Sustained predation pressure may prevent the loss of anti‐predator traits from havened populations

Abstract

Abstract Conservation havens free of invasive predators are increasingly relied upon for fauna conservation, although havened populations can lose anti‐predator traits, likely making them less suitable for life ‘beyond the fence’. Sustaining low levels of mammalian predator pressure inside havens may prevent the loss of anti‐predator traits from havened populations. We opportunistically compared behavioural and morphological anti‐predator traits between four woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi) populations– one haven isolated from all mammalian predators, one haven containing a native mammalian predator (chuditch; Dasyurus geoffroii), and their respective non‐havened counterparts (each containing both chuditch and invasive predators). Havened woylies existing without mammalian predators were smaller (shorter hindfeet, smaller body weight) and less reactive (consumed more food from fox‐treated and control feeding stations, less agitated during human handling) than a non‐havened reference population. However, in the haven containing chuditch, we found no difference in behaviour or morphology compared to the adjacent non‐havened population. Across populations, anti‐predator responses tended to appear stronger at sites with higher predator activity, suggestive of an adaptive response across a gradient of predation pressure. Our findings suggest that maintaining mammalian predation pressure in conservation havens could be effective for preventing or slowing the loss of anti‐predator traits from these populations.

Keywords

• agitation
• Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi
• escape behaviour
• foraging
• giving‐up density
• prey naivete