PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Crittercam captures crocodilian foraging behaviors (videos)

Video footage reveals novel insights into alligator's cryptic foraging behaviors

2014-01-16
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Kayla Graham
onepress@plos.org
415-568-4532
Public Library of Science
Crittercam captures crocodilian foraging behaviors (videos) Video footage reveals novel insights into alligator's cryptic foraging behaviors

Animal-borne camera reveals that alligators may attempt to capture prey most often at night, even though the calculated probability of catching prey is highest in the morning, according to a study published in PLOS ONE on January 15, 2014 by James Nifong from the University of Florida and colleagues from other institutions.

Observing the behaviors of dangerous and cryptic predators like alligators is no easy task, so scientists used animal-borne cameras to monitor alligators capturing prey and their other activities. A total of fifteen adult alligators from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Guana River in coastal Florida were equipped with Crittercam. Afterward, scientists retrieved the video data to determine the frequency and successes rates of alligator foraging behaviors throughout the day.

The video footage revealed that time of day significantly affected the frequency of attacks on prey, as well as the probability of capturing prey. Alligators most often attempted to capture prey during the night, but the researchers' calculated probability of successful capture was highest in the morning and sequentially lower during day, evening, and night, respectively. Position in the water—submerged versus at the surface—also significantly affected prey-capture success, with two-fold greater capture rate when submerged while attacking prey. These estimates are the first for the wild adult American alligator and may provide rare insight into crocodilian foraging behaviors.



INFORMATION:

Quote: "Using Crittercam we gain insight into the behavior and ecological interactions of an important top-predator, the American alligator, in coastal estuaries. We discovered that alligators forage at all times of the day, but increasingly during the night and evening hours, however they were most successful in the morning and while attacking prey below the surface."

Citation: Nifong JC, Nifong RL, Silliman BR, Lowers RH, Guillette LJ Jr, et al. (2014) Animal-Borne Imaging Reveals Novel Insights into the Foraging Behaviors and Diel Activity of a Large-Bodied Apex Predator, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). PLoS ONE 9(1): e83953. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083953

Financial Disclosure: This research was conducted under an award from the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Award No. NA10NOS4200022. This work was supported in-part by the University of Florida Foundation Inc. Alligator Research Fund (016501) (Donors: Delecker Family), University of Florida Singer Biology Fund, and the National Science Foundation, OCE-1030822 (Award No. 10021501). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared no competing interests. The affiliation of Russell H. Lowers with Inomedic Health Applications does not alter the authors' adherence to all PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends): http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083953



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health

2014-01-16
Using progesterone for hot flashes shown safe for women's cardiovascular health Treatment with progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone that has been shown to alleviate severe hot flashes and night sweats in post-menopausal women, poses little ...

Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukemia

2014-01-16
Breakthrough announced in treatment of patient with rare type of leukemia University of Leicester researchers deploy 'precision medicine' to successfully target advanced form of leukaemia with skin cancer drug A team of scientists from the University of Leicester ...

A deeper look at interfaces

2014-01-16
A deeper look at interfaces Researchers at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source develop new technique for probing subsurface electronic structure "The interface is the device," Nobel laureate Herbert Kroemer famously observed, referring to the remarkable ...

Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age

2014-01-16
Trees grow faster and store more carbon as they age Trees put on weight faster and faster as they grow older, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The finding that most trees' growth accelerates as they age suggests that large, old trees may ...

2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs

2014-01-16
2 diabetes studies in Jan. 2014 Health Affairs Jan. articles examine the toll of diabetes, both in the US and abroad Poorer Americans: depleted food budgets can mean higher risk of hypoglycemia. For generations, economists have noted that low-income households spend much ...

Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk

2014-01-16
Researchers discover that coevolution between humans and bacteria reduces gastric cancer risk Research carried out in two distinct communities in Colombia illustrates how coevolution between humans and bacteria can affect a person’s risk ...

New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer

2014-01-16
New analysis shows fewer years of life lost to cancer Dartmouth researchers say US has underestimated its progress in war on cancer (Lebanon, NH, 1/15/14) - Since the enactment of the National Cancer Act in 1971, the U.S. has spent hundreds ...

Ray of hope for magazines in digital era

2014-01-16
Ray of hope for magazines in digital era Targeted audiences and websites can help magazines weather the onslaught of online competition There is a ray of hope for magazines that do it right. While print media continue to suffer at the hands of their online counterparts, ...

Resisting the flu

2014-01-16
Resisting the flu New avenues for influenza control suggested by identification of an enzyme that plays a crucial role in resistance to the infection McGill researchers, led by Dr. Maya Saleh of the Department of Medicine, have identified an enzyme, cIAP2 that helps the ...

Next-gen reappraisal of interactions within a cancer-associated protein complex

2014-01-16
Next-gen reappraisal of interactions within a cancer-associated protein complex Application of global sequencing technology reveals how an activator of gene expression stays focused KANSAS CITY, MO- At a glance, DNA is a rather simple sequence of A, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Farmed totoaba could curb poaching

Avalanches: user-carried safety device increases survival time fivefold

It’s all in your head: Select neurons in the brainstem may hold the key to treating chronic pain

Time-restricted eating can boost athletes' health and performance

Burning issue: study finds fire a friend to some bees, a foe to others

Insights from 15 years of collaborative microbiome research with Indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon

Designing polymers for use in next-generation bioelectronics

Losing Nemo: Almost all aquarium fish in the US are caught in the wild

Revisiting minimum case volume recommendations for complex surgery in contemporary practice

Medicaid innovation models improve care for moms, but design matters

Cannabis use among individuals with psychosis after state-level commercial cannabis legalization

Open-label placebos as adjunct for the preventive treatment of migraine

Moon's biggest impact crater made a radioactive splash

Smoking and biological sex shape healthy bladder tissue evolution, offering clues to cancer risk

Improved genetic tool reveals hidden mutations that can drive cancer

Hidden evolution in sperm raises disease risk for children as men age

Women portrayed as younger than men online, and AI amplifies the bias

Engineered bacterial therapy activates immune response in cancer preclinical studies

Energy flexibility is reshaping Finland’s electricity market

Individuals with sickle cell disease face long delays to pain care in emergency department

Association for Molecular Pathology develops standardized biomarker report template for providers

Making regular GPS ultra-precise

Webb Telescope unveils doomed star hidden in dust

UT Southwestern preventive cardiologist to receive the 2025 Chairman’s Award

Slime mold metabolites are a promising, eco-friendly repellent of root-knot nematodes

Pathological mechanism of mechanosensitive cells driving the growth of keloids

First large-scale Alzheimer disease study in brain tissue from African American donors implicates roles for many novel genes

In a nasal spray, gold “nanoparticles” deliver a targeted treatment to the brain. A potentially revolutionary approach to mental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases already has a patent

Current and recommended diets in the USA have embedded forced labor risk

AI breakthrough helps astronomers spot cosmic events with just a handful of examples

[Press-News.org] Crittercam captures crocodilian foraging behaviors (videos)
Video footage reveals novel insights into alligator's cryptic foraging behaviors