Journals: Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

- Abreviatura: Anim. Behav.

- Home Page: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/animal-behaviour/

- Qualis CAPES: A1 (Biodiversidade), A2 (Ciências Biológicas I e II), B1 (Ciências Biológicas III).

- Taxa de Publicação: Nenhuma.

- Idiomas: Inglês.

- Disponibilidade: Restrito. Apenas alguns artigos são de acesso livre.

- Submissão: Online, pelo sistema Elsevier, com acesso pela home page.

Animal Behaviour é publicado pela Associação para o Estudo do Comportamento Animal (Association for Study of Animal Behaviour) em colaboração com a Sociedade de Comportamento Animal (Animal Behaviour Society).

Publicado pela primeira vez em 1953, Animal Behaviour é uma publicação internacional líder com grande apelo, contendo revisões críticas, artigos originais, e artigos de pesquisa em todos os aspectos do comportamento animal. Seções de revisões de livros e recebimento de livros também estão incluídas.

O crescente interesse na biologia comportamento e a reputação internacional do Animal Behaviour exigiram uma expansão para publicação mensal em 1989. Animal Behaviour continua a ser o periódico escolhido por biólogos, etólogos, psicólogos, fisiólogos, e veteranos com interesse no assunto.

As áreas de pesquisa do periódico incluem: ecologia comportamental, evolução do comportamento, sócio-biologia, etologia, psicologia comportamental, fisiologia comportamental, biologia de populações, comportamento sensorial, navegação e migração.

Ecomorphology of orbit orientation and the adaptative significance of binocular vision in primates and other mammals

HEESY, C.P. 2008. Ecomorphology of orbit orientation and the adaptative significance of binocular vision in primates and other mammals. Brain, Behaviou and Evolution 71:54-67. doi: 10.1159/000108621

Abstract. Primates are characterized by forward-facing, or convergent, orbits and associated binocular field overlap. Hypotheses explaining the adaptive significance of these traits often relate to ecological factors, such as arboreality, nocturnal visual predation, or saltatory locomotion in a complex nocturnal, arboreal environment. This study re-examines the ecological factors that are associated with high orbit convergence in mammals. Orbit orientation data were collected for 321 extant taxa from sixteen ordens of metatherian (marsupial) and eutherian mammals. These taxa were coded for activity pattern, degree of faunivory, and substrate preference. Results demonstrate that nocturnal and cathemeral mammals have significantly more convergent orbits than diurnal taxa, both within and across ordens. Faunivorous eutherians (noth nocturnal and diurnal) have higher mean orbit convergence that opportunistically foraging or non-faunivorous taxa. However, substrate preference is not associated with higher orbit convergence and, by extension, greater binocular visual field overlap. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that mammalian predators evolved higher orbit convergence, binocular vision, and stereopsis to counter camouflage in prey inhabiting a nocturnal environment. Strepsirhine primates have a range of orbit convergence values similar to nocturnal or cathemeral prodatory non-primates mammals. These data are entirely consistent with the nocturnal visual predation hypothesis of primate origins.

The burrows of Dasypus hybridus Cingulata: Dasypodidae)

GONZÁLEZ, E.M.; SOUTULLO, A.; ALTUNA, C.A. 2001. The burrows of Dasypus hybridus Cingulata: Dasypodidae). Acta Theriologica 46(1):53-59.

Abstract. Dasypus hybridus (Desmarest, 1804) inhabits open fields in southern South America. Burrows of D. hybridus were cylindrical with a conical end. They had an entrance and a single tunnel without branches. Three locations of the burrows in the terrain were detected: in banks of dried waterways, near rocks, and in open field. The orientation of 29 burrow mouths was not random and, although they did not point to any cardinal point, in particular there was a strong tendency to avoid the south quadrant. In a sample area of 90 x 140 m, burrow mouths were arranged in a random spatial pattern with a density of 25.4 burrows por ha. Great variation in burrow length was found (118.8 +/- 105.69 cm, CV = 89.0%). Tunnels may be used as refuges and/or for thermo-regulation. The orientation of burrow mouths can also be related to thermoregulation as tunnels are covered from dominant winds, and, for many hours every day, the temperature at the mouths can be influenced by insolation. The possible existence of shelter-burrows and resting-burrows is discussed.

Activity patterns of the culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus megellanica) in a non-hunting area of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina

MONTEVERDE, M.J.; PIUDO, L. 2011. Activity patterns of the culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus megellanica) in a non-hunting area of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Mammal Study 36:119-125.

Abstract. The culpeo fox is the largest native canid in Patagonia. The majority of past studies on culpeo foxes have focused on trophic ecology, population dynamics, natural history, competitive interactions, management, and habitat use. Little work has been done on determining activity patterns of the fox and thus, conclusions regarding culpeo fox activity patterns have been based on limited data. The objective of our study was to determine culpeo fox activity patterns in a protected area (Lanín National Park, Argentina) using “camera-traps” to test the hypothesis that the culpeo fox is still nocturnal in non-hunting areas. Data were collected from October 2008 through May 2009 at 29 infrared triggered camera stations. We obtained 1,261 culpeo fox photos of which 234 were used for analyses. Diet was studied from 34 culpeo fox scats. Culpeo foxes were most active during nighttime (>70% of the records) confirming the general patterns obtained in other studies. Additionally, examination of culpeo fox scats revealed that they mostly preyed on nocturnal small mammals. The present study offers evidence against the widespread assumption that nocturnal activity of this species is a behavioral response to human harassment, as it was conducted in a protected area where culpeo foxes are not hunted. Instead, their nocturnal behavior may be related to prey activity patterns.

Daily activity patterns of the Atlantic bamboo rat (Kannabateomys amblyonyx) in southern Brazil.

SARTI, P.T; SILVA, R.B.; VIEIRA, E.M. 2012. Daily activity patterns of the Atlantic bamboo rat (Kannabateomys amblyonyx) in southern Brazil. Neotropical Biology and Conservation 7(2):108-113.

Abstract. Several biotic and abiotic factors influence on daily cycles and mammalian life-history patterns. In this paper, we investigated behavioral patterns and diurnal and nocturnal activity of the Atlantic bamboo rat Kannabateomys amblyonyx (Rodentia, Echimyidae) an endemic species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We conducted the study in the southern portion of the species distribution, in patches of an introduced bamboo species (Bambusa tuldoides) that occurred inside native forest areas. We evaluated behavior and activity time of the individuals by conducting scans during nocturnal and diurnal periods (mean scan length – 24 min, range from 2 to 30 min). We considered the following behavioral categories: feeding, moving, self-cleaning and resting. We did not find significant difference between the diurnal and nocturnal activity (randomized MANOVA, SS = 0.07, d.f. = 45, P = 0.59). The Atlantic Bamboo Rat seemed to be active during the entire 24-h daily period, but with activity peaks by the beginning of the night (between 19:00 and 21:00). The low energy quality provided by food (buds, twigs and bamboo leaves) should compel the rodent to eat several times a day in order to supply their metabolic needs. Besides that, predator activity both during day and night, as well as other local environmental characteristics, probably represents relevant factors that influence the 24-h activity patterns of the studied rodent.

Behavioral and physiologic responses to environmental enrichment in the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

CUMMINGS, D.; BROWN, J.L.; RODDEN, M.D.; SONGSASEN, N. 2007. Behavioral and physiologic responses to environmental enrichment in the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus). Zoo Biology 26:331-343.

Abstract. The ex situ population of maned wolves is not self-sustaining due to poor reproduction, caused primarily by parental incompetence. Studies have shown that environmental enrichment can promote natural parental behaviors in zoo animals. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral and physiological responses of maned wolves. During an 8-week experimental period, daily behavior observations and fecal sample collection were conducted on four adult wolves (2.2) individually housed in environments without enrichment. After 2 weeks, the wolves were chronologically provided with 2-week intervals of hiding dead mice around the exhibit, no enrichment, and introduction of boomer balls. Responses of the wolves to enrichment were assessed based on activity levels and exploratory rates, as well as the level of corticoid metabolites in fecal samples collected daily throughout the study period. Providing wolves with environmental enrichment significantly increased exploratory behaviors (P < 0.05), especially when mice were hidden in the enclosure. Fecal corticoid concentrations were increased during periods of enrichment in males (P < 0.05), but not in females. Overall, there were no correlations between behavioral responses to enrichment and fecal corticoid levels. Behavioral results suggest that environmental enrichment elicits positive effects on the behavior of captive maned wolves. There is evidence suggesting that providing animals with ability to forage for food is a more effective enrichment strategy than introducing objects. There is need for a longer term study to determine the impact of environmental enrichment in this species.

Water absorption of the fur and swimming behaviour of semiaquatic and terrestrial oryzomine rodents

SANTORI, R.T.; VIEIRA, M.V.; ROCHA-BARBOSA, O.; MAGNAN-NETO, J.A.; GOBBI, N. 2008. Water absorption of the fur and swimming behaviour of semiaquatic and terrestrial oryzomine rodents. Journal of Mammalogy 89(5):1152-1161.

Abstract. Locomotion in land and water requires different adaptations, hence semiaquatic mammals must deal with conflicting demands of the 2 environments. Semiaquatic rodents of the tribe Oryzomyini are considered semiaquatic mostly based on habitat use and morphology, but locomotory specializations were not yet determined for most species of the group. We compared water absorption of the fur and swimming behavior between 2 species of oryzomyine water rats (Nectomys) and 2 terrestrial species of Cerradomys. We used adult rodents captured in the wild but acclimated to laboratory conditions. Water absorption rate was determined by the relative increase in body mass after a 5-min swimming session. Animals were videotaped swimming in an aquarium to determine gaits, body posture, maneuverability, and speed. Water absorption rate was significantly lower in semiaquatic species, with no significant difference between sexes. Bipedal paddling was the more frequently used gait by all 4 species, but semiaquatic species were faster and maintained a more hydrodynamic body posture, with a short gliding phase during the gait cycle. Only semiaquatic species were capable of floating effortlessly, and used the swimming bound, a gait similar to the half bound of terrestrial locomotion. Submerged swimming was the fastest swimming gait, used by 1 terrestrial and 1 semiaquatic species. The better performance during bipedal swimming of semiaquatic water rats was related to the improved buoyancy provided by reduced water absorption of the fur, which seemed to represent an important adaptation to move in the water without compromising locomotion on land.