Related papers: Time-activity budget of urban-adapted free-ranging…
Seasonal fairs, bustling with human activity, provide a unique environment for exploring the intricate interplay between humans and free-ranging dogs. This study investigated these interactions during seasonal fairs in Nadia and Bardhaman…
Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) in human-dominated areas encounter obstacles such as noise, pollution, limited food sources, and anthropogenic disturbance while resting. Since FRDs have survived as a population in India, as in many other parts of…
Canids display a wide diversity of social systems, from solitary to pairs to packs, and hence they have been extensively used as model systems to understand social dynamics in natural systems. Among canids, the dog can show various levels…
Species inhabiting urban environments experience enormous anthropogenic stress. Behavioural plasticity and flexibility of temperament are crucial to successful urban-adaptation. Urban free-ranging dogs experience variable human impact, from…
Animals employ strategic decision-making while carefully weighing nutritional benefits against the risks presented by aversive or harmful stimuli in their natural environment, to maximize foraging efficiency, In India, free-ranging dogs…
Individual human recognition is important for species that live in close proximity to humans. Numerous studies on domesticated species and urban-adapted birds have highlighted this ability. One such species which is heavily reliant on…
Interspecific communication plays a critical role in mediating human-animal interactions, particularly in contexts involving access to anthropogenic resources. This study investigates the influence of human gazing on the begging strategies…
Canids display a vast diversity of social organizations, from solitary-living to pairs to packs. Domestic dogs have descended from pack-living gray wolf-like ancestors. Unlike their group living ancestors, free-ranging dogs are…
Mammalian offspring require parental care, at least in the form of suckling during their early development. While mothers need to invest considerable time and energy in ensuring the survival of their current offspring, they also need to…
Cooperative breeding is an excellent example of altruistic cooperation in social groups. Domestic dogs have evolved from cooperatively hunting and breeding ancestors, but have adapted to a facultatively social scavenging lifestyle on…
Interaction with its immediate environment determines the ecology of an organism. Species present in any habitat, wild or urban, may face extreme pressure due to sudden perturbations. When such disturbances are unpredictable, it becomes…
Free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) constitute the majority of the global dog population and rely heavily on human-derived resources. Studies show different levels of responses to various cues like food, petting and gazing by humans.…
Rapid urbanization is a major cause of habitat and biodiversity loss and human-animal conflict. While urbanization is inevitable, we need to develop a good understanding of the urban ecosystem and the urban-adapted species in order to…
Free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) thrive in diverse landscapes, including those heavily modified by humans. This study investigated the influence of resource availability on their spatial ecology across 52 rural and 41 urban sites,…
The urban habitat provides a landscape that increases the chances of human-animal interactions, which can lead to increased human-animal conflict, but also coexistence. Some species show high levels of socio-cognitive abilities that enable…
Foraging and acquiring of food is a delicate balance between managing the costs, both energy and social, and individual preferences. Previous research on the solitary foraging of free ranging dogs showed that they prioritized the…
Animals that display behavioural flexibility and adaptability thrive in urban environments, due to their ability to exploit novel anthropogenic resources. Since humans are an important component of such urban environments, animals that…
Animals that scavenge in and around human localities need to utilize a broad range of resources. Preference for any one kind of food, under such circumstances, might be inefficient. Indian free-ranging dogs, Canis lupus familiaris are…
Finding food is a fundamental activity for survival of all living organisms. Free-ranging dogs have been known to use their olfaction to assess the quality and type of available food but their use of visual ability in foraging is not…
Palatability of food is driven by multiple factors like taste, smell, texture, freshness, etc. and can be very variable across species. There are classic examples of local adaptations leading to speciation, driven by food availability.…