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| FitzGibbon, C.D. | |
| Cheetahs and Gazelles: A Study of Individual Variation in Antipredator Behaviour and Predation Risk | |
| 1993 Physiological ecology (Jpn 29): 195-206 | |
The causes and consequences of individual variation in the anti-predator behaviour of Thomson's Gazelles _(Gazella thomsoni)_ in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania were investigated. Adult gazelles showed considerable variation in the level of antipredator behaviour, particularly in the extent to which they associated with both conspesifics and Grant's Gazelles _(Gazella granti)_, the positions they maintained in groups, their vigilance levels in the absence of predators, and the rates at which they stotted when fleeing from coursing predators. All these factors were also shown to influence their risk of predation. Causes of variation included sex, reproductive status, and physical condition. In addition, immature gazelles, particularly fawns, differed considerably from adults in the anti-predator strategies they adopted. Unable to outrun the majority of predators in direct chases, they reduced encounters with predators by spending most of their time in hiding and dropping down, adopting a prone position, when chased. |
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