Animal Studies Commons^™

Snowshoe Hares (Lepus Americanus) Alter Feeding Behavior In Response To Coyote (Canis Latrans) And Moose (Alces Alces) Cues At Diverse Vegetation Densities, Zachary K. Lankist

Student Scholarship

Prey interpret predator cues as a warning and use them to assess the danger of a given area. Multiple prey species avoid chemical cues from predators at feeding sites because the risk of death outweighs the benefit of food. However, we lack information regarding avoidance of chemical cues from competitors as well as how foraging behavior changes alongside vegetative cover. To test if chemical cues and veget~tive cover alter prey vigilance, number of visits, and time spent at feeding sites, I observed snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in plots containing coyote (Canis latrans; predator) and moose (Alces alces; competitor) urine across …