March 04, 2013 02:40pm ET'Game Over' May Not Tell the Whole Story Animal Robotics Research Behind the Scenes Rulon Clark’s mechanical squirrel, with the remote control equipment researchers use to manipulate it. Credit: Sanjay Joshi, UC Davis View full size image

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

In most wildlife documentaries, once a predator sees prey, it’s immediately “game over:” The prey will be swiftly and predictably mauled, killed and then devoured by the predator.

But research led by Rulon Clark of San Diego indicates that encounters between at least some predators and prey may be surprisingly intricate, with outcomes at least sometimes determined by subtle communications between the animals.

Squirrel vs. Rattlesnake

With funding from the National Science Foundation, Clark filmed interactions between rattlesnakes and California ground squirrels, which are among rattlesnakes’ favorite prey animals. Analyzing the footage, he found that when a California ground squirrel sees a rattlesnake, it may signal to the rattlesnake by wagging its raised tail back and forth.

Researcher Rulon Clark marks a speckled rattlesnake that is in a tube for safety.Credit: Rulon Clark, San Diego State UniversityView full size image

Clark suspects that the squirrel’s tail signals tell the snake something akin to, “I see you, and, therefore, you have lost the crucial advantage of surprise. I am prepared to dodge and escape your attack. So don’t even bother wasting your precious energy on a potentially futile attack.” According to Clark’s research, such tail signaling may — as intended by the squirrel — inhibit the snake from attacking.

Talking Tails

Clark’s hypothesis about the purpose of squirrels’ tail wagging is supported by the results of his experiments involving encounters between live, wild rattlesnakes and a mechanical, life-like squirrel — built by Clark’s team — that can be manipulated by remote control to recreate key elements of squirrel behavior.

The video featured here shows two of Clark’s experiments with the mechanical squirrel:

The first experiment begins with a rattlesnake hiding in an ambush position in tall grass. The mechanical squirrel approaches the snake and repeatedly wags its raised tail.The snake shows no apparent response to the squirrel’s actions, remaining immobile. These results suggest that a hungry snake may be inhibited from attacking a nearby squirrel if the squirrel wags its tail at it.The second experiment begins with a rattlesnake hiding in an ambush position in a new location. The mechanical squirrel approaches the snake—but without wagging its tail.The snake moves next, biting the squirrel in the head region. These results suggest that a hungry snake may respond to a nearby squirrel by attacking it when it is not inhibited by tail signals from the squirrel.

Benefits of Mechanical Animals

Note that these types of experiments cannot be conducted with live squirrels because their behavior can’t be manipulated on command, as required for controlled experiments. By contrast, the mechanical squirrel’s behavior can be easily manipulated to support comparisons, like those included in Clark’s video, of a snake’s response to varied squirrel behaviors.

Because mechanical animals are easy to control and because the costs of building such animals are decreasing, more and more life-like mechanical animals similar to the Clark’s robotic squirrel are currently being developed and included in scientific studies of animal behavior and other topics.

游戏结束并不意味着整个故事的结局-动物研究

2013年3月4日下午2时40分ET'Game过'不能以偏盖全动物机器人研究的Scenes 卢伦克拉克的机械松鼠的背后，与远程控制设备的研究人员用它来操纵它。

这背后，是提供给生活科学与国家科学基金会.

合作幕后文章

在大多数的野生动物纪录片，一旦捕食者看到猎物，它和rsquo的;立即S＆ldquo ：＆rdquo;的猎物会被迅速和可预见打伤，被捕食者杀害，然后吞食.

但研究领导的圣地亚哥卢伦克拉克表示，至少有一些捕食者和猎物之间的交锋可能是令人惊讶的复杂，有结果，至少有时是确定动物之间微妙的通信.

松鼠主场迎战响尾蛇

与来自美国国家科学基金会的资助下，克拉克拍摄响尾蛇和加利福尼亚地松鼠，这是响尾蛇＆rsquo的之间的相互作用;最喜欢的猎物。在分析录像，他发现，当加利福尼亚地松鼠看到了响尾蛇，它可以通过摇其提出的尾巴来回信号的响尾蛇

克拉克怀疑松鼠＆rsquo的;尾巴信号告诉蛇的东西类似，＆ldquo;我看到你，因此，你已经失去了惊喜的关键优势。我准备躲闪和逃避你的攻击。所以不要＆rsquo的;吨甚至懒得一个潜在的徒劳攻击浪费你宝贵的精力和rdquo;据克拉克大局;研究，如尾信号可能＆mdash;如预期的松鼠＆mdash;攻击.

克拉克＆rsquo的抑制蛇;假说约松鼠＆rsquo的目的;尾巴摇是由他的实验涉及生活，野生响尾蛇和机械，栩栩如生的松鼠＆mdash之间交锋的结果的支持;由克拉克＆rsquo的建立;球队和mdash;可以通过遥控器进行操作，以重新创建松鼠行为的关键因素.

第一个实验开始于响尾蛇躲在埋伏位置身高草。机械松鼠接近蛇，反复摇摆其提出tail.The蛇没有显示出对松鼠＆rsquo的明显反应;的动作，其余不动的。这些结果表明，一个饥饿的蛇可以攻击附近的松鼠如果松鼠摇尾巴的后援第二个实验中抑制始于响尾蛇躲在埋伏位置，在新的位置。机械松鼠接近蛇＆mdash;但没有摇其tail.The蛇移到下一个，咬在头部区域松鼠。这些结果表明，一个饥饿蛇可到附近的松鼠通过攻击它时，它不被来自松鼠尾信号抑制作出反应。

机械动物

注意的优点是，这些类型的实验不能与活松鼠因为他们的行为进行可＆rsquo的;吨被操纵的指挥，按要求控制实验。与此相反，在机械松鼠大局;行为可以容易地控制，以支持比较，象那些包含在克拉克大局;视频，蛇＆rsquo的的的响应于多种多样松鼠行为.

由于机械动物是易于控制且因为成本建立这样的动物不断减少，越来越多的栩栩如生的机械动物相似的克拉克大局;机器人松鼠目前正在开发并包含在动物行为.