Data from: Prudent burrow-site selection in a landscape of fear

Prey animals should select safer breeding sites over riskier sites of
otherwise similar habitats. This preference, however, may differ between
conspecifics of different competitive abilities if the costs of
intraspecific competition overpower the benefits of breeding in a safer
site. Our goal was to test this hypothesis by exploring the burrow site
selection of different-sized desert isopod (Hemilepistus reaumuri) females
near and away from burrows of a scorpion predator. We found that larger
females are more likely to occupy new burrows than smaller females,
regardless of whether these burrows were close or away from scorpion
burrows. We also found that larger females stayed longer in safer burrows
and that smaller females tended to stay longer in riskier sites even in
the absence of direct competition, implying a prudent burrow site
selection. We found no association between male size and the tendency to
occupy or to spend time in a burrow, regardless of whether these burrows
were close or away from scorpion burrows. Our work highlights the need to
consider intraspecific competition when exploring how predators regulate
prey behavior and the consequences of these changes on prey mating
patterns.