Discrimination behavior mediates foraging quality versus quantity trade-offs: nut choice in wild rodents

Lay Summary An ability to discriminate food quality can affect survival and fitness in the context of optimal foraging, nevertheless little is known about how discrimination behavior mediates foraging trade-offs. Through comparison between natural and controlled enclosure experiments, we find that wild rats can discriminate sound from infested seeds, which improves their success rate at selecting sound nuts. We note, however, that competition and predation compromise optimal discrimination in the wild.