The Alpine ibex or wild goat of the Alps has been modifying its grazing (feeding) habits in recent years in response to rising temperatures, researchers from Switzerland and Italy have observed. The tendency towards activities during twilight or night hours benefits these animals in terms of body temperature but also entails risks, such as greater defenselessness against predators such as wolves, warn the authors of the research.
The results of this study, led by experts from the University of Sassari, the Svizzer Naziunal Park, the Gran Paradiso National Park and the University of Ferrara, have been published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B (January 17), Los Field work that has allowed us to verify this modification in feeding habits was carried out with the monitoring of specimens equipped with location and movement collars between 2006 and 2019 in two protected areas.
The alpine ibex feeds mainly on grass and leaves of small bushes, moving through high mountain areas for several hours a day. The authors of the new research wanted to confirm or deny whether the increase in temperatures confirmed in recent years in natural spaces such as the Gran Paradiso National Park, in the Italian Alps, may be modifying the behavior, health and survival of this species, as indicator of a problem that can affect many other animals and plants. To find out, they captured 47 of the goats in 2006 and fitted them with motion-sensing collars to constantly track their location.
The team found that on warmer days, the ibex became less active during the day and more active at night. They noted that the move made sense since trying to stay cool during hot days would consume more energy than trying to stay warm during cool summer nights.
But it also had a serious drawback. Ibexes are much more likely to fall prey to wolves when grazing at night because they are not as protected in grassy areas and cannot see wolves approaching. The researchers suggest that the shift to a more nocturnal lifestyle is not a viable behavioral change for the alpine ibex over time due to predation by wolves. As climate change progresses, the ibex is likely to become increasingly nocturnal, putting its survival at great risk.
The research team suggests that work like this demonstrates that some wildlife responses may be overlooked in models attempting to predict changes in the environment due to global warming due to subtle behavioral changes.
