Prey naiveté in an introduced prey species: the wild rabbit in Australia

Abstract

Early detection of predators by their prey is an essential element of antipredator tactics, and for many mammalian predator prey interactions, detection comes mainly via a predators olfactory cues. The avoidance of predator odors can reduce the likelihood of encountering predators and increases the chances of prey survival. However, the role of coevolutionary history in the exploitation of odors in mammalian predator–prey interactions is not so well understood. The prey naiveté hypothesis predicts the lack of effective antipredator behaviors given the lack of a coevolution between predator and prey but has so far been only tested on native prey. In this study, we describe the short-time responsiveness of an introduced prey species, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), to scents from coevolved and novel predators in Australia. We quantified rabbit activity rates by means of pellet counting and activity indices based on footprints, in a series of experimental plots treated with predator odors, and both methods yielded consistent results. Rabbits responded to coevolved predators by reducing their activity rates to scented experimental plots, whereas no avoidance was found for novel allopatric predators. These results suggest a shared evolutionary history between the antipredatory responses of rabbits and their natural predators.