Illumination and the perception of remote habitat patches by white-footed mice.

摘要: Perceptual range, or the distance at which habitat 'patches' can be perceived, constrains an animal's informational window on a given landscape. If such constraints are great, they may limit successful dispersal between distant patches. On dark nights, nocturnal white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, have surprisingly limited perceptual abilities regarding forested habitat. In fact, their ability to orient towards while travelling in bare agricultural field indicates range under 30 m. However, increasing illumination increase range. For example, full moonlight extends of mice about 60 Light levels dusk (twilight) extend still further 90 These results suggest that interpatch by would more greater illumination, but conditions entails considerable risk predation. might avoid conflict cover darkness with aid information gathered remotely during relatively high illumination. We show indeed capable 'look now and move later' strategy: retain directional gained bright maintain previously determined bearing navigational stimuli largely absent (e.g. maximal darkness). Ultimately, better understanding behavioural ecological factors affecting movements animals across landscapes should produce clearer picture interaction landscape structure population ecology. Copyright 1999 The Association for Study Animal Behaviour.