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Do European hedgehogs select substrates when they defecate?
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Abstract
Like most mammals, European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are nocturnal animals, with a notable sense of smell. This fact suggests that faeces could play a communicative role in this species, and therefore hedgehogs could choose the location of their faeces in order to increase their detectability. To verify this assumption, the spatial distribution of faeces of European hedgehog in a suburban forest (Valdelatas, Madrid) was analysed. The study lasted eight months, during which we sampled three transects fortnightly. The data obtained show that faeces were placed on clear substrates which were visually highlighted (territorial mark amplification). Besides, hedgehogs placed the faeces in the lateral regions of the trails, not far from their margins. These results seem to indicate that European hedgehogs select the places where to defecate, apparently seeking a trade-off between detectability and safety for its marking behaviour, and they put on the table the possibility that this species uses their faeces as communicative marks.
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| Insgesamt | Letzte 365 Tage | In den letzten 30 Tagen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aufrufe von Kurzbeschreibungen | 925 | 182 | 31 |
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Do European hedgehogs select substrates when they defecate?
in BehaviourSearch for other papers by Francisco Javier de Miguel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Sara Ruiz-Montero in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Héctor San Andrés in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by LucÃa Arregui in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Like most mammals, European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are nocturnal animals, with a notable sense of smell. This fact suggests that faeces could play a communicative role in this species, and therefore hedgehogs could choose the location of their faeces in order to increase their detectability. To verify this assumption, the spatial distribution of faeces of European hedgehog in a suburban forest (Valdelatas, Madrid) was analysed. The study lasted eight months, during which we sampled three transects fortnightly. The data obtained show that faeces were placed on clear substrates which were visually highlighted (territorial mark amplification). Besides, hedgehogs placed the faeces in the lateral regions of the trails, not far from their margins. These results seem to indicate that European hedgehogs select the places where to defecate, apparently seeking a trade-off between detectability and safety for its marking behaviour, and they put on the table the possibility that this species uses their faeces as communicative marks.
| Insgesamt | Letzte 365 Tage | In den letzten 30 Tagen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aufrufe von Kurzbeschreibungen | 925 | 182 | 31 |
| Gesamttextansichten | 201 | 4 | 2 |
| PDF-Downloads | 51 | 7 | 2 |
