Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Surplus killing and prey stashing behavior in an insectivorous carnivore. |
| Authors: |
le Roux, Aliza1 (AUTHOR) lerouxa3@ufs.ac.za, Jumbam, Keafon1 (AUTHOR), Renda, Samantha1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Ecology. Feb2026, Vol. 107 Issue 2, p1-4. 4p. |
| Subjects: |
Foraging behavior, Nurturing behavior, Canidae, Carnivorous animals, Predation |
| Geographic Terms: |
South Africa |
| Abstract: |
This article focuses on the unusual foraging and parental behaviors of the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis), an insectivorous canid specialized in consuming termites and ants. Observations at the Kuruman River Reserve in South Africa revealed a lactating female exhibiting surplus killing and incipient caching ("stashing") of rodents, a behavior not previously documented in this termite specialist or closely related canids. This behavior likely serves to meet the high energetic demands of lactation by capitalizing on the seasonal abundance of high-fat rodent prey, contrasting with the fox’s typical insectivorous diet. The study suggests that such behavioral flexibility during parental care may represent an evolutionary antecedent to more complex caching behaviors seen in generalist canids. [Extracted from the article] |
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| Database: |
Engineering Source |
