The physiology of predator stress in free-ranging prey.
Ecologists have only begun to understand the physiological mechanisms underlying individual- and population-level responses of prey- to predator-related stress. Sheriff, Krebs and Boonstra advance this field by providing evidence that predator-induced increases in glucorticoid concentrations in wild female snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) impact both litter size and offspring condition. They hypothesize that the glucocorticoid-mediated effects on reproduction provides an adaptive benefit: mothers 'programming' their offspring to be timid and risk-averse in high-risk environments should increase their survival probability. This research illuminates the connection between stress physiology and population-level changes and demonstrates the surprisingly far-reaching impact of predation risk.
Preisser
Evan L
EL
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA. preisser@uri.edu
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
D005938:Glucocorticoids