Signalling systems in Australian wild dogs: Who's calling and who cares?

Abstract

Alarm and distress vocalizations are important anti-predator strategies for many species. Whilst there is some overlap, an alarm call is a particular vocal response to potential or actual danger, whereas a distress call is an involuntary emotional response to a similar situation and/or stimuli. Alarm and distress calls are often associated with prey species; however, Australian wild dogs (dingoes, feral dogs and their hybrids) have been observed utilizing similar strategies in response to intense human interactions. We analyzed the spectral (such as frequency and amplitude shifts) and temporal (such as call length) components of vocalizations recorded from trapped wild dogs and compared these to vocalizations from captive individuals under non-stressful situations. Data collection is on-going but we have early indications that (i) vocal responses to trapping are not restricted to distress calls, (ii) the structure of wild dog vocalizations differs across sites, suggesting local dialects or individual differences exist and (iii) age and social status may affect the type of call elicited by an individual. Understanding the differences in vocalizations of wild dogs in varying environments is vital to the success of remote acoustic monitoring endeavors; and to the improvement of wildlife management as a proxy for individual stress. Finally, understanding how vocal communication varies across these groups will aid in unravelling the evolution of the dingo.