Game and Wildlife Science 21: 1-19 (2005)
Monitoring jaw movements: A cue to feeding activity
Ropert-Coudert Y, Kato A, Liebsch N, Wilson RP, Muller G, Baubet E
We investigated the potential of a recently-developed data-logger that monitors jaw movements using a magnet/Hall sensor combination to identify features that characterize prey ingestion. Experiments were conducted on seven captive animal species with carnivorous and herbivorous feeding habits, exploiting either marine or terrestrial environments. Following calibration, the timing of prey ingestion was accurately detected in all instances but food manipulation prior to swallowing led to a large inter-specific variability in jaw angle over time. Pros and cons of the system are given together with an assessment of the applicability of such a tool for ecological studies on free-ranging animals. Overall, the system proved promising for estimation of the quantity and quality of the food.
GE04-03
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