Do Eastern Gray Squirrels Eavesdrop on Black-Capped Chickadee Referential Alarm Calls?
Location
Science Center, A154
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-25-2014 4:00 PM
End Date
4-25-2014 5:15 PM
Abstract
Alarm calls are vocalizations produced by animals in response to a perceived threat and may provide information about the presence of predators to others in the area, including conspecifics and heterospecifics with similar predators. Black-capped chickadees produce alarm calls that convey information about predator size and threat level. For this project, I tested the hypothesis that eastern gray squirrels are more likely to increase alertness in response to chickadee calls indicating larger predators than to calls indicating smaller predators. The results will indicate if squirrels attend to the most squirrel-relevant information, rather than to the urgency of the information for the calling chickadees.
Recommended Citation
Rivers, Pearl, "Do Eastern Gray Squirrels Eavesdrop on Black-Capped Chickadee Referential Alarm Calls?" (04/25/14). Senior Symposium. 38.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/seniorsymp/2014/presentations/38
Major
Biology
Advisor(s)
Roger Laushman, Biology
Project Mentor(s)
Keith Tarvin, Biology
April 2014
Do Eastern Gray Squirrels Eavesdrop on Black-Capped Chickadee Referential Alarm Calls?
Science Center, A154
Alarm calls are vocalizations produced by animals in response to a perceived threat and may provide information about the presence of predators to others in the area, including conspecifics and heterospecifics with similar predators. Black-capped chickadees produce alarm calls that convey information about predator size and threat level. For this project, I tested the hypothesis that eastern gray squirrels are more likely to increase alertness in response to chickadee calls indicating larger predators than to calls indicating smaller predators. The results will indicate if squirrels attend to the most squirrel-relevant information, rather than to the urgency of the information for the calling chickadees.
Notes
Session III, Panel 12 - Risk, Regulation, and Response: Biological Studies of Muscle Contraction, Carcinogens, and Black-Capped Chickadees
Moderator: Marta Laskowski, Professor of Biology