| dc.description.abstract | Early detection of predators greatly improves prey escape and survival chances. By investigating cues left behind by predators, such as fur, urine, faeces, feathers (known as secondary predator cues, SPCs) prey may gain vital information about predators in the vicinity. This can inform defensive behaviours without the need for dangerous direct contact with a potential predator. Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) display an unusual mobbing-like response upon encountering SPCs, not reported in any other species. The function of this behaviour is unclear because, unlike mobbing of a live predator, this response does not yield the primary benefit of driving the threat away. An additional suggested benefit of predator mobbing is cultural transmission of information. The mobbing-like response in meerkats may function similarly in transferring information about cues associated with threats. I first investigated whether this mobbing-like response constituted a form of teaching, experimentally testing whether adults increase response intensity to promote learning in naïve pups. The results suggested that the mobbing-like response is not a form of teaching, with the presence and/or number of pups reducing response intensity. I then analysed long-term data to examine how the response to natural SPC encounters differs from predator encounters, comparing rate of animal mobbing vs mobbing-like response to SPCs. Additionally, I used the long-term data to investigate changes in behaviour (alarm calling, guarding, distance travelled and pup provisioning) in the hour before and after a SPC encounter. I also investigated the effect of pup presence on both of these responses. Again there was no evidence for teaching, with the presence and/or number of pups reducing response rate to SPCs. The presence of pups increased guarding rate generally but did not affect behavioural changes following an SPC encounter. Alarm calling rate was increased and distance travelled decreased following a SPC encounter but was not affected by the presence of pups, suggesting these are direct responses to encountering SPCs. Overall, the results suggest that the role of the mobbing-like response is not teaching, but instead functions in informing defensive group behaviour. | en_GB |
