Agonistic interactions between resident and immigrant sympatric water shrews: Neomys fodiens and N.anomalus

Behavioral mechanisms which control resident-immigrant relations in wild popula­tions of Neomys fodiens (Pennant, 1771) and N. anomalus Cabrera, 1907 were studied by quantitative analysis of agonistic interactions between animals inhabiting the enclosure for at least 1 week ('residents') and animals newly introduced ('immigrants'). Tested animals (46 N. fodiens and 24 N. anomalus) were observed in one- and two-species groups or pairs in enclosures of 275 x 135 or 135 x 135 cm built in a laboratory room. During 214 hours of direct observation, social behaviour and patterns of hiding place usage were registered. Individual occupation of the neat boxes, a great number of conflicts among/bdiens-'residents', and a targe number of conflicts between /bdiens-'immigrants' and -'residents' suggest that strong territorial competition in breeding females and strong competition for females in adult males occur between residents and immigrants of the wild N. /odtercs-populations. Group occupation of the nest boxes, a very low degree of aggressiveness among anoma/iis-'residents' and the tolerant interactions between anom.a/«s-'immigrants' and -'residents' suggest that, in wild populations, N. anomalus are gregarious and inhabit given areas in groups. The low number of interspecific conflicts between 'residents' suggests that in the two-spe­cies stabilized groups, behavioral mechanisms exist, which allow N. anomalus to avoid conflicts with the more aggressive N. fodiens. Since the number of conflicts between /bdiercs-'residents' and arioma/us-'immigrants' is much greater than between 'residents' of the two species, it seems that these mechanisms are active learning rather than simple habituation. The decrease in the number of interspecific conflicts within 1-3 days suggests high efficiency of these mechanisms.