We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Behavioral and neuroendocrine response of Brandt's voles, Lasiopodomys brandtii, to odors of different species.
- Authors
Hegab, Ibrahim M.; Wang, Aiqin; Yin, Baofa; Yang, Shengmei; Wanhong, Wei
- Abstract
Predator odors are nonintrusive natural stressors of high ethological relevance. Behavioral and hormonal responses and changes in the expression of medial hypothalamic c-fos mRNA were examined in Brandt's voles ( Lasiopodomys brandtii) after exposure to feces of a domestic cat ( Felis catus), weasel ( Mustela sibirica), snake ( Xenopeltis hainanensis), goat ( Capra aegagrus), and distilled water (control). One hundred voles were tested in the defensive withdrawal apparatus. Voles showed an aversion to the predator odors by showing significant high levels of flight-related behaviors, more freezing behavior, and less and higher grooming behavior when they exposed to weasel and cat feces and more vigilant rearing compared to goat and control groups. Adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone serum levels significantly increased when voles were exposed to the predator odors compared to voles exposed to goat and control odors. A significant high c-fos mRNA level indicates a strong predator odor-induced activation of the medial hypothalamus of the tested voles. Our results display significant fear responses of Brandt's voles exposed to predator odors and that they can skillfully differentiate between odors from different species with odors from sympatric predators triggering the highest responses.
- Subjects
ODORS; BRANDT'S vole; PREDATORY animal behavior; ANIMAL defenses; GROOMING behavior in animals
- Publication
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2014, Vol 60, Issue 2, p331
- ISSN
1612-4642
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10344-013-0790-z