title: Responses of a top and a meso predator and their prey to moon phases.
abstract: We compared movement patterns and rhythms of activity of a top predator, the Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus, a mesopredator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes, and their shared principal prey, the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, in relation to moon phases. Because the three species are mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, we hypothesized that the shared prey would reduce its activity at most risky moon phases (i.e. during the brightest nights), but that fox, an intraguild prey of lynx, would avoid lynx activity peaks at the same time. Rabbits generally moved further from their core areas on darkest nights (i.e. new moon), using direct movements which minimize predation risk. Though rabbits responded to the increased predation risk by reducing their activity during the full moon, this response may require several days, and the moon effect we observed on the rabbits had, therefore, a temporal gap. Lynx activity patterns may be at least partially mirroring rabbit activity: around new moons, when rabbits moved furthest and were more active, lynxes reduced their travelling distances and their movements were concentrated in the core areas of their home ranges, which generally correspond to areas of high density of rabbits. Red foxes were more active during the darkest nights, when both the conditions for rabbit hunting were the best and lynxes moved less. On the one hand, foxes increased their activity when rabbits were further from their core areas and moved with more discrete displacements; on the other hand, fox activity in relation to the moon seemed to reduce dangerous encounters with its intraguild predator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-C.S.I.C.), c/Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain, penteriani@ebd.csic.es.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Penteriani
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuparinen
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Mar Delgado
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palomares
authors.forename: José Vicente
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: López-Bao
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fedriani
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calzada
authors.forename: Sacramento
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villafuerte
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Campioni
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lourenço
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D020387:Food Chain; D005589:Foxes / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D046008:Lynx / Q000502:physiology*; D016081:Moon; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011235:Predatory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors