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Food handling by the gregarious Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus
1999
Rychlik, L. (Polish Academy of Sciences, Bialowieza (Poland). Mammal Research Inst.)
Foraging behaviour of gregarious Mediterranean water shrew Neomys anomalus was investigated in 7 individuals. Shrews were tested individually and in a 4-animal-group in a terrarium. Shrew behaviour was recorded in darkness using 2 infra-red sensitive video-cameras. Two experimental variants, with and without natural structures in the terrarium, were established. When foraging individually, N. anomalus consumed only few food portions at the places of finding. Shrews hoarded most food in the nest and/or in hiding-places and ate it under cover. The presence of natural structures caused hoarding and eating of food in scattered hiding-places, instead of carrying it to the nest. During group foraging, N. anomalus did not hoard food communally, and preparation of individual stores almost ceased. In all tests, they ate successively more food items at the places of finding as the duration of foraging increased.
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