The Influence of Age, Sex, and Social Affiliation on the Responses of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to a Novel Stimulus Over Time
Responses to novelty may differ among individuals as a function of age, sex, and/or the presence of offspring, and understanding how marine mammals respond to novel stimuli is critical to management. In this study, 20 captive Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were exposed to a novel object, consisting of PVC pipes and either a non-reflective […]
Habituation potential of yellow-eyed penguins depends on sex, character and previous experience with humans
Animal populations are increasingly challenged by anthropogenic environmental changes. Species, populations and individuals vary in their ability to cope with exposure to human proximity. However, little is known about what drives habituation or sensitization in wild populations. Via behavioural observations and heart rate telemetry during experimental disturbance, we determined the habituation potential of yellow-eyed penguins, […]
Maternal separation produces, and a second separation enhances, core temperature and passive behavioral responses in guinea pig pups
During separation in a novel cage, guinea pig pups exhibit passive behavior that appears due to increased proinflammatory activity. To determine if separation also produces a febrile response, the present study used telemetry to provide continuous core temperature measurement of pups exposed to a novel cage for 3 h while either alone or with their […]
Habituation and sensitization of aggression in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana): Testing the dual-process theory of habituation
The aggressive response of male bullfrogs ( Rana catesbeiana) habituates with repeated broadcasts of acoustic stimuli simulating a new territorial neighbor. The effects of stimulus repetition rate and stimulus intensity on bullfrog aggressive responses were tested in a field experiment designed to test the assumptions of a dual-process theory of habituation. Synthetic advertisement calls were […]
Predictors of anticipatory cortisol reactivity to subsequent stressors
Understanding the nature, predictors, and consequences of anticipatory biological stress responses are important in understanding long-term effects of repeated stressors. We examined anticipatory cortisol responses after an individual has actually experienced and reacted to a stressor once and is anticipating a second similar stressor. We hypothesized that how an individual reacts to the first stressor […]