Antipredator behaviour of domestic guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Abstract

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.

Does the early social environment prepare individuals for the future? A match-mismatch experiment in female wild cavies

“…Consequently, we found higher levels of the energy-demanding behavioral patterns digging and rearing in UE-daughters than in SE-daughters during the social encounter week. In particular, rearing is associated with attentiveness, as it was previously described in wild cavies [ 30 , 55 ], and it may indicate increased vigilance in UE-daughters, which has been suggested to be adaptive in adverse environments [ 66 – 69 ]. In the wild, a higher vigilance might be advantageous for UE-daughters, as it enhances their chances of detecting approaching predators, which are naturally attracted to high population densities of prey [ 70 ].…”