Effects of social environment on baseline glucocorticoid levels in a communally breeding rodent, the colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis)
The social environment in which an animal lives can profoundly impact its physiology, including glucocorticoid (GC) responses to external stressors. In social, group-living species, individuals may face stressors arising from regular interactions with conspecifics as well as those associated with basic life history needs such as acquiring food or shelter. To explore the relative contributions […]
Alternative reproductive tactics in female striped mice: Solitary breeders have lower corticosterone levels than communal breeders
Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), where members of the same sex and population show distinct reproductive phenotypes governed by decision-rules, have been well-documented in males of many species, but are less well understood in females. The relative plasticity hypothesis (RPH) predicts that switches between plastic ARTs are mediated by changes in steroid hormones. This has received […]