Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Use of different signaling modalities to communicate status by dominant and subordinate Heermann’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Dominance relationships in solitary species may be an important factor in the maintenance of long-term, stable relationships among territorial neighbors. We examined the mediation of intraspecific interactions in a solitary, territorial kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni, and tested whether unfamiliar kangaroo rats establish a dominance hierarchy and then decrease aggression and increase communication (via footdrumming and sandbathing) after initial interactions and the establishment of a social structure. Results revealed that both dominance hierarchies and familiarization with particular individuals are likely to mediate social interactions. After only one pairing per dyad, an almost linear dominance hierarchy emerged, which became perfectly linear after a 90-min familiarization period. During the course of subsequent interactions between dyad partners, fighting decreased and non-agonistic communication increased. Dominant kangaroo rats sandbathed at higher rates than subordinates, possibly to deposit scent to advertise competitive ability, whereas subordinate kangaroo rats footdrummed from inside the burrow, which seemed to indicate an unwillingness to interact. We suggest the kangaroo rats use a conditional strategy when deciding to fight (be dominant) or withdraw (be subordinate) by employing different modes to communicate status and minimize the potential risk of injury during unnecessarily prolonged fights.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Appleby MC (1983) The probability of linearity in hierarchies. Anim Behav 31:600–608

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrends P, Daly M, Wilson MI (1986) Range use patterns and spatial relationships of Merriam’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami). Behaviour 96:187–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergman DA, Moore PA (2005) Prolonged exposure to social odours alters subsequent social interactions in crayfish (Orconectes rusticus). Anim Behav 70:311–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry KH (1974) The ecology and social behavior of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus obesus Baird. Univ Calif Publ Zool 101:1–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Box HO, Gibson KR (1999) Mammalian social learning. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradbury JW, Vehrencamp SL (1998) Principles of animal communication. Sinauer Associates Inc., Sunderland, Massachusetts

    Google Scholar 

  • Broom M (2002) A unified model of dominance hierarchy formation and maintenance. J Theor Biol 219:63–72

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • de Vries H (1993) Matman: a program for the analysis of sociometric matrices and behavioural transition matrices. Behaviour 125:157–175

    Google Scholar 

  • de Vries H (1995) An improved test of linearity in dominance hierarchies containing unknown or tied relationships. Anim Behav 50:1375–1389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Vries H (1998) Finding a dominance order most consistent with a linear hierarchy: a new procedure and review. Anim Behav 55:827–843

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drews C (1993) The concept and definition of dominance in animal behaviour. Behaviour 125:283–313

    Google Scholar 

  • East ML, Hofer H, Wickler W (1993) The erect ‘penis’ is a flag of submission in a female-dominated society: greetings in Serengeti spotted hyenas. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 33:355–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enquist M, Ljungberg T, Zandor A (1987) Visual assessment of fighting ability in the cichlid fish Nannacara anomala. Anim Behav 35:1262–1264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferkin MH, Johnson RE (1995) Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) use multiple sources of scent for sex recognition. Anim Behav 49:37–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freno A (1987) Aggressive behavior between territorial cichlids (Astatotilapia purtoni) in relation to rank and territorial stability. Behaviour 103:241–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerald MS (2001) Primate colour predicts social status and aggressive outcome. Anim Behav 61:559–566

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gosling LM, Roberts SC, Thornton EA, Andrews MJ (2000) Life history costs of olfactory status signaling in mice. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 48:328–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory MJ, Cameron GN (1989) Scent communication and its association with dominance behavior in the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus). J Mammal 70:10–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grinnell J, McComb K (2001) Roaring and social communication in African lions: the limitations imposed by listeners. Anim Behav 62:93–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gross MR (1996) Alternative reproductive strategies and tactics: diversity within sexes. Trends Ecol Evol 11:92–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gross MR, Repka J (1998) Stability with inheritance in the conditional strategy. J Theor Biol 192:445–453

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston RE, Chiang G, Tung C (1994) The information in scent over-marks of golden hamsters. Anim Behav 48:323–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston RE, Munver R, Tung C (1995) Scent counter marks: selective memory for the top scent by golden hamsters. Anim Behav 49:1435–1442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall MG (1962) Rank correlation methods. Griffin, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitchen DM, Seyfarth RM, Fischer J, Cheney DL (2003) Loud calls as indicators of dominance in male baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 53:374–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Leimar O, Enquist M (1984) Effects of asymmetries in owner–intruder conflicts. J Theor Biol 111:475–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemen C, Rosenzweig ML (1978) Microhabitat selection in two species of heteromyid rodents. Oecologia 33:127–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard ML, Horn AG (1995) Crowing in relation to status in roosters. Anim Behav 49:1283–1290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maynard Smith J, Parker GA (1976) The logic of asymmetric contests. Anim Behav 24:159–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mennill DJ, Ratcliffe LM (2004) Overlapping and matching in the song contests of black-capped chickadees. Anim Behav 67:441–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newmark JE, Jenkins SH (2000) Sex differences in agonistic behavior of Merriam’s kangaroo rats (Diopodomys merriami). Am Midl Nat 143:377–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Conner KI, Metcalfe NB, Taylor AC (1999) Does darkening signal submission in territorial contests between juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar? Anim Behav 58:1269–1276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partan S, Marler P (1999) Communication goes multimodal. Science 283:1272–1273

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Partan S, Yelda S, Price V, Shimizu T (2005) Female pigeons, Columba livia, respond to multisensory audio/video playbacks of male courtship behaviour. Anim Behav 70:957–966

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perri LM, Randall JA (1999) Behavioral mechanisms of coexistence in sympatric species of desert rodents, Dipodomys ordii and D. merriami. J Mammal 80:1297–1310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preuschoft S, van Schaik CP (2000) Dominance and communication: conflict management in various social settings. In: Aureli F, de Waal FBM (eds) Natural conflict resolution. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 77–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralls K (1971) Mammalian scent marking. Science 171:443

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1981) Comparison of sandbathing and grooming in two species of kangaroo rat. Anim Behav 29:1213–1219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1984) Territorial defense and advertisement by footdrumming in bannertail kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) at high and low population densities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 16:11–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1987a) Field observations of male competition and mating in Merriam’s and bannertail kangaroo rats. Am Midl Nat 35:426–434

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1987b) Sandbathing as a territorial scent-mark in the banner-tail kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis). Anim Behav 35:426–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1989) Neighbor recognition in a solitary desert rodent (Dipodomys merriami). Ethology 81:123–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1991) Mating strategies of a nocturnal desert rodent (Dipodomys spectabilis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 20:187–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (1993) Behavioural adaptations of desert rodents (Heteromyidae). Anim Behav 45:263–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (2001) Evolution and function of drumming as communication in mammals. Am Zool 41:1143–1156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA (2006) Environmental constraints and the evolution of sociality in desert rodents. In: Wolff JO, Sherman PW (eds) Rodent societies. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (in press)

  • Randall JA, Rogovin KA, Shier DM (2000) Antipredator behavior of a social desert rodent: footdrumming and alarm calling in the great gerbil, Rhombomys opimus. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 48:110–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall JA, Hekkala ER, Cooper LD, Barfield J (2002) Familiarity and flexible mating strategies of a solitary rodent, Dipodomys ingens. Anim Behav 64:11–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Repka J, Gross MR (1995) The evolutionarily stable strategy under individual condition and tactic frequency. J Theor Biol 176:27–31

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rich TJ, Hurst JL (1999) The competing countermarks hypothesis: reliable assessment of competitive ability by potential mates. Anim Behav 58:1027–1037

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roest AI (1991) Captive reproduction in Heermann’s kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni. Zoo Biol 10:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohwer S (1982) The evolution of reliable and unreliable badges of fighting ability. Am Zool 22:531–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohwer S, Rohwer FC (1978) Status signaling in Harris sparrows: experimental deceptions achieved. Anim Behav 26:1012–1022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rostain RR, Ben-David M, Groves P, Randall JA (2004) Why do river otters scent mark? An experimental test of several hypotheses. Anim Behav 68:703–711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe C (1999) Receiver psychology and the evolution of multicomponent signals. Anim Behav 58:921–931

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rubenstein DI (1981) Population density, resource patterning and territoriality in the Everglades pygmy sunfish. Anim Behav 29:155–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sapolsky RR (1993) Neuroendocrinology of the stress-response. In: Becker JB, Breedlove SM, Crews D (eds) Behavioral endocrinology. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, pp 287–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Setchell JM, Wickings J (2005) Dominance, status signals and coloration in male mandrills (Madrillus sphinx). Ethology 111:25–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shier DM (2003) Sociality and communication in Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni). MS thesis, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, pp 1–75

  • Shier DM, Randall JA (2004) Spacing as a predictor of social organization in kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni arenae). J Mammal 85:1002–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shier DM, Yoerg SI (1999) What footdrumming signals in kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni). J Comp Psychol 113:66–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1995) Biometry, 3rd edn. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Soltis J, Leong K, Savage A (2005) African elephant vocal communication. II: rumble variation reflects the individual identity and emotional state of callers. Anim Behav 70:579–587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamps JA (1983) Sexual selection, sexual dimorphism and territoriality. In: Huey RB, Pianka ER, Schoener TW (eds) Lizard ecology: studies of a model organism. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, pp 169–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Stamps JA, Krishnan VV (1994) Territory acquisition in lizards: II. Establishing social and spatial relationships. Anim Behav 47:1387–1400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tappe DT (1941) Natural history of the Tulare kangaroo rat. J Mammal 22:117–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield DP (1987) Plumage variability, status signaling and individual recognition in avian flocks. Trends Ecol Evol 2:13–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson L (1997) SYSTAT: the system for statistics. In, 7.0 edn. Evanston, Illinois

  • Wilson JD (1992) A re-assessment of the significance of status signaling in population of wild great tits, Parus major. Anim Behav 43:999–1009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson DR, Hare JF (2004) Ground squirrel uses ultrasonic alarms. Nature 430:523

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yahr P (1977) Social subordination and scent-marking in male mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Anim Behav 25:292–297

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoerg SI (1996) Captive breeding and anti-predator behavior of the Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni). In: 1995 Annual Report. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA, pp 1–48

  • Yoerg SI (1999) Solitary is not asocial. Ethology 105:317–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoerg SI, Shier DM (2000) Captive breeding and anti-predator behavior of the Heermann’s kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni) Final Report. In: California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, pp 1–56

Download references

Acknowledgment

This article was greatly improved by constructive criticism of an earlier version by D.H. Owings, I. Von Lippke and C. Anderson, and three anonymous reviewers. We would like to thank UNOCAL, for allowing us access to the property (specifically G. Garcia) and J.A. Stamps for assistance with the experimental design. We would also like to thank S.I. Yoerg and G. Grether for assistance, support, and advice at all stages of the project. Funding was provided by the California Department of Fish and Game (Interagency agreement FG2346WM). This research was conducted in a humane manner and was approved by the Animal Use and Care committees at San Francisco State University and University of California at Berkeley.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Debra M. Shier

    Present address: Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, Zoological Society of San Diego, P.O. Box 120551, San Diego, CA, 92112, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 95616, USA

    Debra M. Shier & Jan A. Randall

  2. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Debra M. Shier

Authors
  1. Debra M. Shier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan A. Randall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Debra M. Shier.

Additional information

Communicated by J. Setchell

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shier, D.M., Randall, J.A. Use of different signaling modalities to communicate status by dominant and subordinate Heermann’s kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 61, 1023–1032 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0335-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0335-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation