Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Improving effectiveness of environmental enrichment: The role of light intensity in rock bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) rearing","authors":"Zhe Li ,&nbsp;Jingjing He ,&nbsp;Shanshan Zhou ,&nbsp;Jie Ying ,&nbsp;Kaida Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental enrichment is a potential approach to enhance the fitness and survival of hatchery fish stocked for conservation purposes. Its effectiveness presumably depends not only on ecologically relevant features of physical enrichment but also on light condition applied. Despite the importance, few studies have reported on the role of light in enriched rearing. This study sought to optimize the enriched rearing of juvenile rock bream (<em>Oplegnathus fasciatus</em>) particularly regarding their physiological and behavioral performance by regulating light intensity. Juveniles were reared in either standard tanks (no enrichment) or enriched tanks with polyethylene ropes simulating drifting algae at three different light intensities (400, 800 or 1600 lux) for 32 days. Our findings revealed that cortisol levels of the fish increased with light intensity even in the presence of the physical structure. No significant effect of light intensity was detected on growth. Compared to standard fish, fish reared with enrichment showed higher levels of caudal fin damage and cortisol at all the light intensities, suggesting increased chronic stress; in addition, the fish displayed higher shelter-seeking behavior. These results highlight the importance of maintaining low light intensities to minimize chronic stress in the fish. Moreover, adjustments to the enriched rearing condition are recommended to mitigate adverse effects on physiological aspects before incorporated into practical implementation in stock enhancement programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106421"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiparous ewes have greater mating success when competing with nulliparous ones","authors":"Gustavo Campos Bueno Dias ,&nbsp;Aline Freitas-de-Melo ,&nbsp;Juan Pedro Bottino ,&nbsp;Maria Jesús Frisch-Braga ,&nbsp;Adroaldo José Zanella ,&nbsp;Germana Vizzotto Osowski ,&nbsp;Raquel Pérez-Clariget ,&nbsp;Rodolfo Ungerfeld","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hypothesis of this study was that multiparous ewes are more attractive to rams than nulliparous ewes, leading to more intense courtship and mating displays by rams in competitive environments. Thus, this study aimed to compare the sexual interactions of multiparous or nulliparous estrous ewes tested together or individually with sexually active males. Seven sexually experienced Corriedale rams, 21 multiparous, and 21 nulliparous Corriedale ewes were used. Competitive and individual sexual behavior tests were performed for 3 consecutive days immediately after estrous detection. Seven rams were tested with seven different dyads of one multiparous and one nulliparous female daily, totaling 14 ewes per day. The competitive sexual behavioral test evaluated a ram together in a pen with one multiparous ewe and one nulliparous ewe for 10 min. In the individual sexual behavioral test, each ram was tested twice for 10 min, with the same multiparous and nulliparous females used in the competitive sexual tests. The sexual behaviors of rams were recorded in both tests, and ewes' behaviors were registered in the competitive sexual tests. During the competitive sexual tests, rams approached, mated, and tended to sniff the multiparous ewes before the nulliparous ewes (p=0.03; p=0.01; p=0.056, respectively). In those tests, rams mated the multiparous ewes more efficiently than nulliparous ones (p=0.002), meaning that rams mounted multiparous fewer times to ejaculate. The number of flehmens and their length were greater in nulliparous than in multiparous (0.01 and 0.002, respectively). The nulliparous ewes urinated more times and tended to do it in greater duration and tended to walk more than the multiparous (p=0.01; p=0.06; p=0.08, respectively). During the individual sexual behavioral tests, rams showed no differences in the sexual behaviors displayed toward multiparous and nulliparous females. In conclusion, multiparous ewes were preferred as sexual partners over nulliparous ewes, with rams showing greater efficiency in ejaculating with multiparous ewes. This increased sexual attractiveness was primarily due to the ewes' attractive signals rather than their proceptive behaviors. However, multiparous and nulliparous ewes were courted and mated similarly when rams had no choice, increasing the likelihood of reproduction in both groups. While nulliparous ewes signaled their reproductive status more frequently through urination, this signal did not compensate for the other signals provided by multiparous ewes, which contributed to their higher sexual attractiveness. These findings offer practical insights, emphasizing the importance of separating multiparous and nulliparous ewes to optimize reproductive outcomes in collective breedings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106443"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attendance patterns of provisioned Australian humpback dolphins (Sousa sahulensis) in Tin Can Bay, Australia – Further indication of male bonding and alliance","authors":"T.M. Barber ,&nbsp;A.S. Cooke","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106435","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106435","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tin Can Bay, Queensland, is one of four free-ranging dolphin feed provisioning sites in Australia and the only one featuring Australian humpback dolphins (<em>Sousa sahulensis</em>). The site attracts the same 5–10 dolphins a year, most of which return regularly, and some which have been in attendance since the 1990s. Historical records were obtained for the period March 2010 to March 2021 covering dolphin attendance to the provisioning station including dolphin name, arrival time, and departure time. Tourist numbers were also obtained which included the total number and how many of that total directly took part in provisioning. Attendance of dolphins to the provisioning site has increased over the years both in frequency and total numbers. There was evidence of group cohesion between four particular dolphins (one mother-offspring pair and one male pair). The strongest pairing was seen between two males, indicating bond formation in adult male humpback dolphins, which may be indicative of an alliance. Specific events were also looked at in detail including cyclones, flooding COVID-19 restrictions, which reduced dolphin and/or human attendance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106435"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modelling behavior of Crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) using classification algorithms","authors":"Jakub Pacoń,&nbsp;Barbara Kosińska-Selbi,&nbsp;Jarosław Wełeszczuk,&nbsp;Joanna Kochan,&nbsp;Wojciech Kruszyński","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Animal behavior plays a crucial role in evolution of many species. Many studies focused on animal behavior enhance the ability to collect large and detailed data. However, this kind of data is surpassing the capability of traditional statistical methods for analysis. In this study we propose to use artificial intelligence (AI) with machine learning models (ML) as tools to study animal behavior and potentially assumed evolution patterns in their behavior. For the Crested gecko (<em>Correlophus ciliatus</em>), some guidelines have been published regarding the breeding of these reptiles, focusing on their behavior. However, little is known about moderating their behavior using AI and advanced ML algorithms. In this study, based on information collected from twenty individuals, we proposed building a supervised classifier model using simple Decision Tree classifier (DT), Gradient Boosting classifier (GB) and Extreme Gradient Boosting classifier (XGBoost). Our results show that the highest accuracy (above 60 %) was achieved for variables which were not complex in terms of animal behavior. The analysis presented in this study, demonstrates that it is possible to model Crested Gecko behavior using ML models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106436"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Salivary oxytocin response of dairy cows to nursing and permanent separation from their calves, and the influence of the cow-calf bond","authors":"Heather W. Neave ,&nbsp;Jean-Loup Rault ,&nbsp;Emma Hvidtfeldt Jensen ,&nbsp;Margit Bak Jensen","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxytocin is a hormone involved in milk let-down, facilitating maternal behavior and parent-young bonding, and attenuating the stress response under challenge, but the release of oxytocin also appears to be dependent upon the social context. Dairy cows are commonly separated from their calves at birth, preventing maternal behavior and the establishment of a social bond. The growing interest in maintaining cow-calf contact provides a practically relevant context to study how oxytocin is affected by differing levels of cow-calf contact. Furthermore, the oxytocinergic system is likely affected by the stress of permanent cow-calf separation, depending on weaning method and strength of the cow-calf bond. Dairy cows were managed with full-time (23 h/d of calf contact), part-time (10 h/d of calf contact) or no calf contact (separated 48 h after birth), and then weaned by either: 50 % reduction in original calf contact time in wk 8 and 9 (‘reduced-contact’), or calf contact time remained unchanged (‘unchanged-contact’). Permanent separation from their calves occurred at wk 10 (n=14 for each treatment combination). Saliva was sampled in wk 8 before and after a nursing event over 3d, and in wk 10 before and after permanent separation (2 h after, and every 24 h thereafter for 3d), and analysed for oxytocin concentration. Cow-calf bond was measured as: motivation for cows to reunite with their calves (pressure cows were willing to exert on a weighted gate), and frequency and duration of social interactions between dam and calf. Cows with the most opportunity for calf contact (full-time; unchanged-contact) tended to have higher oxytocin concentrations around nursing, and oxytocin concentration around nursing tended to be positively related to proportion of total daily time together spent in physical contact. Over the 4-d post separation period, oxytocin response was generally stable for cows with male calves, but the pattern was variable for cows with female calves and in opposing directions for full- and part-time cows. Reduced-contact cows had greater oxytocin concentration over the separation period than unchanged-contact cows, but only if they had a male calf. In unchanged-contact cows, the oxytocin response to separation tended to increase if the cow-calf bond was stronger. These results highlight the complexity of the oxytocin response to different social situations, which depended on prior level of calf contact, calf sex, and strength of the cow-calf bond. Future research should explore how management practices influence social bonds and the oxytocinergic system, given their role in modulating stress resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106429"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) differ in their responses to environmental enrichment: Why?","authors":"Luan de Jesus Matos de Brito ,&nbsp;Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo ,&nbsp;Luísa Mascarenhas Ladeia Dutra ,&nbsp;Fabíola Oliveira Paes Leme ,&nbsp;Angélica da Silva Vasconcellos","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The maned wolf, a species vulnerable to extinction, is widely found in zoos. Environmental enrichment techniques have been recommended to increase environmental unpredictability, therefore stimulating behavioral diversity, and promoting welfare for zoo animals. However, diverse responses to unpredictability have been recorded in maned wolves, including increases in stress hormones, for unknown reasons. We aimed in this study to identify possible factors associated with the responses of maned wolves to enrichment. We tested the influence of temperament, sex, origin, rearing, and age on behavioral and hormonal responses of 13 captive maned wolves to feeding enrichment. Hormonal (fecal glucocorticoid metabolites – GCM - evaluation) and behavioral (by focal sampling and interval recording methods) data were gathered. We ran eight 5-minute sessions per animal per day, in three different stages: Baseline I, Enrichment, and Baseline II, 10-day long each. Temperament tests were also applied. Temperament, Sex, Environmental Enrichment, Age, and Origin were all factors influencing the behaviors of the maned wolves. Cautious females exhibited a tendency for greater locomotor activity than exploratory females, while GCM of both remained stable throughout experiment. The males had a reduction in GCM levels during the Environmental Enrichment stage and exhibited greater frequencies of Rest and Affiliative behavior than females. Younger animals exhibited higher frequencies of Locomotion, Foraging, and Affiliative behavior, and wild-born animals foraged more than captive-born wolves. As a whole, environmental enrichment had a potentially beneficial impact on the behaviors of males and females, resulting in a reduction of the time they were inactive and hiding. Our findings highlight the relevance of considering the specific needs of each sex and individual when planning environmental enrichment interventions for maned wolves. Such a procedure has the potential to improve the welfare of the individuals, by promoting environmental complexity and reducing stress responses, thus contributing to the <em>ex-situ</em> conservation of the species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"280 ","pages":"Article 106432"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142572571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"All is not equal: Public perception of cognitive abilities, suffering and emotional attachment in different pet species","authors":"Agnese Crisante,&nbsp;Oliver H.P. Burman,&nbsp;Anna Wilkinson","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106434","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106434","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the longstanding relationship that humans have shared with animals, differences have consistently existed in the way that humans perceive and interact with different species. It has been hypothesised that there is a link between our perception of animal intelligence and emotions and subsequent care in captivity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate public perception of the cognitive and emotional capabilities of pets belonging to different animal classes and investigate if there is a link between public perception of an animal’s cognition and their perception of its ability to suffer and create a bond with its owners. The results revealed that the public perception of an animal’s cognitive abilities and emotional attachment to their owners followed the phylogenetic scale. Mammals received the highest scores compared to other animal classes and, generally, there was a significant difference between the scores assigned to all animal classes across all cognitive questions. Our findings also indicate that suffering is universally recognized across animal classes, though higher scores were assigned to Mammals and Birds than the other classes. Moreover, we found that when participants rated an animal's cognitive abilities highly, they also believed that animal had a greater capacity to both suffer and to form strong emotional attachments to their owner. The results of this study reveal that the general public do not consider different pet species to be cognitively or emotionally equivalent across classes, and that those species of animal judged to be more cognitively capable are considered more susceptible to suffering. As a result, pet animals which are more phylogenetically distinct from humans may have poorer welfare than those more closely related.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"280 ","pages":"Article 106434"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in the eye blink and half-blink rates in horses as a reaction to a stressor: A preliminary study","authors":"Jarosław Łuszczyński ,&nbsp;Iwona Janczarek ,&nbsp;Bogusława Długosz ,&nbsp;Karolina Wałek ,&nbsp;Beata Kaczmarek ,&nbsp;Joanna Barłowska","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It was assumed that the full-blink and half-blink rates (eye blink rate, EBR) increased in horses after stress, with these rates decreasing gradually after that. This study aimed to analyze the horses’ EBR for three minutes following exposure to a stressor. The tests were conducted on ten horses at rest /before test/ after a test involving a new object. The EBR was analyzed using Kinovea software [version 0.9.5]. Moreover, HR was measured with a stethoscope, and behavior was assessed using a 5-point scale. Compared to rest and pre-test, HR post-test increased significantly, and scores for behavior decreased during the test. There were no significant differences between EBRs in consecutive minutes at rest and pre-test. After the test, only the frequency of half-blinks and full-blinks and half-blinks together decreased significantly in the following minutes of measurement. Significant differences between EBR at rest and after the test and between EBR before and after the test occurred at each minute of the test. Only in the case of behavioral assessment and HR, the results correlated significantly. It was concluded that the analysis of EBR as a method for assessing horse stress should not be regarded as fully reliable and effective at this stage of research, as the results from this range did not correlate with the HR and the scores for behavior. In addition, it was suggested that the full-blink rate was worth using for further research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"280 ","pages":"Article 106430"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How to write a good Revision Note","authors":"Péter Pongrácz,&nbsp;Irene Camerlink","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106445","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"280 ","pages":"Article 106445"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142662082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Individual variation of boldness in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) interacting with scuba divers in French Polynesia","authors":"Pamela Carzon ,&nbsp;Éric Clua ,&nbsp;Fabienne Delfour","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine wildlife tourism is known to affect target species across multiple spatial and temporal scales, from short-term behavioral responses to changes in relative abundance and habitat use patterns. However, despite a growing number of population-, community-, and group-level studies, a limited number of them have focused their research on individual responses to wildlife tourism, particularly on free-ranging cetaceans. Between 2018 and 2020, we investigated the behavioral responses of 20 non-provisioned bottlenose dolphins (<em>Tursiops truncatus</em>) to recreational scuba divers in Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia, to understand whether these individuals that had been repeatedly exposed to scuba diving tourism on at least one year exhibited temperament traits along the ‘shyness-boldness’ axis. We also considered potential variation in boldness in relation to sex, age, and tourist-site fidelity. The study documented individual differences in the dolphins’ boldness. There was no variation in boldness according to sex and tourist-site fidelity, but age significantly influenced the dolphins’ boldness with immature dolphins being bolder than mature individuals. The more extreme case of boldness involved four dolphins that tolerated repeated physical interactions with scuba divers. In Rangiroa, scuba diving tourism promotes repeated intrusive interactions with dolphins that might make bold individuals particularly vulnerable to collateral threats associated with human activities. It is therefore crucial to consider individual variation in the dolphins’ behavioral responses to tourism to implement optimal tourism management measures. We suggest in the discussion recommendations to help minimize the risks for both the dolphins and humans associated with repeated close interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"281 ","pages":"Article 106426"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}