Predation is a powerful selection force which has lead to evolution of bewildering array of defensive structures and behaviors in various animal groups. Take for instance the body armor in sticklebacks, spine helmets in Daphnia, or fearful ‘lets-not-move’ type of behavior in many species, populations and life stages subject high risk of predation.
According to a report in the last week’s Helsingin Sanomat (HS 3.3.2009 kaapo.pdf), a jackrussel terrier Kaapo from Kuopio appears to know something about predation. In a late evening walk on the ice of a lake, he became a subject to attacks of an eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). The owl grabbed Kaapo twice, but due to his cunning synthetic armor, Kaapo escaped both predation attempts and managed to hide in reeds.
Happily and physically intact, Kaapo appears to express also adaptive phenotypic plasticity: he refuses to go out and does his things indoors. Rational behavior I would say: I guess that the risk being killed by your owner for indoor pooping is smaller as compared to what might happen outdoors.
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This story somehow reminds me of a study published in Current Biology (Vol 19: Issue 5) about a chimp called Santino, who was observed to plan his future actions in a zoo. Santino would start collecting rocks and manufacturing concrete discs in the morning to be able to use them as missiles against zoo visitors later in the day. The actions of Santino during ten years of observations are said to suggest that in previous experiments with great apes, where future planning has been demonstrated by experimentally inducing it in a lab, the observed planning has not been due to experimental artefacts. The behaviours of Santino are also said to hint at a parallel to evolution of culture in early humans.
It might have been that I actually somehow associated the HS story with the Current Biology article because of their similarities in the sample size.
Long live Santino and Kaapo!
Anssi tells me that Uppsala fidos have also something to worry about. ‘Helge’, an Ural owl, has just moved into city center and is licking it’s beak for the passing pudels:
http://www2.unt.se/pages/1,1826,MC=77-AV_ID=878712,00.html
The Beast has pointed out that the dog just needs a litter tray.
Tell the beast that one does not have to live the life in litter tray: she could put on some armor, grow bigger and/or faster, become unpalatable, mimic a lion – options are endless.
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[...] a big brain or synthetic armor are not the only means to reduce risk of being predated. Marine biologist have recently discovered [...]