Trade-off between predation risk and behavioural thermoregulation drives resting behaviour in a cold-adapted mesocarnivore

Behavioural trade-offs arise when animals must decide to engage in one behaviour at the expense of another, potentially to the animal's detriment. Here, we investigate the existence of such a trade-off by exploring the relative influence of two important behavioural processes, thermoregulation and predation avoidance, on resting behaviour in a cold-adapted mesocarnivore, the wolverine, Gulo gulo. Using animal-borne biologgers, we evaluate the hypothesis that wolverine resting behaviour in both subnivean cavities and on surface snow beds is influenced by a combination of ambient weather conditions and predation risk. Specifically, we posit that although resting on the snow surface is more thermally advantageous in certain weather conditions, it is traded off against heightened predation risk. In support of the importance of thermoregulation, we find that wolverines rest almost exclusively in subnivean cavities at very low temperatures and low levels of solar radiation, and rest almost exclusively on the snow surface at higher temperatures and higher levels of solar radiation. In support of the importance of predation avoidance, we find that wolverines select more topographically concealed sites and are more vigilant while resting on the snow surface. We also find that wolverines are more vigilant at topographically exposed resting sites than at concealed sites. Together, these lines of evidence suggest that wolverines trade security from predators for thermal advantage at warmer ambient temperatures and higher solar radiation levels during winter, but that this trade-off is not necessary at lower temperatures when wolverines preferentially use subnivean cavities to simultaneously meet both demands. Parsing such contextually dependent trade-offs is important to understanding species' habitat selection, energy management and survival. (C) 2021 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigates the trade-off between thermoregulation and predation avoidance in resting behaviors of cold-adapted wolverines. Wolverines rest in subnivean cavities or on snow surface depending on ambient temperature and solar radiation levels to balance thermal advantage and security from predators. The findings highlight the contextually dependent trade-offs important for habitat selection, energy management, and survival.