As a unique survival tactic, Brandt's vole, a unique rodent species, trim down tall grasses of unedible plants to have a better view of the skies and incoming predators, according to a recent study.
Vole's Unique Survival Method
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY KARINE ALBERTAZZI A photo taken on April 27, 2016, shows a water vole.
In a study published in the journal Current Biology, titled "A rodent herbivore reduces its predation risk through ecosystem engineering," researchers tested how the herbivore rodent - Brendt's vole, changed its behavior amid the increased presence of shrikes - the vole's natural predator.
In inner Mongolia, researchers observed that when more shrikes are within the vicinity, the tiny rodents cut down tall grasses of inedible plants to understand better the skies and where the shrikes might strike. Researchers also noted that the voles don't eat the trimmed-down bunchgrass. In fact, they keep it to themselves for safekeeping, an example of ecosystem engineering.
Researchers led the recent study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Northeast Normal University, China, University of Florida, and the University of Exeter.
Until today, little is known regarding the consequences of engineering activity by prey that modify their environment to reduce the risks of being eaten. Dr. Dirk Sanders, the co-author of the study, explains that in the presence of shrikes, voles dramatically decreased the bunchgrass volume in their surroundings. This behavior led to significantly fewer shrike visits - which, coincidentally, seem as though they recognize cut-grass areas as poor grounds for hunting.
Sanders adds that the vole's ecosystem engineering is constantly in terms of energy; hence, there must be a high selection pressure to do it, cutting down tall grasses must have significant improvement in their survival chances.
For vole, cut grass equates to better views of the skies, better than using discarded grass for hiding. This is because birds perched on bunchgrass when hunting for vole while functioning as a stash for their prey.
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Studying Brendt's Vole
The recent study focused on Lasiopodyms brandtii or Brandt's vole. A rodent is native to grasslands and shrublands in northern China, Mongolia, and Russia.
These unique rodents live in groups consisting mainly of close relatives. Each group establishes a vast network of underground burrows; however, they feed above ground. They prefer open habitats, generally avoiding covers of dense vegetation, reports DailyMail. The problem for these voles is that shrikes often perch on branches and stems of tall grasses and shrubs when searching for individual prey.
In the study, researchers used field surveys and experiments in steppe grasslands in inner Mongolian areas to analyze and observe the relationship between bunchgrass abundance and voles and predatory visitors.
Researchers observed that voles actively modified their habitat by cutting large, unpalatable bunchgrass in the presence of shrikes. The behavior, however, disappeared when the researchers experimentally excluded the avian predators by using nets.
Sanders explains that scientists sometimes underestimate wild animals' ability to react to changes in their environment. Adding that, the recent study reminds us that species show unique adaptations while underlying the loss of even a single species in the complex food web may result in unexpected changes to habitats.
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