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Watanabe S, Scheich H, Braun K, Shinozuka K. Visual snake aversion in Octodon degus and C57BL/6 mice. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:33-41. [PMID: 34156548 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01527-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Phobia against spiders or snakes is common in humans, and similar phobia-like behaviors have been observed in non-human animals. Visual images of snakes elicit phobia in humans, but sensory modalities that cause snake aversion in non-human animals are not well examined. In this study, we examined visually induced snake aversion in two rodent species. Using a three-compartment experimental chamber, reactions to images of snakes were compared between the diurnal precocious rodent Octodon degus and nocturnal laboratory mice. The snakes whose images were presented do not live in the original habitats of degus or mice. Snake aversion was assessed by presenting snake vs. no-image, snake vs. flower, snake vs. degu, and snake vs. mouse images. The time spent in a compartment with the snake image and with the non-snake images were measured. Degus avoided images of snakes in every tests. In contrast, mice did not display snake aversion. Degus are diurnal animals, i.e., visual information is important for their survival. Since mice are nocturnal, visual information is less important for survival. Such behavioral differences in the two species may explain the difference in visually induced aversion to snakes. A principal component analysis of the stimulus images suggests that elementary cues, such as color, do not explain the differences in the species' aversion to snakes. Finally, snake aversion in degus suggests that aversion is innate, since the animals were born and raised in a laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henning Scheich
- Professor Emeritus, Leibniz Institute of Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Otto Von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral and Brain Science (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany
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de Souza JM, Rabelo LM, de Faria DBG, Guimarães ATB, da Silva WAM, Rocha TL, Estrela FN, Chagas TQ, de Oliveira Mendes B, Malafaia G. The intake of water containing a mix of pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations leads to defensive response deficit in male C57Bl/6J mice. Sci Total Environ 2018; 628-629:186-197. [PMID: 29432930 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have individually confirmed the toxic effects from different pollutants on mammals. However, effects resulting from the exposure of these animals to multi-pollutant mixes have not been studied so far. Thus, the aim of the current study is to assess the effect from the chronic exposure (105days) of C57Bl/6J mice to a mix of pollutants on their response to potential predators. In order to do so, the following groups were formed: "control", "Mix 1× [compounds from 15 pollutants identified in surface waters at environmentally relevant concentration (ERC)]", "Mix 10×" and "Mix 25×" (concentrations 10 and 25 times higher than the ERC). From the 100th experimental day on, the animals were subjected to tests in order to investigate whether they showed locomotor, visual, olfactory and auditory changes, since these abilities are essential to their anti-predatory behavior. Next, the animals' behavior towards potential predators (Felis catus and Pantherophis guttatus) was assessed. The herein collected data did not show defensive response from any of the experimental groups to the predatory stimulus provided by P. guttatus. However, the control animals, only, presented anti-predatory behavior when F. catus was introduced in the apparatus, fact that suggests defensive response deficit resulting from the treatments. Thus, the current study is pioneer in showing that the chronic intake of water containing a mix of pollutants (even at low concentrations) leads to behavioral disorders able to affect the survival and population dynamics of mammalian species at ecological level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Moreira de Souza
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Denise Braga Gomes de Faria
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil
| | - Abraão Tiago Batista Guimarães
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil
| | - Wellington Alves Mizael da Silva
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil
| | - Thiago Lopes Rocha
- Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bruna de Oliveira Mendes
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil; Biological Research Laboratory, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí Campus, GO, Brazil.
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Tanis BP, Bott B, Gaston BJ. Sex-based differences in anti-predator response of crickets to chemical cues of a mammalian predator. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4923. [PMID: 29910976 PMCID: PMC6001705 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-predator behaviors like vigilance or hiding come at the expense of other fitness increasing behaviors such as foraging. To compensate for this trade-off, prey assess predation risk and modify the frequency of anti-predator behaviors according to the likelihood of the threat. In this study, we tested the ability of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) to indirectly assess predation risk via odors from a mammalian predator, Elliot's short-tailed shrew (Blarina hylophaga). As natural differences in encounter rates and predation risk differs between sexes, we tested if male and female crickets perceive similar rates of predation risk from the presence of shrew odor measured via anti-predator behavioral response. Crickets were placed in enclosed, cardboard-lined chambers either treated with shrew odor or control, along with a food source. Time until foraging was measured for each individual and compared across treatment and sex. We found that in the presence of shrew odor, female crickets delayed foraging while males showed no response. These results suggest adult crickets can use chemical cues to detect mammalian predators. Furthermore, we demonstrate that female crickets associate greater predation risk from shrew predators than do male crickets, which are more stationary yet acoustically conspicuous. As predation risk potentially differs drastically for each sex, changes to the operational sex ratios of wild cricket populations could be influenced by the identity of the predator community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Tanis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America.,Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, United States of America
| | - Bradley Bott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, United States of America.,PRA Health Sciences, Lenexa, KS, United States of America
| | - Brian J Gaston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS, United States of America
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