Acoustic crypsis in communication by North Atlantic right whale mother-calf pairs on the calving grounds.

ABSTRACT: Mammals with dependent young often rely on cryptic behaviour to avoid detection by potential predators. In the mysticetes, large baleen whales, young calves are known to be vulnerable to direct predation from both shark and orca predators; therefore, it is possible that mother-calf pairs may show cryptic behaviours to avoid the attention of predators. Baleen whales primarily communicate through low-frequency acoustic signals, which can travel over long ranges. In this study, we explore the potential for acoustic crypsis, a form of cryptic behaviour to avoid predator detection, in North Atlantic right whale mother-calf pairs. We predicted that mother-calf pairs would either show reduced calling rates, reduced call amplitude or a combination of these behavioural modifications when compared w

SUBMITTER: Parks SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6832179 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature