{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02592352559948153, 'fraction_numerical': 0.023331173039533377, 'mean_word_length': 5.460251046025105, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Alarm Duetting and Pursuit Deterrence in an African Antelope

Many social animals give special signals when they encounter a predator. Alarm calls in particular often have special properties suited to specific functions, and this clearly illustrates the adaptive nature of signal structure (Green and Marler 1979). Among artiodactyls the use of alarm signals is widespread, but most attention has been focused on the function of rump-patch displays and the specialized bounding gaits associated with them (Smythe 1970, 1977; Guthrie 1971; Hirth and McCullough 1977; Pitcher 1979; Coblentz 1980). In contrast, alarm calls have received little attention, even though a number of species give them, especially African antelope. One of these, the klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus), is particularly interesting because its alarm call is often delivered as a duet between a pair of monogamously mated adults (Tilson 1977). By duetting we mean an almost simultaneous rendering of the alarm call by both adults for one or more repetitions. Here we describe the circumstances eliciting loud and repeated alarm calls of this antelope and the specialized alarm behavior associated with the calls. We present evidence that the loud, repetitive, and highly directional qualities of calls could be properties to facilitate communicating the caller's alertness to potential predators rather than warning conspecifics, and that together with other components of the klipspringer's escape response, act as "pursuit deterrent" signals (Woodland et al. 1980).