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In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant [1] to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be part of a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation . Methods include camouflage , nocturnality , subterranean lifestyle and mimicry .
Predator–prey coevolution often makes it unfavorable for a predator to consume certain prey items, since many anti-predator defenses increase handling time. [16] Examples include porcupine quills, the palatability and digestibility of the poison dart frog, crypsis, and other predator avoidance behaviors. In addition, because toxins may be ...
Anti-predator adaptation in action: the kitefin shark (a–c) and the Atlantic wreckfish (d–f) attempt to prey on hagfishes. First, the predators approach their potential prey. Predators bite or try to swallow the hagfishes, but the hagfishes have already projected jets of slime (arrows) into the predators' mouths.
A wide range of animals, e.g. lizards, birds, rodents, and sharks, behave as if dead as an anti-predator adaptation, as predators usually take only live prey. [ 14 ] In beetles, artificial selection experiments have shown that there is heritable variation for length of death-feigning.
Tonic immobility occurs after the predator has detected and or made contact with the prey, and is likely used to prevent further attack by the predator or consumption of the prey. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Because tonic immobility occurs later in the predator attack sequence, it is considered a secondary defense mechanism and is therefore distinct from freezing.
Aggressive mimicry compared to a defensive form, Batesian mimicry.The mechanism is often called "Wolf in sheep's clothing".The model for an aggressive mimic can be a harmless species, in which case the 3 roles are separate, or the model can be the prey itself, in which case there are only 2 species involved.
a = conversion efficiency: the fraction of prey energy assimilated by the predator and turned into new predators P = predator density V = prey density m = predator mortality c = capture rate Demographic response consists of a change in dP/dt due to a change in V and/or m. For example, if V increases, then predator growth rate (dP/dt) will increase.
where N1 and N2 are the abundance of prey types 1 and 2 in the environment and P1 and P2 are the abundances of the same prey types in the predator's diet. c is the preference for prey type 1. If the value of c increases over time with N1/N2, prey switching is presumed to occur. The opposite of prey switching is when a predator eats ...