If prey hides better, what increases for predator?
Better hiding reduces a predator's encounter rate with prey and therefore increases search time, represented by S. Crypsis, refuge use, reduced movement, or activity at inaccessible times all lengthen the interval before prey are detected. This changes the expected return from specializing: when preferred prey take longer to locate, a predator may broaden its diet to include less profitable alternatives. Handling time h begins after encounter and need not change merely because detection is difficult. Energetic content E is a property of the captured prey, and T often denotes travel time betwee
Ref: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems, Begon et al., 5th Ed., Ch. 10