INVESTIGADORES
ZENUTO Roxana Rita
artículos
Título:
Effects of acute and chronic exposure to predatory cues on spatial learning capabilities in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae).
Autor/es:
BRACHETTA, VALENTINA; SCHLEICH, CRISTIAN; ZENUTO, ROXANA
Revista:
ETHOLOGY
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 vol. 120 p. 1 - 14
ISSN:
0179-1613
Resumen:
Spatial learning, the cognitive ability that allows animals to efficiently
locate food, partners or avoid predators, can be affected by various factors
such as stress. Stressors represent a threat to the animal?s homeostasis and
trigger a set of physiological and behavioral changes known as stress
response. The herbivorous rodent Ctenomys talarum (tuco-tuco) inhabits
underground complex gallery systems. Dispersal as well as food collection
occurs on the surface, where they are exposed to terrestrial and aerial predators.
We evaluated the effect of a natural stress factor, predation, on spatial
learning of C. talarum. Additionally, we collected data on neutrophil/
lymphocyte ratio, hematocrit, blood glucose, and plasma cortisol to assess
physiological levels of stress. The acute exposure to direct cues indicating
the presence of a predator (immobilization + cat urine) increased the time
needed to reach the goal in a longitudinal labyrinth. The number of errors
also increased albeit the difference was only marginally significant. The
chronic exposure to predator cues (immobilization, cat urine, and cat fur)
presented in an unpredictable order significantly increased both time and
errors committed by tuco-tucos during learning trials in the labyrinth.
Results show the strong impact of predatory stress on the spatial abilities
of C. talarum, a key cognitive process involved in most of their vital activities.
They also highlight the importance of investigating wild species as
regards the development of antipredatory defensive behaviors that contribute
both to the avoidance of deleterious consequences of a direct attack
and the influence on food search and mate localization performance.