BRANSTETTER, M. G.; The Evergreen State College: Wing-clipping behavior and its relationship to central place foraging in the ant Pachycondyla apicalis (Formicidae, Ponerinae) Pachycondyla apicalis is a common Neotropical ant with solitary foragers that capture prey and return it to a central nest site. In a study at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, […]

BAKKEN, G.S.; KROCHMAL, A.R.; Indiana State University; University of Houston Downtown: What might rattlesnakes see? Thermal signal strength of prey, predators, and background Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) derive their name from the facial pits, which are paired thermal radiation receptors that detect fluctuations in the temperatures of surrounding surfaces. Facial pits are often regarded as specializations […]

SPEZZANO JR., L.C.; Miami University: Safety in numbers? Aggression in juvenile painted turtles, Chrysemys picta Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) occur in large numbers and are a model system for studying behavior in freshwater species. However, little is known about group dynamics and intraspecific agonism, or whether it is time, density- or individual size-dependent. Here, behavior […]

LAILVAUX, Simon P; IRSCHICK, Duncan J; Tulane University; Tulane University: Rumble in the Jungle: bite force, dewlap size, and male fighting ability in two species of Caribbean Anolis lizards In territorial animals, whole-organism performance abilities influence the outcome of male fights, but the importance of such abilities to non-territorial species is less clear. We conducted […]

BOEGE-TOBIN, D.D.*; CONGDON, E.R.*; DOERR, J.G.*; University of Missouri, St. Louis; University of Missouri, St. Louis; Lewis and Clark Community College, Godfrey, IL: Radio-telemetry in mammals without necks: choosing appropriate transmitters and implantation techniques. Recent advances in technology have allowed researchers to conduct studies of animal movement patterns previously considered daunting, if not impossible. Unfortunately, […]

FENOLIO, Dant� B.; University of Miami: Population ecology and behavior of the Ozark blind cave salamander, Typhlotriton spelaeus The nutrient dynamics, food web functions, and community compositions of subterranean ecosystems remain poorly understood. Equally unclear are intra- and interspecific interactions, distributions, densities, and movement patterns of subterranean animals. More specifically, difficulty in deciphering the complexities […]

COLBERT, P; SPENCER, R-J; JANZEN, F.J.; Iowa State University: Hatch or Wait II: Synchronous hatching is not a predator-avoidance strategy in turtles. Synchrony in the timing of births may have evolved as a predator-avoidance strategy as it dilutes the risk of predation upon vulnerable newborn and naive young. Synchronous hatching of sibs within a nest […]

ASBURY, D/A*; ADOLPH, S/C; Indiana State University; Harvey Mudd College: Field experiments demonstrate plasticity of microhabitat use in Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) Geographic variation in microhabitat use among populations of a single species could reflect genetic divergence in habitat use behavior, behavioral plasticity or a combination thereof. Very few studies of vertebrates have explored […]

HORISAWA, S.; BYRNES, G.T.; DUDLEY, R.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Erratic Flight in Butterflies Palatability of butterflies is correlated with diverse morphological features, flight speeds, and flight trajectories. In particular, palatable butterflies exhibit erratic flight paths which help in evading attack from aerial predators. We determined three-dimensional […]

BERNATIS, JL; MCGAW, IJ; University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Dungeness crabs use behavior to minimize the physiological costs of feeding and digestion in hypoxia The Dungeness crab, Cancer magister, inhabits areas that are frequently subject to periods of hypoxia. These crabs use a variety of physiological mechanisms to survive in these hypoxic conditions. However, this […]