Detection, pursuit, capture, and consumption of prey by predators may be time consuming or not, depending on predators and prey, and this time allocation affects other aspects of predator ecology. Pacific salmon contribute substantially to coastal brown bear (Ursus arctos) diets, with implications for predators, prey, and their ecosystem. Brown bears were observed capturing sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) at Mikfik Creek, Alaska, to determine capture and consumption rates. Bears averaged 3:00 min (SD = 5:24) to capture and 2:26 min (SD = 1:33) to completely consume small adult sockeye salmon. These foraging activities thus occupied only a small fraction of their total time budget at this site.
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17 August 2021
Time Required for Brown Bears to Capture and Consume Pacific Salmon
Thomas P. Quinn
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