study does not support the hypothesis that the weasel would have clear olfactory preference for some reproductive category of voles. However, in the field, factors like spacing behavior, mobility and acoustic cues of the prey, and conspicuousness of the nest site might affect the behavior of hunting weasels and individual vulnerability of prey. Corresponding Editor: J. S. Brown.