Alarm calling in alpine marmot Marmota marmota): evidence for semantic communication [Le cri d'alarme chez la marmotte alpine : preuve d'un communication sémantique].

Résumé

In a field study conducted in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso, Valle d'Aosta, Italy, acoustic signals were categorized as follows: single whistle (SW), a loud cry that was not repeated, and multiple whistle, a series of whistles which could be uttered in brief (BMW) or in numerous long lasting bouts (LMW). In 438 hr of direct observations I demonstrated that: (l) single whistles were associated significantly with flying stimuli and multiple whistles with terestrial stimuli, (2) the signals interrupted the foraging behaviour of 22 individually recognized adults. BMW seemed more disturbing than SW when coming from the same or near colony and less alarming when coming from a distant colony. Evidence for true semanticity and honest advertisement is discussed.