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Random Search Strategies

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Part of the book series: Springer Series in Synergetics ((SSSYN))

Abstract

A search is defined as the action to look into or over carefully or thoroughly in an effort to find or discover something. Searching is a universal behaviour of a broad range of organisms, from bacteria to whales. In a foraging process, the search is only one component among others [1, 2]. Hence, search behaviour should be clearly distinguished from foraging behaviour eventhough in the scientific literature these terms are sometimes mixed. For example, the time spent searching compared to other components of a foraging process such as pursuing (chasing down) or handling (opening, subduing, swallowing) a prey varies among animals [2, 20].

An erratum to this chapter is available at http://dx.doi.org/978-3-642-39010-4_10

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39010-4_10

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Méndez, V., Campos, D., Bartumeus, F. (2014). Random Search Strategies. In: Stochastic Foundations in Movement Ecology. Springer Series in Synergetics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39010-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39010-4_6

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