الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Foraging is a dynamic process in which animals are exposed to various biotic and abiotic environmental factors that oscillate daily. Therefore, animals use an innate circadian clock to maximize their ecological fitness. The environmental factors that may affect foraging includes biotic and abiotic factors. This study aimed to investigate the role of the biological clock in regulating foraging of the Egyptian scorpion, Leiurus quinquestriatus. In this study, automated infrared video-tracking cameras recorded scorpions’ foraging in an arena simulating their natural habitat under various biotic and abiotic factors, including cockroaches, lizards, toads, and the repellent Artemisia plant. The main aim of the study was to investigate whether scorpion responses to various factors are time-dependent or different between day and night. Results showed that scorpions responded differentially at daytime and night to environmental factors. Scorpions’ locomotor activity increased at mid-day and early night but decreased at late night in response to the presence of cockroaches, while lizards increased that at daytime and toads suppressed it at night. Alertness to stimuli and social responses of attack and defense were species-specific and mostly higher at night. In addition, repellency of Artemisia was time-dependent. This suggests the circadian clock involvement in regulating scorpion foraging. |