Mechanisms of homing in the fiddler crab Uca rapax. 1. Spatial and temporal characteristics of a system of small-scale navigation
The journal of experimental biology
; 206: 4413-4423, Dec. 2003. tab, graf
Artigo
em Inglês
| MedCarib
| ID: med-17612
Biblioteca responsável:
TT5
Localização: TT5; QH301, .B78
ABSTRACT
Fiddler crabs Uca rapax are central-place foragers, making feeding excursions of up to 2 m from their burrows. We describe the natural feeding excursions of path-integrating fiddler crabs and analyze their paths for signs of significant systematic or random navigation errors. No signs of any systematic errors are evident. Random errors are small, probably due to a combination of the short length and low sinuosity of the foraging paths, as well as the fiddler crabs' unique method of locomotion that allows them to remain oriented to their burrows throughout the foraging path and to minimize large body turns. We further examined the extent to which their body orientation during foraging (transverse body axis pointing more or less towards home) accurately represented their stored home vector. By examining sequences of fast escape, we have shown that crabs can correct for deviations of their transverse body axis from home during their escape path. Thus their stored home vector is independent of their moment-to-moment body orientation. Crabs were subjected to passive translational displacements and barrier obstructions. Responses to translational displacements were identical to those observed by previous authors, namely that crabs returned in the correct egocentric direction and distance as though no displacement had occurred. Covering the burrow entrance resulted in crabs returning to the correct position of the burrow, and then beginning to search. When a barrier was placed between foraging crabs and their burrow, crabs oriented their bodies toward the burrow as accurately as with no barrier.
Texto completo:
Disponível
Coleções:
Bases de dados internacionais
Base de dados:
MedCarib
Assunto principal:
Braquiúros
/
Comportamento Alimentar
/
Marcha
/
Comportamento de Retorno ao Território Vital
/
Processos Mentais
Tipo de estudo:
Estudo prognóstico
Limite:
Animais
País/Região como assunto:
Caribe Inglês
/
Trinidad e Tobago
Idioma:
Inglês
Revista:
The journal of experimental biology
Ano de publicação:
2003
Tipo de documento:
Artigo
Instituição/País de afiliação:
University of Glasgow/United Kingdom