Ropert-Coudert, Y., Kato, A., Liebsch, Nikolai, Wilson, Rory P., Müller, Gabriele and Barbaut, E. (2004) Monitoring jaw movements: A cue to feeding activity. Game and Wildlife Science, 20 (4). pp. 1-19.

Text ROPERT-COUDERT.pdf - Reprinted Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (172kB) | Contact

Abstract

We investigated the potential of a recently-developed data logger that monitors jaw movements using a magnet/Hall sensor combination to identify features that characterize prey ingestion. Experiments were conducted on eleven captive animal species of mammals, birds and turtles, with carnivorous and herbivorous feed- ing habits, exploiting either marine or terrestrial environments. Following calibra- tion, the timing of prey ingestion was accurately detected in all instances but food manipulation prior to swallowing led to a large interspecific variability in jaw opening angle over time. Pros and cons of the system are given together with an assessment of the applicability of such a tool for ecological studies on free-ran- ging animals. Overall, the system proved promising for estimation of the quanti- ty and quality of the food.

Actions (login required)

View Item