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Prey detection

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Animals living in groups have increased vigilance, and even solitary animals are capable of rapid escape when needed. Even if it does make a capture, its prey may attract competing predators, giving it a chance to escape in the struggle. It may also strike a non-vital organ: some species have
132:(such as touch). Some predators may use all of these senses in pinpointing their prey, while others may depend mainly or entirely on a single one. Detection methods may also be divided into direct detection of the prey organism itself, and indirect clues, such as the smell of its urine. 186:
prey species in their environment; as the species is more predated, its number would decrease and the search image for that species would be less useful to the predator; the predator would then switch to a search image of a prey that became more abundant.
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deceptive appearances such that one part of their body resembles another, such as insects with false heads. This makes consumption (or fatal wounds) less probable, giving the prey a second chance at escaping.
175:), allowing them to identify areas where there are large numbers of voles, for example. This adaptation is essential in prey detection, as voles are quick to hide from such predators. 271:
Once a predator has found its prey it will not always attempt to chase or eat it. Prey have other ways of deterring predators from eating them besides avoiding detection.
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will avoid eating them based on unpleasant past experiences. Even if a predator may wish to eat its prey, locomotive animals may be extremely difficult to catch.
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Often behavioral and passive characteristics are combined; for example, a prey animal may look similar to and behave like its hunter's own predator (see
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Predators may have extensive capabilities in finding prey, but even when they are successful in doing so they may not end up with a meal.
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Viitala, J., E. Korpimäki, Polakangas, P., Koivula, M. (1995) Attraction of kestrels to vole scent marks visible in ultraviolet light.
81:. Adaptations of prey that allow them to avoid predators are widespread, those that make them hard to find being collectively known as 319:(1998) Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach (6th edition), Chapter 10. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Massachusetts. 360: 316: 423: 324: 195:
For many animals the chemical senses are far more important than vision or hearing. Some specialist predatory
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to locate prey like flying insects; they can therefore locate prey even if they make no sound.
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their targets secrete. Pheromones that are exploited by an enemy like this are called
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There are a variety of methods used to detect prey. Sensory systems used include the
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with their prey, for which advantageous mutations are constantly preserved by
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signals. This article treats predation in its broadest sense, i.e. where one
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Moiseff, A. and Haresign, T. (2001) Prey Detection by Bats and Owls.
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predators non-visual clues are especially important. The
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Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
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In experimental settings, animals have demonstrated
407: 148:suggest they form a search image for certain prey. 414:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p.  456: 159:Predators need not locate their host directly: 85:. Crypsis may involve temporal evasion such as 73:. In turn, predators, too, are subject to such 23:are able to detect and locate their prey via 97:include methods other than crypsis, such as 152:Visual predators may form what is termed a 377:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.38.091206.095728 279:such that potential consumers such as a 275:plants and animals may have conspicuous 250: 139: 38: 163:, for instance, are able to detect the 35:Evolutionary struggle and prey defenses 457: 246: 405: 112:Prey detection using different senses 358: 13: 14: 481: 410:Pheromones and Animal Behaviour 359:Bond, Alan B. (December 2007). 432: 399: 352: 337: 219:Some predators rely mainly on 43:Prey have adaptations such as 1: 441:Encyclopedia of Life Sciences 310: 239:have the added capability of 171:of their prey (which reflect 7: 406:Wyatt, Tristram D. (2003). 293: 214: 190: 10: 486: 101:and the ability to fight. 58: 448:: 10.1038/npg.els.0000096 135: 330: 223:cues to detect prey. In 95:Antipredator adaptations 19:is the process by which 305:Optimal foraging theory 61:Antipredator adaptation 300:Observational learning 268: 149: 67:evolutionary arms race 56: 254: 199:(s) can locate their 143: 42: 180:perceptual switching 130:somatosensory system 65:Predators are in an 261:Calvia decemguttata 247:Following detection 269: 150: 128:(hearing) and the 75:selective pressure 57: 45:cryptic coloration 156:of certain prey. 71:natural selection 477: 449: 436: 430: 429: 413: 403: 397: 396: 356: 350: 341: 122:olfactory system 51:which help them 485: 484: 480: 479: 478: 476: 475: 474: 470:Sensory systems 455: 454: 453: 452: 437: 433: 426: 404: 400: 357: 353: 342: 338: 333: 313: 296: 249: 217: 203:prey using the 193: 144:Experiments on 138: 126:auditory system 114: 63: 53:avoid predators 37: 12: 11: 5: 483: 473: 472: 467: 451: 450: 431: 424: 398: 371:(1): 489–514. 351: 335: 334: 332: 329: 328: 327: 312: 309: 308: 307: 302: 295: 292: 265:unpalatability 248: 245: 216: 213: 192: 189: 137: 134: 113: 110: 59:Main article: 36: 33: 31:eats another. 17:Prey detection 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 482: 471: 468: 466: 463: 462: 460: 447: 443: 442: 435: 427: 425:0-521-48526-6 421: 417: 412: 411: 402: 394: 390: 386: 382: 378: 374: 370: 366: 362: 355: 348: 347: 340: 336: 326: 325:0-87893-009-4 322: 318: 315: 314: 306: 303: 301: 298: 297: 291: 288: 284: 282: 278: 274: 266: 262: 258: 253: 244: 242: 238: 234: 230: 226: 222: 212: 210: 206: 202: 198: 188: 185: 181: 176: 174: 170: 166: 162: 157: 155: 147: 142: 133: 131: 127: 123: 119: 118:visual system 109: 107: 102: 100: 96: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 68: 62: 54: 50: 46: 41: 32: 30: 26: 22: 18: 439: 434: 409: 401: 368: 364: 354: 344: 339: 289: 285: 270: 260: 241:echolocation 232: 218: 194: 179: 177: 158: 154:search image 153: 151: 115: 103: 87:nocturnality 64: 49:Alaskan hare 16: 15: 349:373:423–425 201:bark beetle 173:ultraviolet 99:aposematism 459:Categories 317:Alcock, J. 311:References 277:coloration 273:Aposematic 257:ladybeetle 209:kairomones 205:pheromones 91:camouflage 465:Predation 385:1543-592X 281:herbivore 233:Tyto alba 225:nocturnal 146:blue jays 124:(smell), 79:gene pool 21:predators 393:14757135 294:See also 229:barn owl 215:Auditory 191:Chemical 161:Kestrels 47:in this 29:organism 184:cryptic 106:mimicry 83:crypsis 25:sensory 422:  391:  383:  346:Nature 323:  197:beetle 165:faeces 136:Visual 389:S2CID 331:Notes 255:This 221:sound 169:urine 420:ISBN 381:ISSN 321:ISBN 237:Bats 167:and 446:DOI 373:doi 108:). 461:: 444:. 418:. 387:. 379:. 369:38 367:. 363:. 211:. 120:, 93:. 428:. 416:2 395:. 375:: 259:( 231:( 55:.

Index

predators
sensory
organism

cryptic coloration
Alaskan hare
avoid predators
Antipredator adaptation
evolutionary arms race
natural selection
selective pressure
gene pool
crypsis
nocturnality
camouflage
Antipredator adaptations
aposematism
mimicry
visual system
olfactory system
auditory system
somatosensory system

blue jays
Kestrels
faeces
urine
ultraviolet
cryptic
beetle

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