In a fluctuating environment, the optimal level of exploratory behavior depends on the proportion of current risks and benefits. The exploratory behavior is, therefore, often subjected to heterogenous selection. In populations of commensal rodents living in close proximity of humans, this pressure is further increased by pest management. We hypothesize that the black rat (Rattus rattus) responds to this pressure by either high behavioral flexibility or by development of personality types. The aim of this study was to analyze exploratory behavior and boldness of wild black rats and its changes over time to determine whether exploratory behavior is a personality trait in black rats. Studies on animals with unreduced variability are necessary for determination of normal range of behaviors. The behavior in the open field and hole board tests yielded 1 multivariate variable representing exploratory behavior and 1 representing boldness. The hole board test additionally provided an axis representing exploratory behavior. Exploratory behavior showed moderate to high repeatability, even though we observed a considerable effect of habituation. Exploratory behavior was also strongly correlated across contexts; therefore, our results suggest that the black rat responds to heterogenous selection pressure by developing personality types. We also found a strong effect of litter identity on some aspects of the exploratory behavior. Boldness was less repeatable, which we interpret as high behavioral flexibility in this behavioral trait. In concordance with our hypothesis, the personality types in exploratory behavior, but not in boldness, are possibly maintained by heterogenous selection pressure created by human pest management. (PsycINFO Database Record
The objective of this study was to test the reactions of domestic guinea pigs to the presence of aerial and terrestrial predators in a laboratory setting. We measured the behavioural reactions of 27 adolescent guinea pigs to the presence of a dog, imitation of a bird of prey and an unknown human as control. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U Test were used to analyse the differences in duration and frequency of responses (freezing, fleeing, and vigilance) to predators. When confronted with the dog, guinea pigs reacted for the longest time and most frequently by freezing. In presence of the bird of prey, they responded for the longest time and most often by freezing and fleeing. In presence of a human, they showed mostly vigilance. When comparing reactions to the dog and human, there were differences in duration and frequency of freezing and fleeing. When comparing reactions to the bird of prey and control test, we observed differences between fleeing and vigilance. The durations and frequencies of freezing, fleeing and vigilance to the dog and bird of prey were different. The only differences in reactions of males and females occurred in duration and frequency of fleeing in presence of the bird of prey. No vocalization was observed except for two occurrences, of a "drrr" and a "chirrup". Our results indicate that domestic guinea pigs tested under laboratory conditions can discriminate between a terrestrial and an aerial predator, when exposed to them individually. Their antipredator behaviours remained functional, although their vocalizations may have been affected by the absence of signal receivers.
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