bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visceral anatomy of the Malaysian snake genus Xenophidion, including a cladistic analysis and allocation to a new family (Serpentes: Xenophidiidae)
Authors: Wallach Van , Günther Rainer
Published: April 2008

The internal anatomy of Xenophidion is described and compared with that of members of other snake families. A suite of primitive characters eliminates Xenophidion as a possible member of the Caenophidia; only two characters could conceivably suggest a relationship to the Caenophidia and both are examples of losses and thus of low phylogenetic value in assessing relationships. However, among lower snakes a sister group relationship is demonstrated with the Tropidophiidae of the Neotropical region. Besides possessing nearly identical viscera and topographical arrangement thereof, Xenophidion shares several characters with the Tropidophiidae. A new family is created to contain the genus, the Xenophidiidae. The Xenophidiidae share one synapomorphy with both the Tropidophiidae and Bolyeriidae. Therefore, it is proposed that these three families be united in the superfamily Tropidophioidea. A phylogenetic analysis of 52 characters results in the following preferred hypothesis of relationships: (Boinae, (((Bolyeria, Casarea), (Xenophidion, ((Exiliboa, Ungaliophis), (Trachyboa, Tropidophis)))), Acrochordus)).
Estimating abundance and biomass of a Speleomantes strinatii (Caudata, Plethodontidae) population by temporary removal sampling
Authors: Salvidio Sebastiano
Published: April 2008

A rock-face population of the European plethodontid Speleomantes strinatii (Aellen, 1958) was studied along a small Apennine stream, in northwest Italy. Three temporary removal samples were taken in October, from 1993 to 1996, to estimate population structure, abundance and biomass. Body-size polymodal frequency distributions were resolved into separate components (i.e., estimated age classes) using the log-differences method. Each year's sample was composed of two juvenile age classes plus a mixed component in which large immature individuals and sexually mature salamanders were present. The analysis of removal data showed that capture probabilities were homogeneous within each annual sampling and were similar between juveniles and adults (mean values being 0.33 and 0.26, respectively). The population density varied between 0.6 and 1.0 individuals/m2 of rock face (average 0.8) and biomass, expressed as wet weight, between 0.98 and 1.54 g/m2 (average 1.25 g/m2). Temporary removal sampling was effective in providing autoecological data on European plethodontid salamanders living in such relatively complex microhabitats as vertical rock faces. Moreover, the results suggest that temporary removal methods can be a useful tool in monitoring amphibian long-term population changes.
Habitat utilization by the arboreal boa Corallus grenadensis in two ecologically disparate habitats on Grenada
Authors: Henderson Robert W. , Sajdak Richard A. , Winstel R. Allan
Published: April 2008

Habitat utilization by the arboreal boid Corallus grenadensis was studied at two ecologically disparate sites on the West Indian island of Grenada: one devoted largely to agriculture, the other largely devoid of agricultural activity. Small snakes (< 600 mm SVL) were most often encountered in uncultivated scrub woodland at both sites; large snakes (>1100 mm SVL) were encountered most often in fruit trees at one site and in mangroves at the other. Snakes of medium size (600-1100 mm SVL) occurred in both kinds of habitat. These size classes correspond to an ontogenetic shift in diet (lizards to mammals), and this is associated with a corresponding shift in habitat utilization.
Factors Affecting Reactions To Mysis By Newly Hatched Sepia
Authors: Wells M.J.
Published: April 2008

I) Young Sepia, kept in filtered seawater from the moment of hatching until they have absorbed most of the yolk within them, will always attack and eat Mysis when these are presented. 2) When fed daily on Mysis, no change in the movements made in attacking was observed, but the delay before reacting when the mysis was presented decreased from about two minutes on the first occasion to 5-10 seconds on the fifth and subsequent occasions. 3) The length of the delay before attacking was shown to depend upon the number of attacks already made, regardless of the age of the animal or whether it had been allowed to feed when it attacked. 4) Coincident with this increase in speed of attack on mysids. there was an increase in the probability of attack on a variety of other moving objects. ranging from fixed mysids to strips of celluloid, that were at first rarely or never attacked. 5) These results are interpreted as indicating a facilitation process occurring somewhere between the retina and the motor centres, such facilitation leading to a higher probability of attack in a given visual situation and an incidental increase in the range of patterns of stimulation that can evoke attacks. This situation is transient and the animal soon begins to learn to restrict attacks to certain patterns only. 6) The capacity to learn appears to be correlated with the development of the vertical lobe of the brain, a part known to be intimately concerned with learning processes in adult Cephalopods, which is poorly developed in newly hatched Sepia
Genetic, Physiological and Behavioral Backround of reproduction in the Rabbit: IV. An Analysis of Maternal Behavior at Successive Parturitions
Authors: Denenberg Victor H , Fromer Gabriel P , Sawin Paul B , Ross Sherman
Published: April 2008

A previous study of maternal behavior in the rabbit dealing with the improvement in nest quality in successive parturitions is here extended to four other aspects of maternal behavior. No significant differences were found for scores on interest in young or pre-parturient aggression either among the four races investigated or over a number of litters. Race differences significant at the .05 level were obtained for post-parturient aggression scores involving two and four litters. A linear increase significant at the .01 level was revealed in the same measure for one race when four litters were considered. Significant racial differences were also found with respect to time of nest building. A second set of analyses dealt with the relation of other variables to the quality of nest construction. The only measure found to have a distinct positive relation to nest quality was the percentage of liveborn young suckled on the first day of life. An ambiguous, but weakly positive relationship was found between nest quality and time of nest building relative to parturition. A weak relationship was found between time of nest construction and the percent of liveborn young suckled the first day. These findings suggest the possibility of some factor or factors acting in common upon the nesting and suckling activities in maternal behavior.
Strain Differences in Sexual Behavior of the Male Rat1)
Authors: Whalen R.E.
Published: April 2008

The sexual behavior of four strains of inbred rats was studied. These strains are characterized by differences in problem solving ability and in the levels of brain acetylcholine and cholinesterase. I. The S1, and S3 strains appeared similar motivationally. The S3 animals had more difficulty in achieving intromission, and ejaculated after fewer intromissions (14.6 vs. 7.1). The S3 males resumed mating sooner after ejaculation than did the S1 males (410 sec. vs. 293 sec.). 2. The RDH and RDL strains were homogeneous on all measures of sexual performance. These strains were similar to the S1 strain in latency measures, but were like the S3 strain in the number of intromissions needed for ejaculation. 3. The data were interpreted to mean that intromission frequency is particularly likely to be under genetic control, and that the ejaculation process may be related to the absolute levels and relative balance of acetylcholine and cholinesterase within the central nervous system.
Maternal Behavior in the Rabbit: Yearly and Seasonal Variation in Nest Building1)
Authors: Denenberg V.H. , Sawin P.B. , Ross Sherman , Zarrow M.X.
Published: April 2008

An analysis was made of more than nine hundred successful parturitions in four strains of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, for the period, 1953-59. The strains studied were : III, IIIc, AcEp, and X. The results showed that the number of successful pregnancies (production of one or more live-born young) varied from 57 percent in the winter months to 82 percent during the summer. This pattern was significantly different among strains. Within the successful pregnancy group, the proportion of failures to build material nests did not change significantly from season to season or from year to year. The time of nest building was found to differ significantly among the strains.
Incubation and Nest-Building Behaviour of Black-Headed Gulls Ii : Incubation Behaviour in the Laying Period
Authors: Beer C.G.
Published: April 2008

(i) Gulls in the laying period show incubation responses towards eggs in the nest but the pattern differs from the incubation pattern shown by gulls in the incubation period; the birds in the laying period rise and settle more often, complete relatively fewer of their settling sequences, sit for less of the available time, and the partners spend more time together on the territory. (ii) By adding two eggs to nests in the one-egg stage, and by comparing the behaviour of birds in the one-egg stage with birds with clutches of one egg in the incubation period, it is shown that part of the difference between the behaviour of birds in the laying period and birds in the incubation period can be attributed to the difference in clutch sizes but that this factor does not account for all the difference. (iii) Experiments with cylindrical models at the two stages of the laying period indicate that, at this time, the gulls are not as sensitive to the sharp corners of the models as they are in the incubation period; birds sitting or trying to sit on the oddly shaped "eggs" did not rise and resettle as often in the laying period as they did in the incubation period. (iv) It is suggested that during the laying period there is progressive increase in the tendency to sit on the nest and eggs coupled with increase in sensitivity to the shapes of the objects sat on. (v) The males perform more settlings and sit for more time than do the females during the laying period but both partners spend about equal amounts of time near the nest at this time. (vi) The proportion of eggs warm to the touch steadily increases during the laying period. (vii) Defeathering of the brood-patches progresses during the laying period. (viii) The tendency to return to the nest in the face of fear stimulation increases as the laying period advances. (ix) Increase in effective incubation during the laying period accounts for the differences between laying and hatching intervals. Functional aspects of this are discussed.
Quantitative Measurement of Sexual Receptivity in Female Rats 1)
Authors: Kuehn Robert E. , Beach Frank A.
Published: April 2008

Thirty-four intact female rats were observed at hourly intervals in standardized tests designed to reveal the presence and intensity of sexual receptivity. The onset of this condition was related to the artificial light-dark cycle, with a majority of females becoming receptive a few hours before or shortly after the beginning of the dark phase. Disappearance of receptivity was less closely related to conditions of illumination. The median duration of the receptive period was 19 hours. As measured by a specially devised "Sensitivity Index", the degree of sexual responsiveness increases sharply during the early stages of the receptive period, and then undergoes a more gradual decline. The duration of the female's mating response (lordosis) depends in part upon the nature of the male's mating reaction. Mounting without intromission evokes a very brief reaction, whereas a response involving ejaculation by the male elicits a protracted response on the part of the receptive female. This seems to be independent of the stage of receptivity but to bear some relation to the individual level of over-all sexual responsiveness of the particular female in question.
A Comparative Study of Sandbathing Behavior in Heteromyid Rodents
Authors: Eisenberg John F.
Published: April 2008

The movement patterns found in sandbathing were studied in selected species from all five genera of the rodent family Heteromyidae. The primitive subfamily Heteromyinae has a stereotyped pattern for spreading scent consisting of rubbing the ventrum on the substrate. There is no sandbathing in the functional sense. The Perognathinae and Dipodomyinae have both the ventral-rub and side-rub components and often combine these acts into a complex sandbathing pattern. These last two subfamilies have adapted to arid habitats and secrete copiously from their sebaceous glands. Evidence is given for the chemical communicatory nature of the places were sandbathing and ventral-rubbing have taken place. It is suggested that sandbathing has evolved secondarily as a pelage dressing motor pattern while still retaining a function as a means of chemical communication which is the only function of the simple ventral-rubbing found in the Heteromyinae. From a discussion of sandbathing in other rodent families it is proposed that the convergently-evolved sandbathing behavior has originated from different motor patterns.
A Neurological Study of the Clasp Reflex in Xenopus Laevis (Daudin)1)
Authors: Hutchison J.B. , Poynton J.C.
Published: April 2008

During amplexus, an intact Xenopus male shows a number of distinct clasp patterns which serve to keep it attached to the female. A light "maintenance" clasp, keeps the male in the clasp position when the clasping pair are immobile. Elaborate "emergency'' patterns prevent the male from being dislodged if either the female's swimming movements or external forces tend to dislodge the male. The neural mechanisms controlling these male clasp patterns have been investigated by subjecting the CNS to a series of transections. Groups of male and female frogs were transected at specific levels in the CNS and then subjected to stimuli which resemble those normally eliciting clasp patterns in the intact male during amplexus. It was found that males transected in the posterior medulla, mid-brain and fore-brain could not be stimulated to display clasping behaviour. However males transected in the anterior medulla could be stimulated to display reflex activity which appeared to be identical to the clasp patterns of intact males in amplexus. Xenopus females, transected in the anterior medulla, could also be stimulated to display the basic male clasp patterns. Quantitative measurements of recordings of the clasp patterns of transected males suggest that control mechanisms are situated in the medulla which "store" the complete emergency and maintenance patterns. These control mechanisms are only fired off by specific stimuli. The effects of variation in the level of sex hormones on the functioning of the clasp control mechanisms have been tested. For this purpose, sexually active males and females, (injected with chorionic gonadotropin) and sexually inactive males and females (untreated and gonadectomised) were transected and their behaviour patterns compared. Variation in the level of sex hormones was found to have no effect on the behaviour of either transected males or females. The results of this investigation suggest that, during amplexus, the clasping behaviour of the male is controlled by a "self-regulating unit" situated in the medulla and spine. When the male is in amplexus this unit can function independently of the mid- and forebrain. This conclusion is contrary to the hypothesis put forward by RUSSELL (1954) on the functioning of the clasp control mechanism in Xenopus.
Marching and Colour in Locust Hoppers in Relation To Social Factors
Authors: Ellis Peggy E.
Published: April 2008

1. Restriction of social contact in hoppers of Locusta migratoria migratorioides (R. & F.) leads to reduced marching, so that animals reared in isolation march very little, even when placed in a crowd. Various types of restriction have been studied in the laboratory. 2. Hoppers crowded in small cages did not march as vigorously as those reared crowded in large cages and reduction of density during rearing led to a further reduction in marching. 3. Hoppers crowded for part of the day or night marched as much as those crowded all the time, although they were not fully gregarious in colour. 4. Olfactory, visual and auditory contact between hoppers had little effect on marching. 5. Exercise increased marching performance a little in animals in which contact was restricted. 6. The full development of marching behaviour depended on tactile contact between hoppers during rearing. 7. The pigmentation, which likewise depends on social contact between hoppers, did not respond in the same way as marching.
Potential Ethological Isolating Mechanisms and Assortative Mating in the Domestic Fowl
Authors: Lill Alan , Wood-Gush D.G.M.
Published: April 2008

(1) Potential ethological isolating mechanisms were observed between breeds and strains of domestic fowl. (2) Brown and White Leghorn females exhibited homogamy, but females of a Broiler strain showed a preference for Breeding Line Brown Leghorn males, which bear a close phenotypic resemblance to the Red Jungle fowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus). (3) Observations indicated that females discriminated between males on physical characteristics rather than quantitative differences in male courtship. (4) In a ''choice-situation'', males which had been reared with own-breed females courted caged own-breed hens significantly more than others. Males reared with their own and other breeds showed only weak own-breed preferences, and in two cases, heterogamy was observed. (5) Males apparently discriminated between females on visual cues, particularly female plumage colour. (6) Assortative mating within a single line was also observed, females preferring some males to others. Quantitative differences in male courtship were not important in this respect. (7) In tests of short duration, males did not exert preferences for individual hens of a single line. (8) A sequential analysis of the courtship of the Brown Leghorn cock revealed that two displays were important in evoking female solicitation, namely the waltz and the rear approach. Three other displays were interpreted as increasing sexual arousal in the female. (9) The evolutionary significance of some of the results is briefly discussed.
Some Observations On Social Organisation and Non-Random Mating in Captive Burmese Red Junglefowl (Gallus Gallus Spadiceus)
Authors: Lill Alan
Published: April 2008

1. Non-random mating was observed in captive Burmese Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus) in three experimental situations. 2. When eight cocks were released singly for short periods (one hour) with each of two female flocks it was found that, in one flock, crouching and the coition incidence were non-random; the distribution of female crouching exerted only a limited effect on the distribution of copulations. 3. A quantitative analysis of the courtship of these males revealed that the correlation between differences in male courtship and the distribution of crouching was of an incomplete nature. The cock which elicited most crouches, R, also performed more crouch-evoking displays than other males. Other factors were also important in effecting non-random crouching by females. 4. In a heterosexual flock with four resident males there was a strong correlation between male dominance status and sexual activity. Only the top ranking cock interfered with other males' matings, his own matings being undisturbed. The result was non-random mating, in which only the alpha cock copulated. 5. When the number of males was increased to six, interference was not restricted to the alpha cock and several of his attempted matings were disturbed. This was due to increased sexual excitement through social facilitation, and the net result was a reduction in copulatory activity, effecting random-mating. It was further found that non-random female crouching occurred, the second ranking cock eliciting significantly more sexual crouches than any other male. 6. In two female flocks with single resident males, some elements of male courtship activity were non-randomly distributed amongst the females. In flock II female crouching behaviour exerted a strong affect on male courtship activity, but this was not the case in flock 1. The difference was attributable to a different level of sexual vigour between the two males. 7. The basis of non-random courtship by the males is obscure but is probably based on differences in female behaviour. It is misleading to regard this phenomenon as male "preference" for individual females, it is better categorised as a response to signals irrespective of the identity of the 'signaller'. 8. The occurrence of non-random mating in wild gallinaceous species, particularly those exhibiting a 'lek' courtship, is discussed briefly. Some tentative parallels are drawn with the present work. 9. The present results are very similar to those obtained by several authors for the domestic fowl, which has a very similar social behaviour repertoire.
The Effects of Food Deprivation of Rats On Swimming To Exhaustion
Authors: Uyeno Edward T. , Graham R. Alan
Published: April 2008

Male Wistar rats were deprived of food for 3 days and then forced to swim continuously to a criterion of exhaustion. Controls swam after ad libitum feeding. In the first experiment a load equal to 11% of the rat's body weight was attached to the dorsal skin near the tail during the swim. In a second study, two matched groups, treated identically as those in the first study swam without a load in water treated with a wetting agent, "Aerosol O.T." In a third experiment, controls as well as experimentals were deprived of food for three days. The control group, however, was fed for 30 minutes, immediately before the swim. A fourth experiment was conducted in a similar manner as the third, except both groups were deprived 6 hours. In each of the experiments the deprived groups swam significantly longer than the fed groups.
Sociobiology of Rhesus Monkeys Iii: the Basic Communication Network
Authors: Altmann Stuart A.
Published: April 2008

The observed distribution among age-sex classes of socially significant behavior in free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago was tested against a series of progressively stronger null hypotheses. The first hypothesis was of purely random interactions, in which it was assumed that all individuals were equally likely to interact, all were as likely to be actor as to be object of any social signal, and all chose their social partners at random. This model proved untenable. In particular, adult males and females interacted with each other much more often than expected from the random model, and adult males interacted more often than expected with other males, both adult and juvenile. Juvenile females tended to interact relatively infrequently with other animals of any age-sex class. Adult males and juveniles of both sexes seldom interacted with infants. A second model, which took into account these age changes and sex differences in reactivity, but ignored the possibility of social preferences and assumed that interactions could be predicted from the overall reactivity or sociability of the monkeys involved, was also inadequate to account for the observed results. Apparently rhesus social behavior not only changes with age and differs with sex, but also is affected by "attractions" and "repulsions" within the group. The result was frequent interaction between adult males and females, between adult females and infants, and among juvenile males. Juvenile females, despite their general nonsociability, were apparently attracted to juvenile males, with whom they intracted more often than expected. Males, both adult and juvenile, tended to avoid infants, and vice versa. Adult males tended to avoid and to be avoided by juveniles of both sexes. Finally, the effects on paired interactions of these age changes, sex differences attractions and repulsions constitute a new model expressed in the form of an action constant and a receptivity constant for each age-sex class, and two interaction constants for each pair of age-sex classes. A method is given for extrapolating the results to populations with other compositions.
The Basis for Individual Recognition By Voice in the Sandwich Tern (Sterna Sandvicensis)
Authors: Hutchison R.E. , Stevenson J.G. , Thorpe W.H.
Published: April 2008

1. There is a considerable amount of observational evidence to show that in a number of bird species, especially colony-nesting sea birds, a bird's recognition of its mate and the mutual recognition of parent and young may, in certain circumstances, be based upon individual peculiarities of voice. However, with the exception of a preliminary account of the matter in the Guillemot, (Uria aalge), there is no analytical evidence to support these conclusions. 2. The Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) provides good opportunity for study of one aspect of this problem, namely the individual distinctiveness of the 'fish-call' of the returning parent bird. Different individuals were recorded and the results analysed by sound spectrograph. 3. The fish-call is shown to be composed of three segments of sound; each segment displaying individual characteristics of duration, fine structure, pitch etc. The overall relations between them, the "patterning" of the call, is also shown to be characteristic. 4. The extent to which these separate individual characteristics are recognised as distinctive by birds themselves has not been investigated but it is clear that if the fish-call is to be used as an effective means of individual recognition in a large colony the patterning of the call (in the sense of the 'gestalt' or the overall relationship of the component parts) must play a major role.
Behaviour Changes in Cba Mice as a Result of One Goldthioglucose Injection
Authors: Wiepkema P.R.
Published: April 2008

One intraperitoneal injection of goldthioglucose may produce in mice very specific brain lesions followed by a period of hyperphagia leading to obesity. The question is raised whether or not the brain lesions affect feeding behaviour only or that besides this changes in non-feeding behaviour may also contribute to the hyperphagia and obesity observed. Feeding of solitary mice was recorded automatically during 24 h periods after o, 12 and 24 hours of food deprivation and after the GTG treatment. It was found that after GTG injection the mice temporarily (dynamic hyperphagic phase) behave very much like intact hungry ones in that they 1) eat large amounts of food a day 2) gnaw off a bit of food rapidly 3) show little non-feeding behaviour during a meal 4) ingest much food per meal. This period is followed by a static phase during which food intake is somewhat above normal, while the animals show again about normal feeding patterns. Direct observation of the behaviour of solitary mice showed the following: 1) The tendency to sleep has increased permanently and is not related to the occurring obesity. 2) The tendency to climb and to explore the cage has decreased permanently. 3) During a meal non-feeding behaviour occurs rarely. 4) The tendency to groom is not affected. 5) Some (perhaps all) behaviours are less stabile now, as is indicated by the increased occurrence of interruptions. Social behaviour of GTG treated males has been changed drastically as was established by direct observation. It was found that these males, whether or not obese, only rarely fight with other males and that they have a very low tendency to mate. They show a high tendency to flee but on the other hand they often approach the partner although in a very cautious way. However, it was also found that hungry GTG treated mice may fight for their food. This complex change in behaviour patterns of GTG treated mice is discussed briefly and it is concluded that, a. probably the behaviour changes observed are the result of a number of independent effects of the brain lesions, b. the hyperphagia and resulting obesity can be explained largely by a specific lesion in satiety areas of the brain, c. the phenomenon of finickiness, as described by other authors, in the obese animals may be the result of changes in non-feeding behaviour, d. the extreme hunger drive of the dynamic hyperphagic animals may mask signs of finickiness and even enable them to fight for their food, although their aggressiveness in other respects has decreased markedly.
Aggressive Communication By Lar Us Gla Ucescens Part I. Sound Communication
Authors: Stout John F. , Wilcox Carl R. , Creitz Lynn E.
Published: April 2008

The communicative functions of sound production during aggressive activity were studied by playing back the choking, trumpeting, mew, alarm and yelp calls to Larus glaucescens reacting aggressively to a mirror placed within its territory or by measuring the latency of attack on a stuffed model mounted in one of the display postures involved in aggressive activity. Differences between the experimental period with sound playback, and the control period with no sound playback were analyzed statistically by means of paired comparisons t-tests. As the result of these experiments the following conclusions were reached: I. The choking sound would inhibit the entrance of an intruder when produced by the territorial bird, but when produced by the intruder would stimulate the aggressive activity of the territorial resident. 2. The mew call functions similarly to the choking call but probably represents a somewhat lesser degree of aggressiveness. 3. The trumpeting call hastens an attack by a bird outside of its territory when produced within its territory and also stimulates aggressive activity of a bird within its territory, when produced by an intruder. 4. The alarm call inhibits aggressive activity, although it is not a usual part of aggressive activity. 5. The yelp call does not effect aggressive activity.
Étude Descriptive Et Expérimentale Du Comportement De Capture De Ranatra Linearis Au Cours De Son Ontogenèse
Authors: Cloarec Ann
Published: April 2008

Diverses phases ont été distinguées lors d'une séquence complète de capture : (I) prise d'intérêt; (II) orientation du corps, puis des pattes prothoraciques; (III) capture proprement dite; (IV) consolidation de la prise; (V) exploration rostrale; (VI) piqûre et succion; (VII) fin du repas. Une étude ontogénétique montre les différences essentielles de comportement de la larve du 1° stade par rapport à celui de l'adulte. Les postures des pattes prothoraciques sont moins nombreuses; la capture se fait à très faible distance sans orientation préalable. Les 2 pattes ravisseuses sont quasi indépendantes. Divers mouvements amenant à la capture sont décrits ainsi que leur évolution au cours de l'ontogenèse. Une partie expérimentale étudie quelques facteurs de causalité de la capture : forme, taille, couleur, lumière, poids, nature, type de mouvement, vitesse et position par rapport à la Ranâtre.
Electrical Emissions in Gymnotus Carapo and Their Relation To Social Behavior
Authors: Valone J.A.
Published: April 2008

1. The relation between the social behavior and the electrical emissions of Gymnotus carapo is examined. 2. Members of the species Gymnotus carapo approach certain sources of electrical stimuli and, in a statistically significant number of instances, assume a stance parallel to the plane from which the stimuli originate. 3. The approach and postural responses elicited by electrical cues resemble those observed when two fish, placed in the same tank, interact socially. 4. Electrical cues therefore appear to facilitate certain social interactions in Gymnotus carapo. 5. The character of electrical emission in Gymnotus carapo appears to change as a function of certain social interaction: a. Interaction resembling aggression is accompanied by brief increases in the frequency of emission. b. The increases in frequency appear to be linked to thrusting movements. c. Fish interacting with one another appear to lock into a common frequency more often than fish that are not in physical contact with one another. d. During social interaction, one of the two fish is occasionally observed to halt emissions altogether. 6. The exact significance of the social behavior observed in the context of the life history of Gymnotus carapo is unknown.
Stimuli Eliciting Mating Behaviour of Bumblebee (Bomb Us Pratoruml.) Males
Authors: Free J.B.
Published: April 2008

1. Males were attracted to queens presented near a visiting place, but usually ignored those offered elsewhere along a flight route. 2. A black object the size of a queen successfully elicited inspection and attempts to mate; the orange and yellow bands on a queen's body and her movements seemed not to do so. 3. The odour of a queen is important in inducing males to alight on her. Odour differences probably account for the greater attractiveness of young than old queens.
Wrats : a Computer Compatible System for Automatically Recording and Transcribing Behavioural Data
Authors: White R.E.C.
Published: April 2008

A new system, combining the advantages of cheap portable recording units with the power of computer analysis, has been described. The recording medium is quarter inch magnetic tape which is used on an ordinary domestic tape recorder. An electronic scanner fitted inside the recorder case accepts up to 40 inputs from a keyboard, which can be of any design, and converts these into a time-multiplexed form suitable for recording on a single track of the tape. The recording process incorporates a check system to detect tape errors, and has a basic time resolution of 0.1 sec. The cost of the components of a complete recording unit (keyboard, tape recorder, scanner) is less than £200; thus, sufficient machines can be available to avoid problems of sharing. Further, a battery powered system could be used for field work, because the way in which information is encoded makes the timing of the system independent of variations in tape speed. A small computer (PDP8/S) is programmed to transcribe the original recordings into permanent condensed form on paper tape by punching information only at times corresponding to changes in the keyboard. Additional programs analyse data from the paper tape transcriptions. Some specialized decoding hardware has been interfaced to the computer to perform the preliminary operations of recovering signals from the tape, in order to reduce the demands on the computer. Transcription time is reduced by replaying tapes at up to eight times the original recording speed and, if necessary, detailed results can be obtained within 30 minutes of completing an experiment.
Behavior of a Captive Population of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs
Authors: Smith W. John , Smith Sharon L. , Oppenheimer Elizabeth C. , De VILLA Jill G. , Ulmer Frederick A.
Published: April 2008

(I) A colony of black-tailed prairie dogs in the Philadelphia zoo is being used for long term studies of various aspects of social behavior including pattern of social organization, stylized means of communicating, and the effects of individual behavioral differences on communication and social structure. (2) This report deals with the annual cycle of social behavior manifested by the colony during the first three years of study. In gross outline an annual cycle can be described as follows: during the summer most individuals have "friendly" inter-relationships, and little organization is apparent. During autumn the animals gradually band into coterie groups and each group begins to defend a common territory, primarily through a highly ritualized procedure of "challenging" neighbors across a common boundary. By midwinter the adult males are very aggressive. With the advent of the winter breeding season, the females too become aggressive, and some establish territories that may subdivide coterie territories. In spring males and then females gradually become less aggressive, so that by about the time the pups emerge onto the surface the relaxed social relationships typical of summer are developing generally. (3) The shifting pattern of social organization is based on the division of individuals into classes on the basis of sex, age, dominance, and coterie and other bonds, and modified by the considerable inter-individual differencees in what may loosely be called "temperament." (4) Comparisons of the patterns of social organization shown by the zoo prairie dogs with those thus far described in the literature for wild populations show fundamental similarities, although the very high density and lack of opportunity for emigration in the zoo colony have lead to some modifications which are described and discussed. (5) The complexity of the social; organization of the black-tailed prairie dog is unusual for a rodent, and a model is proposed to account for its evolution from more widespread patterns of rodent social behavior. As the model emphasizes the role of the very open grassland habitat of the species in intensifying the natural selection potentially responsible for the evolution of this socal complexity, it suggests that habitat similarities may underlie evolutionary convergences in the social systems of black-tailed prairie dogs and savanna-dwelling primates.
Social Dynamics of Three Captive Wolf Packs
Authors: Fox M.W.
Published: April 2008

This study probes the intrinsic complexities of the social organization and inter-individual relationships in three captive packs of wolves; behavior profiles of members of two of the packs had been determined earlier during infancy. The effects of removal and reintroduction of dominant and second ranking yearling wolves in two of the packs and of dominant and most subordinate wolves in a third pack were observed. A greater cohensiveness or unity in the higher ranks of the pack, based upon the "tension" effect of attraction-affection and aggression-domination is proposed. The social significance of paradoxical ambivalent aggression and the relationships between active and passive submission and play behavior are discussed.
Parental Behaviour in the Blue Gourami Trichogaster Trichopter Us (Pisces, Belontiidae) and Its Induction During Exposure To Varying Numbers of Conspecific Eggs
Authors: Kramer D.L.
Published: April 2008

1. The parental behaviour of the male blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus, is described. The principal components of parental care are mouthing and retrieving eggs, and egg-eating inhibition. 2. Males spawning for the first time mouthed or retrieved within 5 sec of their first contact with eggs. The frequency of mouthing approached maximal levels after the first or second spawning act which yielded eggs. 3. Parental behaviour was induced in naive males by presentation of conspecific eggs. 4. The probability of the development of parental behaviour was significantly affected by the number of stimulus eggs presented. 5. In those fish which developed parental behaviour, retrieving usually began suddenly within 0.5-2.5 min of the first contact with the eggs and was then shown consistently. 6. Three of 4 fish tested eventually developed parental behaviour when repeatedly presented with 100 eggs, a stimulus too weak to induce parental behaviour initially.
The Strut Display of Male Sage Grouse: a "Fixed" Action Pattern
Authors: Haven Wiley R.
Published: April 2008

The Strut display of male Sage Grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, exemplifies a complex "fixed" action pattern. The display results in the inflation of the male's large esophageal sac, which is then used to produce a strange sound that includes two sharp snaps 0.19 seconds apart. Measurements of the durations of an individual's displays usually yielded a coefficient of variation (C.V.) less than 4%; the most accurate measurements had C.V.'s less than 1%. The intervals between Struts, in contrast, had much higher variability. No geographic differences were detected among three populations in Wyoming and Montana. Nor did the slight differences in the displays of individual adult males have a consistent relation to their successes in mating. First-year males performed their Struts with faster tempo but not with greater variability. The temporal stereotypy in the Strut display approximates or exceeds the stereotypy in passerine songs. Stereotyped motor patterns in vertebrates often subserve communication at long range or between individuals in brief, but biologically crucial, contact with each other. The Strut display exemplifies both of these functions in communication. Stereotyped, complex signals incorporate more redundancy and/or more efficient encoding; they thus enhance the receiver's chances of detecting and correctly interpreting the signal. Reafference that depends on the harmonic properties of moving structures might help to explain both the developmental and physiological stability of this stereotyped motor coordination. Because year-old males' displays show no greater variability than those of older males, the peculiarities of young males' performances probably are not the result of incompletely crystallized neural mechanisms.
Ontogenese Du Comportement De Capture Chez La Larve D'Agrion (Calopteryx Auct.) Splendens Harris (Odonatopteres)
Authors: Caillere Louis
Published: April 2008

Toutes les séquences décrites chez les larves âgées sont observées chez les larves du premier stade. Un comportement exploratoire intense caractérise ces dernières, chaque séquence se déroulant assez lentement; de plus, seule la séquence de déplacement est facultative. Au fur et à mesure de la croissance, et à partir du stade 6, on constate que: - la mobilité antennaire augmente, - l'enchaînement des séquences se perfectionne (diminution de la durée du cycle de capture, suppression de séquences comme l'exploration). En outre, ou peut définir, en ce qui concerne la réactivité des larves vis-à-vis des leurres, un diamètre liminaire inférieur, en dessous duquel le leurre laisse les larves plus ou moins indifférentes et au-dessus duquel le leurre devient attractif, et un diamètre liminaire supérieur dont l'effet provoque des réactions de fuite. Au cours de l'ontogenèse, la distance maximale de détection antennaire ou tarsale augmente régulièrement en fonction du diamètre du leurre. Pour chaque antenne, le volume de perception a la forme d'un ellipsoïde dont le grand axe coïncide avec l'axe de l'antenne. Au stade 7, se situe l'achèvement d'un phénomène mis en évidence lors de la stimulation à distance des différents tarses: cette stimulation est suivie, chez les jeunes larves, du décrochement de la patte correspondante, avant que les extrémités antennaires entrent en contact avec le leurre. Progressivement, la fréquence des décrochements diminue. Finalement le tarse reste à la même place au cours de sa stimulation, et sert de pivot lors de la rotation. L'ajustement de la capture s'effectue rapidement dans la mesure où les mouvements d'orientation de l'animal sont exacts et précis. Comme les réactions des larves deviennent plus rapides au cours de l'ontogenèse, que la séquence d'exploration peut être supprimée, et que la précision des mouvements d'orientation augmente, on suppose la mise en œuvre, au cours de la vie larvaire, de processus de maturation du système nerveux et du système musculaire.
A Computer Compatible Multi-Purpose Event Recorder
Authors: Fernald Russell D. , Heinecke Peter
Published: April 2008

We describe a multi-mode event recorder for registering behavioral events directly on a punched paper tape. The paper tape produced can be read by any computer equipped with a paper tape reader. For paper tape with an 8-bit code, 256 different events can be registered. The device itself can be operated in any one of four modes. In the first mode, pressing a key on the keyboard results in a unique code (hole combination) being punched on the paper tape. In the second mode of operation, a sequentially increasing number ("time") is punched automatically at preset intervals. In addition, other codes may be entered via the keyboard. A time punch may thus be used to signal that an observation should be entered from the keyboard. In the third mode, the machine punches, at regular intervals, the code of the key currently depressed. In mode 4, external events are counted for a given time interval and the sum punched onto the tape at the end of the interval. With each punch, the sum is reset to zero. The paper tapes produced are read directly and the data processed according to the program. This results in a great reduction in the time necessary to process data. The system is compared with other devices which use magnetic tape as an intermediate storage device. The main advantage of this system is the time saved in processing data.
Examination of Agonistic Behavior By Character Analysis Ii. Hermit Crabs
Authors: Hazlett Brian A. , Estabrook George F.
Published: April 2008

1. The communications systems of two species of hermit crab were analysed by character analysis. It was found that rough estimates of the amount of information transmitted by displays during an agonistic interaction could be obtained from just 100 fights. However, the values obtained for amount of information transferred tended to be distinctly higher than the values obtained from analysis of 500 fight samples. 2. Unexpected dips in the rate of information transfer seen in analyses of variable length fight samples were largely eliminated by analysing fights of defined length. 3. In all analyses, the amount of information transmitted from crab to crab was lower at the beginning of fights, rose to rather high levels (40-50% uncertainty reduction) in the middle of fights, and at the end of fights, the absolute values decreased while the relative levels of uncertainty reduction increased. 4. From analysis of fights categorized by whether the initiator or responding crab won the fight, it appears that the eventual winners of fights alter their behavior more relative to the behavior patterns shown by the eventual loser than vice versa. This was true for all phases of interactions.
The Vocalizations of Some Hybrid Treefrogs: Acoustic and Behavioral Analyses
Authors: Carl Gerhardt H.
Published: April 2008

The vocalizations of natural hybrids between various species of treefrogs (Hylidae) are compared with the vocalizations of the parental species : 1. In most respects, the calls of two males of H. avivoca X H. chrysoscelis and of six males of H. cinerea X H. gratiosa are intermediate. 2. The vocalizations of three males of H. femoralis X H. clarysoscelis tend to be similar to those of males of H. chrysoscelis. 3. The calls of each of the hybrids are composed, however, of some features which are intermediate, some which are similar to one of the parental species, and others which are unique to hybrid calls. Differentiation of the calls of males of H. avivoca, H. chrysoscelis, H. femoralis, and hybrids in this group is mainly in the temporal domain. Females of H. chrysoscelis and H. femoralis responded only to the calls of males of their own species in discrimination experiments where hybrid calls were alternative stimuli. The calls of males of H. cinerea, H. gratiosa and hybrids between these two differ primarily in their spectral composition : the two spectral peaks have different locations in each kind of call. In discrimination experiments, females of H. gratiosa responded only to conspecific calls when the calls of hybrids were equally accessible. Females of H. cinerea showed partial discrimination against the calls of hybrids. Females of both kinds often responded to the calls of hybrids when conspecific signals were unavailable. In general, the closer the spectrum of a natural call resembled that of conspecific calls, the more attractive was the acoustic signal.