Data and R code for: "Differential provisioning roles, prey size, and prey abundance shape the dynamic feeding behavior of a social carnivore"

The data and R code needed to reproduce analyses from Gable et al. 2023, <i>Communications Biology</i>: "Differential provisioning roles, prey size, and prey abundance shape the dynamic feeding behavior of a social carnivore".See main text of article for details on statistical methods.Study abstract: The demands of raising dependent young can influence the feeding behaviors of social carnivores, especially for individuals that are primarily responsible for provisioning young. We investigated how the feeding and provisioning behavior of a social carnivore, gray wolves (<i>Canis lupus</i>), are connected and shaped by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and whether and how these patterns changed throughout the pup-rearing season (April-August). We found breeding wolves had shorter handling times of prey, lower probability of returning to kills, and greater probability of returning to homesites after kills compared to subordinate individuals. However, the feeding and provisioning behaviors of breeding individuals changed considerably over the pup-rearing season, likely due to greater pup maturity and mobility. Further, wolves had longer handling times and returned to provision pups directly after kills less frequently as annual prey abundance decreased. These patterns indicate that adult wolves prioritize meeting their own energetic demands over those of their pups when prey abundance decreases. We suggest that differential provisioning of pups based on prey abundance is a behavioral mechanism by which group size adjusts to available resources via changes in neonate survival.

本数据集涵盖复现Gable等人2023年发表于《Communications Biology》的论文《Differential provisioning roles, prey size, and prey abundance shape the dynamic feeding behavior of a social carnivore》（暂译：《差异化投喂职责、猎物体型与猎物丰度塑造群居食肉动物的动态取食行为》）所需的全部数据与R语言代码，论文正文可查阅统计方法的详细说明。研究摘要：抚育依赖型幼崽的需求会对群居食肉动物的取食行为产生影响，对于主要承担幼崽育幼投喂职责的个体而言，这种影响尤为显著。本研究以灰狼（Canis lupus）为研究对象，探究群居食肉动物的取食与育幼投喂行为如何受外在与内在因素共同调控与塑造，并分析这些行为模式在幼崽抚育季（4月至8月）内的变化规律。研究结果显示，相较于从属个体，繁殖个体处理猎物的时长更短，返回猎物进食点的概率更低，且在进食后返回育幼巢穴的概率更高。但繁殖个体的取食与育幼投喂行为在幼崽抚育季内会发生显著变化，这一现象大概率与幼崽的成熟度提升与活动能力增强有关。此外，随着年度猎物丰度下降，灰狼处理猎物的时长更长，且在进食后直接返回育幼巢穴投喂幼崽的频率更低。上述行为模式表明，当猎物丰度降低时，成年灰狼会优先满足自身的能量需求，而非幼崽的需求。本研究提出，基于猎物丰度的差异化幼崽投喂行为是一种行为机制，通过新生幼崽存活率的变化，使狼群群体规模适配可获得的资源总量。