Harvesting Rates and Predatory Risk in Desert Rodents: A Comparison of Two Communities on Different Continents

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Desert rodents from North America and the Middle East have converged morphologically. They may have converged in behavior as well. Effects of increased illumination on foraging activity was examined in desert rodent communities in the Great Basin Desert of U.S.A. and the Negev Desert of Israel. Foraging activity declined with increased illumination which suggests that increased predatory risk causes a decrease in foraging activity of desert rodents. Additional evidence suggests that predation also affects habitat selection behavior in both communities and may contribute to community structure in similar ways.