When faced with a predation threat animals must decide how great the threat is, and whether the benefits of continuing their activity, such as feeding, outweigh the negative effects of staying ,such as being eaten. Animals in urban environments are faced with many human-influenced threats, from pedestrians on foot, to cars, bicycles and dogs on or off leash. In this situation, where threats are frequent, the benefits of not immediately fleeing from such a threat often outweigh fleeing benefits. This tradeoff is especially true in situations, such as on campus, where perceived predation threats primarily come from students on foot, who are generally not going to chase, harass, or kill wildlife. My study involves testing the flight initiation distance of woodchucks along an urbanization gradient. Levels of urbanization will be determined by digitizing a buffer zone area around woodchuck burrows and analyzing different landscape features. Approximately 50 woodchucks living in different levels of urbanization will be approached and FID measurements taken. Most field work will be performed in early spring after hibernation emergence when vegetation cover is sparse and woodchucks are active. FID’s will be compared for woodchucks along the urbanization gradient. n
