Possible contribution of position in the litter huddle to long-term differences in behavioral style in the domestic rabbit

Reyes-Meza, Verónica; Hudson, Robyn; Martı́nez–Gómez, Margarita; Nicolás, Leticia; Rödel, Heiko G.; Bautista, Amando

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.07.019

Cited by 36 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Performance in these behavioral contexts has, in turn, clear consequences for individual growth and metabolic processes associated with thermoregulation [6,18,7,19,26]. There are also first reports indicating that such differences are associated with differences in individual behavioral style [25], including in wild-type rabbits under semi-natural conditions [53,54]. Moreover, given the similarities between rabbits and other species studied on such growthrelated variables [52,5], the findings here are likely to be relevant for other litter-bearing mammals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…Meanwhile, a second observer took the pups in sequential order, cleaned them of birth fluids, and numbered them on the back (dark gray skin in this breed) with white correcting fluid for individual identification. This marking method is a standard procedure in our laboratory, where we have not found it to interfere with the behavior or health of the young [7,9,25,26]. The pups were then weighed on an electronic balance to the nearest 0.1 g and placed together in a nest-box in which a foster mother had built a nest and recently given birth (see below).…”

Section: Registration Of Birth Ordermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intrauterine position as a predictor of postnatal growth and survival in the rabbit

Bautista

Rödel

Monclús

et al. 2015

Physiology & Behavior

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Section: Registration Of Birth Ordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Intrauterine position as a predictor of postnatal growth and survival in the rabbit

Bautista

Rödel

Monclús

et al. 2015

Physiology & Behavior

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“…In both rabbits and rats, heavier pups have been found to occupy more central positions in the nest, to exert less effort in huddling, and to be warmer than their littermates [57], [93]. Such advantageous positioning during the first postnatal week has moreover been found to correlate with greater fearfulness and less “proactivity” later in development (e.g., exploration, longer latency to jump from a cold shelf) in rabbits [55], [56]. Although the trend in the present study suggests a slight advantage for heavier mouse pups when huddling, relative thermal status (T IS rel ) proved to be a stronger predictor of a pup’s position in the huddle (using contacts as a proxy) and weight rel correlated with T IS rel only for males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Thermogenesis Structure Behavior and Contact within Huddles of Infant Mice

2014

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Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a thermogenic effector abundant in most mammalian infants. For multiparous species such as rats and mice, the interscapular BAT deposit provides both an emergency “thermal blanket” and a target for nestmates seeking warmth, thereby increasing the cohesiveness of huddling groups. Sex differences in BAT regulation and thermogenesis have been documented in a number of species, including mice (Mus musculus)–with females generally exhibiting relative upregulation of BAT. It is nonetheless unknown whether this difference affects the behavioral dynamics occurring within huddles of infant rodents. We investigated sex differences in BAT thermogenesis and its relation to contact while huddling in eight-day-old C57BL/6 mouse pups using infrared thermography, scoring of contact, and causal modeling of the relation between interscapular temperature relative to other pups in the huddle (TIS rel) and contacts while huddling. We found that females were warmer than their male siblings during cold challenge, under conditions both in which pups were isolated and in which pups could actively huddle in groups of six (3 male, 3 female). This difference garnered females significantly more contacts from other pups than males during cold-induced huddling. Granger analyses revealed a significant negative feedback relationship between contacts with males and TIS rel for females, and positive feedback between contacts with females and TIS rel for males, indicating that male pups drained heat from female siblings while huddling. Significant sex assortment nonetheless occurred, such that females made more contacts with other females than expected by chance, apparently outcompeting males for access to each other. These results provide further evidence of enhanced BAT thermogenesis in female mice. Slight differences in BAT can significantly structure the behavioral dynamics occurring in huddles, resulting in differences in the quantity and quality of contacts obtained by the individuals therein, creating sex differences in behavioral interactions beginning in early infancy.

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“…It appears from these studies that neonates share out thermally advantageous positions rather than compete within the huddle, as they continually move through it. However, a recent study shows that positions of pups within the huddle could possibly be linked to different personalities [51], and hence would depend on individual physiological and behavioural characteristics. Given that it may be possible to explore the selection of maternal and paternal genes controlling BAT thermogenesis [12], further studies examining the behaviour and physiological performances of different individuals within a litter may reveal new insights into the extent to which huddling is altruistic, and to investigate proximal factors that drive the development of individual personality [52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Private Heat for Public Warmth: How Huddling Shapes Individual Thermogenic Responses of Rabbit Pups

et al. 2012

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BackgroundWithin their litter, young altricial mammals compete for energy (constraining growth and survival) but cooperate for warmth. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanisms by which huddling in altricial infants influences individual heat production and loss, while providing public warmth. Although considered as a textbook example, it is surprising to note that physiological mechanisms underlying huddling are still not fully characterised.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe brown adipose tissue (BAT) contribution to energy output was assessed as a function of the ability of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pups to huddle (placed in groups of 6 and 2, or isolated) and of their thermoregulatory capacities (non-insulated before 5 days old and insulated at ca. 10 days old). BAT contribution of pups exposed to cold was examined by combining techniques of infrared thermography (surface temperature), indirect calorimetry (total energy expenditure, TEE) and telemetry (body temperature). Through local heating, the huddle provided each pup whatever their age with an ambient “public warmth” in the cold, which particularly benefited non-insulated pups. Huddling allowed pups facing a progressive cold challenge to buffer the decreasing ambient temperature by delaying the activation of their thermogenic response, especially when fur-insulated. In this way, huddling permitted pups to effectively shift from a non-insulated to a pseudo-insulated thermal state while continuously allocating energy to growth. The high correlation between TEE and the difference in surface temperatures between BAT and back areas of the body reveals that energy loss for non-shivering thermogenesis is the major factor constraining the amount of energy allocated to growth in non-insulated altricial pups.Conclusions/SignificanceBy providing public warmth with minimal individual costs at a stage of life when pups are the most vulnerable, huddling buffers cold challenges and ensures a constant allocation of energy to growth by reducing BAT activation.

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Possible contribution of position in the litter huddle to long-term differences in behavioral style in the domestic rabbit

Cited by 36 publications

References 54 publications

Intrauterine position as a predictor of postnatal growth and survival in the rabbit

Intrauterine position as a predictor of postnatal growth and survival in the rabbit

Sex Differences in Thermogenesis Structure Behavior and Contact within Huddles of Infant Mice

Private Heat for Public Warmth: How Huddling Shapes Individual Thermogenic Responses of Rabbit Pups

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