Do Pinnipeds have Personality? Broad Dimensions and Contextual Consistency of Behavior in Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina) and California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus).

Abstract

Personality has now been studied in species as diverse as chimpanzees and cuttlefish, but marine mammals remain vastly underrepresented in this area. A broad range of traits have been assessed only once in each of bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions, while consistent individual differences in a few specific behaviors have been identified in grey seals. Furthermore, the context component of definitions of personality is not often assessed, despite evidence that animals may show individual patterns of behavioral consistency across contexts. The current study therefore aimed to use behavioral coding to assess underlying personality factors and consistency across contexts in two marine mammal species: California sea lions and harbor seals. In both species, two personality factors were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Both were broadly similar across species; the first, Boldness, resembled human Extraversion, and to some extent Openness, with sea lions exhibiting a greater social component. The second factor was labeled Routine Activity, and may contain some Conscientiousness-like traits. Species-specific patterns were also identified for interactive behaviors across two contexts. However, there was substantial individual variation in the frequency of these behaviors, as well as some animals who did not conform to group-level trends. This study therefore provides novel evidence for broad personality factors and both group- and individual-level patterns of contextual consistency in two pinniped species.

Effects of New Seal Introductions on Conspecific and Visitor Activity

“…Researchers used the mobile app MultiTimer: Multiple Timers (MultiTimer) [ 58 ] to signal various time-points to record data (i.e., a one min timer to record seal behaviors, a 10 min timer to record crowd size, and a stopwatch to count visitor length of stay). The mammals’ behaviors were categorized based on a behavioral ethogram that was developed and modified from de Vere et al [ 56 ], Fernandez & Timberlake [ 59 ], and Island et al [ 60 ] (see Table 1 ). The behavioral ethogram was comprised of 15 behaviors split into five major classes: Active, Inactive, Social, Stereotypy and Other.…”

“…These social behaviors and social structures have been seen among captive and wild pinnipeds alike [ 55 ]. In captivity, harbor seals tend to engage with their environment more so than with other individuals in their exhibit, while northern fur seals typically engage more with other conspecifics, and less so with their environment [ 55 , 56 ]. Age and relatedness also impact the frequency of interactions between conspecifics, where older seals are less likely to interact with others [ 55 , 56 ].…”

“…In captivity, harbor seals tend to engage with their environment more so than with other individuals in their exhibit, while northern fur seals typically engage more with other conspecifics, and less so with their environment [ 55 , 56 ]. Age and relatedness also impact the frequency of interactions between conspecifics, where older seals are less likely to interact with others [ 55 , 56 ]. A recent study by Jenkins [ 55 ] found that individuals spend more time with other seals that they are related to (i.e., a mother-son pair) rather than unrelated seals.…”

“…A recent study by Jenkins [ 55 ] found that individuals spend more time with other seals that they are related to (i.e., a mother-son pair) rather than unrelated seals. Additionally, personality differences can influence the social structure within captive settings and should be taken into consideration when housing individuals together [ 56 ].…”

Social Behaviour in Zoo Bachelor Groups: A Case Study of Related South American Fur Seals

“…Ethogram detailing positive and negative behaviours recorded during the study. Ethogram was based on[25], and modified during preliminary observations prior to commencement of the study.…”