猎物捕获和征服是一种复杂的行为,受许多因素的影响,包括捕食者和猎物的生理和行为特征。西方带状壁虎(Coleonyxvariegatus)是一种小型的通才捕食者,会消耗两种逃避猎物,比如蜘蛛,黄蜂,和直翅目昆虫,和非逃避猎物,包括幼虫,蛹,和等翅目。当消耗某些猎物时(例如,蝎子),带状壁虎会捕获然后快速振荡,或者摇晃,他们的头部和身体的前部。带状壁虎也有很大的,活跃的尾巴,可以占其体重的20%以上,并且可以通过尾部自体切开术自愿切断。然而,自体切开术如何影响壁虎的猎物捕获行为尚不清楚。使用高速3D摄像,我们研究了猎物类型(粉虫和the)和尾巴自切对带状壁虎的猎物捕获和征服性能的影响。性能指标包括捕获猎物的最大速度和距离,以及捕获后震动的速度和频率。无论尾巴状态如何,粉虫捕获猎物的最大速度和距离均低于the。然而,自体切开术后,对粉虫的打击最大速度增加,但对the的打击显着降低。捕获后,壁虎总是摇粉虫,但从来没有板球。自体切开术后摇动粉虫的频率降低,并观察到其他定性差异。我们的结果强调了猎物类型和尾部自切术对猎物捕获生物力学的复杂和相互作用的影响。
Prey capture and subjugation are complex behaviors affected by many factors including physiological and behavioral traits of both the predator and the prey. The western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) is a small generalist predator that consumes both evasive prey items, such as spiders, wasps, and orthopterans, and non-evasive prey items, including larvae, pupae, and isopterans. When consuming certain prey (e.g., scorpions), banded geckos will capture and then rapidly oscillate, or shake, their head and anterior part of their body. Banded geckos also have large, active tails that can account for over 20% of their body weight and can be voluntarily severed through the process of caudal
autotomy. However, how
autotomy influences prey capture behavior in geckos is poorly understood. Using high-speed 3D videography, we studied the effects of both prey type (mealworms and crickets) and tail autotomy on prey capture and subjugation performance in banded geckos. Performance metrics included maximum velocity and distance of prey capture, as well as velocity and frequency of post-capture shaking. Maximum velocity and distance of prey capture were lower for mealworms than crickets regardless of tail state. However, after
autotomy, maximum velocity increased for strikes on mealworms but significantly decreased for crickets. After capture, geckos always shook mealworms, but never crickets. The frequency of shaking mealworms decreased after
autotomy and additional qualitative differences were observed. Our results highlight the complex and interactive effects of prey type and caudal
autotomy on prey capture biomechanics.