About: Predation risk allocation hypothesis

The predation risk allocation hypothesis attempts to explain how and why animals' behaviour and foraging strategies differ in various predatory situations, depending on their risk of endangerment. The hypothesis suggests that an animal's alertness and attention, along with its willingness to hunt for food, will change depending on the risk factors within that animal's environment and the presence of predators that could attack. The model assumes there are different levels of risk factors within various environments and prey animals will behave more cautiously when they are found in high-risk environments. The overall effectiveness of the model for predicting animal behaviour varies, therefore, its results are dependent on the prey species used in the model and how their behaviour changes.