Final - Small Animal Behaviour Flashcards
What are 4 common pet species of hamsters?
- Syrian
- Siberian
- Roborovski
- Chinese
Hamsters are rodents in the family…
Cricetidae
Behaviour repertoire for:
Syrian
Siberian
Roborovski
Chinese
- Nocturnal, solitary
- Can be housed together in smaller groups
- Sociable and live in groups
- Very aggressive
3 components of hamster behaviour biology
- Known for storing large amounts of food in one place
- Predominantly nocturnal
- small eyes, relying move on hearing, somatic sensation and olfaction - Vocalizations
- make very few audible calls except when hurt, frightened, handled or fighting
- teeth chattering hear in interactions btw males (may be related to agonistic tention)
- may assist with exploration and navigation
- way for pups to elicit maternal care
Hamster scent communication
- Vomeronasal organ
- Flank gland secretions, ear gland secretions, vaginal secretions, urine, feces, and saliva- all communicate information
- Flank gland secretions deposited by arching the back and rubbing its side against vertical surfaces
- might roll onto side or back to rub flank glands on substrate - Scent marking occurs in both social and non-social contexts
- non-social: before or after grooming
- social: sexual or agnostic - Scent communicates species and individual identity info, sexual receptivity, and territory boundaries
How does a hamster regulate its activity?
By the amount of light in its environment
- maximum activity twilight to evening
- high light causes movement and exploration to cease
How do hamsters achieve maximum acuity in dim light?
All rod retina
Hamster vision
Vision is almost panoramic so visual acquisition of objects is done mostly with head and body movements instead of eye movement
- use vision to recognize and approach food
How is social behaviour influenced by visual cues?
- theory that black chest mark in Syrians displayed in aggressive encounters
- piloerection to increase size
- recognition of lordosis
What is evidence that hamsters have depth perception?
Can find small holes while running; appears to rely on tactile information (forepaws and whiskers)
Reproductive behaviour of hamsters
Sexual maturity: 42 days
Female typically reproductively active in the first year of life and on average will produce 4-6 litters
Seasonally polyestrous with 4 day estrous cycles
Sexual receptivity = lordosis
How do hamsters display proceptivity?
- ultrasonic calls
- immobile pre-lordosis stance
- vaginal marking
- allowing male to enter the burrow
Gestation of hamsters
16 days
- Young are very altricial
What do hamsters do pre-parturition?
digging, gnawing and nest building behaviours
How do syrian and serbian hamsters differ in terms of maternal behaviour?
Syrians
- house female alone to reduce risk of young being cannibalized
Serbians
- house the mother and father together as they both actively participate in care for young
Traits of hamster offspring
- Young being eating and drinking 7-10 days of age
- Weaning at 3 wks
- 29-34 days old mother becomes aggressive towards pups
How do hamsters live in the wild?
- Natural habitat is dry, rocky steppes or bushy slopes
- Live in burrows; one adult per burrow
- Able to tolerate cold well but easily heat stressed above 34 C
What type of housing should hamsters be provided with?
- Needs to provide for normal physiologic and behavioural needs:
- resting, nest building, grooming, exploring, climbing, hiding, digging, searching for food, hoarding and gnawing - Climbing and burrowing are predominant behaviours
- exercise wheel, ramps, plastic, or cardboard tunnels as an outlet - Prefer homes with solid bottoms and deep bedding
- Secure; they are escape artists!
- Minimum of 48 square inches/hamster of floor space
What subfamily do guinea pigs belong to?
Caviinae
Do guineapigs appear in the wild!
YES: Cavies
- semi-arid enviros
- socially tolerant
- spend most of day foraging
5 aspects of guinea pig behavioural biology
- originally from the Central Andes
- diurnal behaviour patterns with crepuscular bouts of activity
- cover seeking is common
- in response to visual and auditory cues - social hierarchies stable once established; multiple types:
- linear
- despotic
- females form loose, flexible hierarchies - Locomotion:
- walking, running, hops
- when startled, may leap and dash away
- occasionally climb onto shelters in their enviro
3 aspects of guinea pig vision
- More rods than cones in their eyes
- have dichromatic colour vision - Vision is limited to the visible spectrum
- No special lighting required when housed indoors on a 12-14:12-10 light:dark cycle
Guinea pig olfaction
- Scent cues used for individual recognition
- initiate social interaction with nose-nose investigation, followed by nuzzling the muzzle area
- leads to aggression or affiliative behaviour - If anosmic:
- disruption in sexual activity, failure to form species-typical dominance hierarchies, elimination of aggression btw males, and reduced scent marking - Have a vomeronasal organ
- Olfactory cues contribute to the formation and maintenance of the maternal-offspring and filial bonds
- Perineal gland secretions and urine used to distribute scent
Guinea pigs can detect sounds up to…
30-46 kHz
- very sensitive to noise
- note: ultrasound is > 20 kHz
Guinea pig vocal repertoire consists of…
11 sounds
- chut, purr, chutter, whine, low whistle, squeal, scream, tweet, drrr, and chirrup
- corresponds with: increased proximity, greeting/maintain proximity, regain proximity, pain/distress, and alarm
Vocalizations also influence the formation and maintenance of the mother-offspring bond
- learning their own pup’s isolation calls
- pup calls convey info about the pup’s condition
Reproductive Behaviour of Guinea Pigs
Sexual maturation
- Males: 3-4 months
- Females: 2-3 months
- Estrus lasts 8hrs every 13-24 days and typically 4 litters per yr
Proestrus
- the “rumba”, mounting and thrusting other guinea pigs indiscriminately, and defensive aggression
Estrus
- mounting behaviour but no aggression, lordosis, explorative, scent-marking
Diestrus
- defensive aggression returns
- isolation of male guinea pigs from female guinea pigs will have negative effects on courtship and copulation behaviours
Maternal behaviour of guinea pigs
- Gestation: 65-75 days
- Litter size: 2-5 pups
- Rearing enviro does not impact maternal behaviour
- For the first 4 days following parturition mothers are highly motivated to seek out pups
- Precocial young- fully furred w/ open eyes
- Weaning at 14-21 days
- Mother is more likely to modify nursing behaviour based on her own physical state in contrast to the state of the pups
Does rearing environment impact guinea pig maternal behaviour?
No!
What were chinchillas originally domesticated for?
Their fur
Chinchillas are paedomorphic, what does this mean?
They retain their juvenile characteristics
Chinchilla behavioural biology
- Obligate herbivore, hindgut fermenter & coprophagic
- Sit on haunches to eat while holding food in forepaws
- Continuously growing teeth; require extensive grinding
- Rely more heavily on HEARING compared to vision
What do chinchillas have to assist navigating enclosed environments (since they rely more heavily on hearing compared to vision)
Specialized vibrissae (whiskers)
Chinchilla social behaviour
- Highly social species that live in groups from a few individuals to hundreds
- Group living provides safety and contributes to mutual grooming and play
- Can experience distress if housed alone; ideally a neutered female and neutered male
- All group members partake in rearing young
How do chinchillas primarily communicate?
Vocalizations, scent cues, body language
- vocalizations range from humming to barks
- use vomeronasal organ to help determine familiarity, spatial boundaries and predation probability; HAVE BOTH LEARNED AND PREDISPOSED OLFACTORY CUES
When alarmed, how might chinchillas defend themselves?
Stand on hind lends and defend themselves with a precise stream of urine directed at the threat
- females are better than males at this
Chinchilla activity patterns
- very active and great climbers
- short forelegs for grasping food
- long hindlegs for bursts of strength when navigating rocky terrain
- rudder-like tail; balance and leaping
- kits are very active and often display a variety of play behaviours
What does chinchilla kit playing involve?
- bouncing, hopping, vertical leaping, twisting, racing
Partental behaviour
Both males and females are excellent parents
- engage in grooming, playing with young, and will discipline young via vocalizations
Chinchilla housing
- important to avoid dampness, high heat and bright light; ideal temp 10-17 degrees
- hammocks and raised platforms to encourage climbing and jumping
- hiding places and novel objects
- digging boxes (sterilized sand and soil)
- dust baths twice a wk (ground pumice stone or silver sand)
What family are ferrets apart of?
Mustelidae
What were ferrets originally domesticated for?
hunting and pest control
Ferret vision
- similar to cats
- can distinguish red
- more sensitive to light intensity than colour
- see best at dawn and dusk
- lower visual acuity and reliance on olfaction and audible cues is typical of nocturnal species
Ferret hearing
- similar to cats
- sensitive to sound 4-15 kHz
- can localize sounds well and react quickly
What is olfaction in ferrets important for?
Hunting and mating
Ferrets have a vomeronasal organ, what for?
Helps identify individuals and reproductive status
Ferrets have a variety of secretory glands that play a role in mediating social behaviour. How do they spread their scent?
- urine marking
- rubbing neck, flank or sides on the ground often followed by rolling
How do ferrets establish food preferences?
Using their olfactory system for food imprinting
Ferret locomotion
- crawl, walk, run
- ambling gait
- when running, back is arched giving appearance of hopping scamper
- can pivot, run backward, jump, and right themselves when falling from a height
- will slither, slink or slide along the ground on their bellies
- hope and ‘dance’ when excited or soliciting play
- can be rough and tumble
What are the most common ferret vocalizations?
chattering, chuckling, or clucking
- Extreme agitation or fear induces hissing
- Females may whimper to encourage young to follow
What type of mating system do ferrets have?
Polygynous
- hob will mate as many jills as he can
- copulation is noisy and aggressive; conspecific aggression is high during mating season
Unlike other mammals that rely on the vomeronasal organ for mate selection, what do ferrets use?
Olfactory bulbs
What should happen to jills 2 weeks pre parturition and several days after birth?
Should be housed along
- avoid novel noises, animals, ppl and extreme temp changes
- kits are born altricial
What noise frequencies will lactating female ferrets orient themselves to?
Frequencies greater than 16 kHz as kit distress calls can reach 100 kHz
Are hedgehogs domesticated?
NO
What order do hedgehogs belong to?
Insectivora
What are the 2 main pet species of hedgehogs?
European
African
What do hedgehogs readily adapt to?
Highly populated areas
Hedgehog senses: vision, olfaction, audition, taste
Vision
- moderately sized eyes with fair to good acuity
- only cone-type nuclei in eyes so poor color vision
Olfaction
- well developed olfactory lobes and vomeronasal organ
- long snout with moist tip
- smell is involved in: foraging, detecting predators, navigation, maternal, and sexual behaviour
Audition
- can detect high frequencies which is important for locating insects and detecting predators
Taste
- don’t like bitter but prefer salty and sweet
Hedgehog vocalization
- Snorting, spitting, hissing, huffing, puffing; used for aggression and warning
- Screaming; extreme distress
- Whistles and squeaks; young calling for dam
- Quack; European hedgehogs, unsure of meaning
- Twitter; African hedgehog, when exposed to unfamiliar surroundings
- Serenade; African hedgehog, made by males during courtship
Hedgehog eating and drinking
Opportunistic foragers/predators
- invertebrates; worms, caterpillars, beetles, centipedes
- small vertebrates; baby birds, mice, frogs
- carrion
Lack canine teeth
Feed in multiple short bouts
Water; dew and insects
Will not defecate in nest or near food/water source and often prefer one corner of enclosure
What is self-anoiting in hedgehogs?
Common but not fully understood behaviour seen in the wild and captivity; when they come across a strong smelling substance or taste they chew it up and coat their frothy saliva all over themselves
When not hibernating, do hedgehogs sleep in the same nest every day?
Nope!
Hedgehog locomotion
- waddling walk or trot
- can climb and swim
- short sturdy spines act as a cushion when falling
Hedgehog defense
- Threat: erects spines and freezes
- Nearby threat; flee
- Close threat; defends face and “boxing”
- Physical contact: rolls into ball*
*does not occur in encounters with conspecifics
Do hedgehogs have their own home ranges?
Nope! Overlapping home ranges that they do not defend
- 70-90 acres
What hedgehogs exhibit aggression towards each other?
Only males
- active fighting
- snorting and huffing
In captivity can hedgehogs be housed together?
YES, IF:
- only one male per group
- enough resources
- can share nests
Reproductive behaviour of hedgehogs
- Promiscuous and polygamous
- Courtship; lasts an hour, does not often end in copulation, female will assume lordosis if copulation is to occur
Maternal and Juvenile Behaviour
Mother
- attentive and aggressive
- high mortality rate in young
- builds special nest for her and young
Offspring
- altricial with edematous skin
- can vocalize loudly, crawl around and flip onto their backs (can also nurse on their backs)
Hedgehog housing
- smooth materials so toes and limbs cannot get caught
- tall walls to prevent escape
- soft absorbent bedding but avoid towels/cloths
- heavy crockery for food and water
- shelters for sleeping
- plastic, solid exercise wheel
What is a small, social, and nocturnal marsupial?
Sugar gliders
- sugar: prefer sweet sap and nectar
- gliders: gliding is primary means of locomotion
- paedomorphic
Social behaviour of sugar gliders
- Highly social and often form colonies of up to 12 adults including 1-3 males
- Socially dependent; harmonize wake-sleep patterns and grooming
- Hierarchical structure with one dominant male
What is the dominant male sugar glider responsible for?
- Responsible for patrolling, scent-marking and copulations
- Faster and more agile than subordinate males
- Higher testosterone levels, but lower cortisol levels
Sugar glider communication
- Primarily via scent-marking
- Males (4 glands) and females (3 glands) have different scent glands that serve different roles
- Scent is transferred by purposeful contact and predominantly relies on the males sternal and frontal glands
- Due to sugar gliders highly social nature, they should not be kept in isolation
Activity patterns of sugar gliders
- Nocturnal and considered playful and hyperactive
- foraging
- social behaviours - Well adapted to temperature fluctuations via communal living and behavioural changes
- hot weather they spread out
- cold weather they curl into balls - Torpor
- often occurs int he wild when resting in winter
- not common in captivity - Locomotion
- great climbers
- can glide up to 50 m
- not always accurate in judging distances
Reproductive behaviour of sugar gliders
- Seasonally polyestrous
- Breeding: in the wild, June to Nov, in captivity, year round
- Two litters are common in the same breeding season; facilitated by fetal diapause
- 75% of copulations occur via the dominant male
Parental and Offspring Behaviour of Sugar Gliders
Gestation; 15-17 days
- must break out of amniotic sac and migrate to pouch
Remain in pouch; 70-74 days
- attach to the teat for half this time, exit the pouch tail first
Forced to leave colony: 7-10 months
Males and females will care for the young and carry them on their backs and stomachs
Sugar glider housing
Housed in at least groups of 2
Should include:
- nest boxes
- branches or rods
- feeding stations that stimulate natural foraging behaviours
- shallow water bowls
Can include:
- nesting materials
- perches, and bird swings
- solid bird or cat toys
- solid plastic exercise wheel
