Publication Date:
2017-10-05
Description:
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.
Type:
Article
,
NonPeerReviewed
Format:
text
Permalink
