'Anting' as food preparation : formic acid is worse on an empty stomach
Data(s) |
01/01/1992
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Resumo |
Anting is a behavior common among passerine birds, yet its function is unknown. The behavior consists of a highly stereotyped set of movements which start when a bird picks up an ant, usually one which sprays formic acid as a defense, and sweeps it with frenzied motions through its feathers. The bird will often also eat the ant. As formic acid is toxic, we have tested the food-preparation hypothesis, that is, that the birds are anting to remove a distasteful or toxic substance from the ant before eating it. In a pair of experiments on starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, we have found evidence in support of this hypothesis. |
Identificador | |
Idioma(s) |
eng |
Publicador |
Springer - Verlag |
Relação |
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4600773 |
Direitos |
1992, Springer - Verlag |
Tipo |
Journal Article |