Bird vocal activity is affected by endogenous and exogenous factors. Owl surveys are mainly based on the detection of nocturnal calls, and therefore, the impact of exogenous factors on owls’ vocal activity may have consequences in conservation planning and behavioural studies. However, our current knowledge about the impact of climatic factors and the moon phase on owl calling behaviour is very limited

The Western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus is a partial migrant with populations breeding in eastern and northern Europe migrating south and wintering mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. During autumn migration harriers move on a broad front heading SW and undertaking long sea-crossings en route to their wintering quarters. However, a substantial proportion of birds, mostly juveniles and adult females

Conspicuous colour patterns of animals, such as dots or stripes, can function as sexual and/or social signals. Their evolution is often explained by honest indicator mechanisms or the sensory exploitation hypothesis. In birds, however, the latter scenario has been scarcely tested. According to the sensory exploitation hypothesis, prey-like colour patterns can evolve when they contribute to attracting

Females not only produce costly gametes, but also store the eggs until laying them, a period called gravidity. The volume that eggs occupy in the female abdomen may decrease female foraging ability by making them slower. Although females of all species are subjected to these potential costs, it remains an unexplored matter in invertebrates. Females of the spider Paratrechalea ornata carry their egg

During mate choice, three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) females make use of male olfactory cues to determine the suitability of potential mates in a species- and habitat-dependent manner. This signal contains peptides reflecting the individual male’s MHC profile and a so-called male validation factor (MVF) indicating the species identity of the sender. In a two-armed flow channel, we

Mimicry is widespread in the animal kingdom. Parasitic cuckoos can reduce the risk of their offspring being rejected by employing morphological and egg mimicry. Female common cuckoos (Cuculus canorus) can deceive their hosts by mimicking sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) calls, thus improving brood parasitism success. However, few experiments have confirmed the hypothesis that female cuckoos can successfully

Velvet ants are a group of parasitoid wasps that are well-known for a suite of defensive traits including bright coloration, a thick exoskeleton, and a painful sting. Previous experiments have demonstrated that while virtually all potential predators avoid velvet ants, toads (family Bufonidae) may be able to prey upon them. We conducted a series of trials to determine whether American (Anaxyrus americanus)

(2020). Attacked from above and below: new ethological evidence on the predation strategies of corvid and varanid on a cave-roosting bat. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. Ahead of Print.

We tested intraspecific as well as interspecific sexual isolation in two sibling species of Drosophila: D. ananassae and D. pallidosa by the multiple-choice technique. The results indicate significant deviations from random mating in both intraspecific as well as interspecific crosses, which demonstrates the existence of strong sexual isolation. Differences in mating propensity in different strains

A recent theoretical model predicts that the allometries of structures under sexual selection vary according to their functions in sexual interactions. Structures that are specialized for exclusive use as courtship devices, and not as weapons or threat devices, were predicted to tend to show low allometric values. Detailed observations of behavior and morphological design in Leseha vespa indicated

Hemoparasites can affect wild birds in numerous ways, but the role of infection occurrence and intensity on bird physiology and morphology is still little known. Secondary sexual characters such as bird body size and plumage coloration are some of the traits which may indicate individual condition because they are negatively affected by parasites and thus ultimately influence mate choice. In this study

(2020). Neoichnology: why should we care about peck marks and dust baths?. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. Ahead of Print.

Differential temporal behaviour promotes the coexistence of similar species, thus reducing interspecific competition. We investigated the overlap of activity patterns of invasive Siberian chipmunks Eutamias sibiricus and native Eurasian red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris in northeastern Italy; then, we compared our data with the activity of the same squirrel species in Mongolia, where both of them are

Defensive behaviours are a prime strategy for animal survivorship. However, the diversity of defence displays still needs systematic studies, since most reports are based on opportunistic field observations. In this study, we explore the defensive behaviour of the cane toad, Rhinella marina, collecting data from 173 individuals. As a result, here we describe four new defensive behaviours for anurans

Amphibians often use ephemeral and simplified habitats during dry seasons in tropical biomes. These simplified habitats can have less prey available, but only a few studies focus on how their use affects frogs’ diet. Here we studied the diet of three terrestrial frogs (Adenomera sp., Ameerega berohoka, and Rhinella ocellata) at a riverbank exposed only during the dry season in the Brazilian Cerrado

Spiders are diverse and abundant predators on vegetation in all terrestrial ecosystems, but only a few studies have examined their role in modulating spider–herbivore interactions throughout the year. We tested the hypothesis that spiders may reduce herbivore abundance on vegetation, resulting in lower leaf area loss and increased fitness (seed set production) of plants studied. In the tropics, this

Foraging activity of bees depends on a combination of their biology, floral traits attractive for bees and environmental factors. We carried out this study to determine whether the variation of floral aperture, floral display and environmental factors throughout the day influence the foraging activity and composition of bee visitors in Kallstroemia pubescens (G. Don) Dandy. This research was conducted

In the presence of territorial dominant ant species, lower-ranked ants change their foraging strategy by shifting their activity in time and space and by switching to suboptimal food sources. Although important for many insect species, pollen is a rarely used food source by ants. Occasional pollen consumption was demonstrated only in a handful of ant species that are mainly lower-ranked in the competitive

Birds invest time and resources in escape behaviors, thus changing their foraging strategies, habitat selection, and even reproduction. Flight initiation distance (FID) and the distance at which birds detect a threat, alert distance (AD), have been used as indicators of the ability of birds to detect potential predators. In this study we compared the two aforementioned measures of risk reaction for

The ecology of tropical wildlife remains unknown for most nocturnal species owing to difficulties in performing night surveys. To improve our understanding of the ecology of nocturnal tropical birds, we monitored the calling activity of two Neotropical nightjars, the Little nightjar (Setopagis parvula) and the Common pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis), over an annual cycle at four sites in the Brazilian

In animal communication, acoustic signals can be used to census individuals as well as groups of individuals of the same species. The wolf (Canis lupus) is a protected species in Europe, and the study of its vocalizations may furnish information about its spatial distribution, reproductive success, and social behaviour. This study was conducted in seven locations of the Tuscan Apennines over 2 years

(2020). Evaluating hypotheses for the function of the ‘hissing’ stridulation of sun spiders (Arachnida Solifugae) Ethology Ecology & Evolution: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 296-307.

Eusocial insect colonies represent some of the most extreme examples of specialized division of labor. Ageing in workers is often associated with a temporal polyethism in the tasks performed both inside and outside the colony. Such behavioral transition is sometimes linked to a gradual reduction in individual immunity. Here, we studied the immune ability of Apis mellifera guard bees, which represent

We report a case of structural oversimplification in a small mammal assemblage, indirectly obtained by owl pellets (central Italy), where mice (Rodentia Muridae) largely dominated both in abundance and biomass (about 95%). We hypothesise that this fact could be due to: (i) recent anthropisation, which induced both an expected increase of synanthropic generalist species (mice, Muridae) and a sharp reduction

Egg mortality is one of the main factors affecting life history and conservation of oviparous species. A massive and cryptic colonisation of many leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) eggs is presented in the most important rookery for the species in Gabon. A total of 163 nests were exhumed at Kingere beach, revealing that only 16.7% of eggs produced hatchlings. In the 59% of the nests, more than

Animals need to recognise predators to assess threats and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Acoustic cues produced to attract mates may also be intercepted by predators, and signallers can use both visual and acoustic cues to detect predators and initiate escape or defensive behaviours. Here, to test whether Ueno’s brown frogs (Rana uenoi) advertising during daytime are able to visually and aurally

The effect of urbanization on birds typically has been evaluated through comparison of species composition between natural and urbanized habitats. However, few studies have examined the changes in species abundance as an urban area grows. During a 5-year period, we monitored two populations of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) nesting in separate urban areas with contrasting development and evaluated

Freshwater crabs present cryptic habits and generally live in burrows, rocks and leaves among the vegetation, in streams or rivers. The behavior of Kingsleya attenboroughi, a recently discovered freshwater crab already at considerable risk of extinction, was investigated under laboratory conditions for 12 hr in a light/dark cycle. Nine K. attenboroughi behavioral acts were described in six distinct

Tool use has been documented across a diverse array of animals; however, this behavior has received little attention in reptiles. Recently, researchers reported observations of two crocodilian species apparently using sticks as lures to aid in the capture of nesting birds, but the evidence for the behavior was anecdotal and correlative. To explore the behavior in a more controlled situation we designed

For many species, the highest predation rates are on the earliest life stages, favoring the early development of predator detection mechanisms. Aquatic larvae of Spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, suffer very high mortality rates and juveniles are vulnerable to a new suite of terrestrial predators after metamorphosis. In some species, adult salamanders assess predation risk via chemical cues

The objective of this study was to evaluate if seasonal abiotic factor variations (pluviosity, depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, hydrogen potential, ammonia and electrical conductivity) in a northeastern semiarid reservoir influence abundance and population structure variations in Palaemonidae Macrobrachium amazonicum and M. jelskii shrimp. Data were collected bimonthly from 30 reservoir sampling

The objective of this study was to describe the nocturnal behavior patterns of the interaction between mothers and their juvenile offspring at the beginning of the juvenile period in two dyads of free-ranging spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Based on direct field observation, we recorded six interaction behaviors between mothers and their juvenile offspring at nighttime and during the daylight period

The chamois is widely perceived as a strictly high-elevation ungulate, though its spatial behavior suggests fairly high phenotypic plasticity and long-range dispersal abilities. Here, we describe and discuss five events of ‘unconventional’ habitat use by chamois, i.e., individuals found swimming in the sea of Croatia and Spain, between 2004 and 2019. In four cases, sex, age, swimming distance and direction

In many species, males show anticipatory plasticity for sperm production, which they adjust to match perceived mating opportunities. While the strategic adjustment of sperm production is likely to be beneficial, it may be also associated with costs, including those arising from the expression of a phenotype that is poorly matched to the conditions that males will subsequently experience. Mismatch costs

Hatching asynchrony in birds occurs when incubation commences prior to clutch completion and results in broods containing different aged and sized nestlings. The brood reduction hypothesis predicts that hatching asynchrony is a strategy that facilitates the partial success of brood, as feeding to old and large nestlings which results in adaptive brood reduction under periods of food shortage. Using

Ascertaining the risks and benefits of different behaviors is a central goal of research on territoriality. Although most territorial behavior is ritualized, with concomitant reduced risks for both residents and intruders, this ritualization is generally found to be underpinned by rare, highly consequential, interactions. The agonistic behavior of the intertidal owl limpet, Lottia gigantea, involves

Rats are gregarious and promiscuous and when a female enters the behavioral estrous, two or more males copulate alternately (mount, intromission or ejaculation are performed by any of them). This circumstance promotes male-male competition that in turns influences the copulatory behavior. Thus, olfactory and visual cues of rivals, in laboratory conditions, shorten the ejaculation latency. Other studies

Extinctions of anuran amphibians are more alarming compared to all other vertebrates. Several reports of declines come from Atlantic Forest, which currently holds only 1.62% of natural vegetation under full protection. However, despite this degradation, the Atlantic Forest still shelters a great diversity of anurans with a high diversity of specific ecological characteristics. Thus, our objective was

Investigating biogeographical variations in diet composition can help understand the adaptability and generalism of species. Although the dietary adaptability of omnivorous mesocarnivores is well established, far less work has explored how more specialist hypercarnivores optimise their diets. By reviewing 11 studies of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), we quantitatively examined how dietary

Social structure influences animal societies on various levels (e.g., relatedness, behaviour). In ants, both the number of matings per queen and the number of queens per colony can vary strongly. While workers from both monogynous and polygynous colonies often fight fiercely, in supercolonies (an extreme form of polygyny comprising thousands of queens in spatially separated but interconnected nests)

In many animal groups, the size of male genitalia scales shallowly with individual body size. This widespread pattern appears to admit some exceptions. For instance, steep allometries have been reported for vertebrate genitalia. This exception, however, may be due to a confounding effect arising from the continued growth of some structures during adulthood in vertebrates. Consider the possibility that

The European Union lacks a comprehensive framework to address the threats posed by the introduction and spread of marine non-indigenous species (NIS). Current efforts are fragmented and suffer substantial gaps in coverage. In this paper we identify and discuss issues relating to the assessment of spatial and temporal patterns of introductions in European Seas (ES), based on a scientifically validated