Predator switching is often assumed to be a stabilizing force in predator–prey interactions. Recent models, however, have shown that predator switching can have a destabilizing effect on populations, creating cycles or even extinctions of predators and prey. However, most of these models have been traditional top-down mathematical models that do not incorporate individual variability or evoluti...

In mutual intraguild predation (IGP), the role of individual guild members is strongly context dependent and, during ontogeny, can shift from an intraguild (IG) prey to a food competitor or to an IG predator. Consequently, recognition of an offspring's predator is more complex for IG than classic prey females. Thus, IG prey females should be able to modulate their oviposition decisions by integ...

The existence and consistency of individual behavioral types in response to challenging situations is of increasing interest in behavioral biology. In our study on European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), we (1) investigated correlations between social behavior during early development and responses to experimental stressors during later life, and (2) tested for consistencies in these response...

Recent hypotheses suggest that immunosuppression, resulting from altered environmental conditions, may contribute to the increased incidence of amphibian disease around the world. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in amphibian skin are an important innate immune defense against fungal, viral and bacterial pathogens. Their release is tightly coupled with release of the stress hormone noradrenaline (...

BACKGROUND In many areas, livestock are grazed within wolf (Canis lupus) range. Predation and harassment of livestock by wolves creates conflict and is a significant challenge for wolf conservation. Wild prey, such as elk (Cervus elaphus), perform anti-predator behaviors. Artificial selection of cattle (Bos taurus) might have resulted in attenuation or absence of anti-predator responses, or in ...

In this work we present a predator-prey model that incorporates individual behavior of the predators. A classical Lotka-Volterra model with self-limiting prey describes the predator-prey interaction. Predator individuals can use two behavioral tactics to dispute a prey when they meet, the classical hawk and dove tactics. Each individual can use both tactics along its life. The predator behavior...

Individual base model of predator-prey system is constructed. Both predator and prey species have age structure and cohorts of early reproductive age have competitive advantage. The model has linear functional response in predation behavior and includes the effect of interference among predators and delay of population growth from resource intake, not by functional response but by calculation p...

Organisms are adept at altering behaviors to balance the tradeoff between foraging and predation risk in spatially and temporally shifting predator environments. In order to optimize this tradeoff, prey need to be able to display an appropriate response based on degree of predation risk. To be most beneficial in the earliest life stages in which many prey are vulnerable to predation, innate ant...

study of the spatial distribution of a pest and its natural enemies provides better decision tool for integrated pest management. the spatial distribution and seasonal activity of panonychus ulmi (koch) and its predator zetzellia mali (ewing) were studied in an apple orchard in khoramdareh (zanjan province, iran) during 2007. the interaction (density dependence) between the prey and its predato...