Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Behavioral Variation Between Two Clades Of Leptasterias Spp., Ashley N. Contreras
Behavioral Variation Between Two Clades Of Leptasterias Spp., Ashley N. Contreras
STAR Program Research Presentations
Leptasterias spp. are six-rayed sea stars found along the rocky intertidal of the northeast Pacific Alaska to Santa Catalina Island, southern California. In central California, three clades of Leptasterias are found in separate or mixed populations, in diverse habitats that range from shallow pools of seagrass and algae to bare rock exposed to crashing waves. Initial field observations of two clades from different locations suggested that behavioral variation may relate to habitat differences among clades. To measure differences in activity, the righting response was timed at both field sites. As a result of behavioral variation observed in the field, more …
Foraging Behavior Of Eastern Gray Squirrels On The University Of Maine Campus, Aimee Young
Foraging Behavior Of Eastern Gray Squirrels On The University Of Maine Campus, Aimee Young
Honors College
The goal of this study was to observe the foraging behavior of Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) on the University of Maine campus. The study tested whether squirrels in a more urban setting followed the optimal foraging theory, or if rarity of a food type played a greater factor in food selection. The study also examined whether urban squirrel behavior mimicked that of wild squirrels when presented with a food type uncommon on campus, but common in other parts of Maine, specifically the acorns of the white oak tree (Quercus alba). In three different areas on the campus, squirrels were …
Striped Plateau Lizards (Sceloporus Virgatus) Do Not Exhibit Behavioral Syndromes In Exploratory And Anti-Predator Contexts, Alisa Wallace
Striped Plateau Lizards (Sceloporus Virgatus) Do Not Exhibit Behavioral Syndromes In Exploratory And Anti-Predator Contexts, Alisa Wallace
Summer Research
Some animals exhibit certain behavior types consistently between contexts and/or across time. This phenomenon is known as a behavioral syndrome, or personality. Behavioral syndromes have important evolutionary implications because there are times when consistently behaving in a particular way results in fitness constraints, and we are still trying to understand why some animals have them but others don’t. For my work, I sought to determine whether the striped plateau lizard (Sceloporus virgatus), a small lizard native to the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona, demonstrated behavioral syndromes. I collected 14 male lizards and observed their responses to three behavioral assays: …