Knee deep in trouble: rusa deer use an aquatic escape behaviour to delay attack by Komodo dragons
Achmad Ariefiandy A , Deni Purwandana A , Yunias Jackson Benu B , Mike Letnic C and Tim S. Jessop D EA Komodo Survival Program, Denpasar 80223, Bali, Indonesia.
B Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo 86711, Flores, Indonesia.
C Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia.
D Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Vic. 3220, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: t.jessop@deakin.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 42(1) 103-105 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM18052
Submitted: 28 November 2018 Accepted: 11 February 2019 Published: 28 February 2019
Abstract
We document six observations of an aquatic behaviour used by rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) to delay an imminent attack from Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis). This unusual behaviour arose after rusa deer fled into the nearby seawater following an attack from a solitary Komodo dragon. Once in the sea, rusa deer remained relatively stationary by standing in shallow water (<1 m deep) for up to 4 h. This behaviour generally allowed rusa deer to avoid an in-water attack from Komodo dragons. However, if rusa did not die from injuries, they moved back onto land and were subsequently killed by Komodo dragons. The aquatic behaviour delays subsequent attacks on rusa deer by Komodo dragons, but this appears only to postpone, rather than prevent, the deer’s death.
Additional keywords: apex predator, predator–prey interactions, ungulate, Varanus.
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