Between-year stability of individual alarm calls in the yellow ground squirrelSpermophilus fulvus

• DOI: 10.1644/09-mamm-a-143.1
• Publication Date: 2010-06-16T21:25:20Z
• Authors: Vera A. Matrosova; Ilya A. Volodin; Elena V. Volodina; Nina A. Vasilieva; Alexandra A. Koch...
• Keywords: Hibernation; Ground squirrel; Obligate; Alarm signal; Torpor

Although individuality in alarm calls has been reported for many ground-dwelling sciurids, the degree to which vocal identity encoded is stable with time studied only a single sciurid species. Thus, no comparable data are available. We examined retention of keys individual after hibernation natural colony yellow ground squirrels (Spermophilus fulvus), long-lived, obligate-hibernating rodents that maintain social groups years. recorded 2 subsequent years, separated by hibernation, from 22 individually marked animals. All individuals could be distinguished high probability their within year. However, 6 animals kept hibernation. Sex, age, year collection, and distance moved between years did not have significant effects on call structure Given low proportion calls, cannot modality sufficient secure recovery personalized relationships squirrel.