Ecological Physiology and Behavior in the Genus Ctenomys

FANJUL MS; CUTRERA AP; LUNA F; SCHLEICH CE; BRACHETTA V; ANTENUCCI CD; ZENUTO RR

Tuco-Tucos: An Evolutionary Approach to the Diversity of a Neotropical Subterranean Rodent

Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Año: 2021; p. 221 - 247

AUTHORS MARÍA SOL FANJUL, ANA PAULA CUTRERA AND FACUNDO LUNA HAVE EQUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS CHAPTERTheunderstanding of the diversity of behavioral and physiological responses associatedwith the challenges of underground life requires expanding our attention togroups of underground rodents that have not yet been considered in detail. Herewe review data published in the genus Ctenomys considering behavioral andphysiological responses to underground environmental conditions and foodresources, as well as those exploring interactions with conspecific andheterospecific individuals. A wide scope of topics was covered, namely: (a)sensory biology; (b) stress response and individual condition; (c) energy,water balance, and thermoregulation; (d) intraspecific interactions, specifically,physiology, and behavior of territorial defense and reproduction; and (e)interspecific interactions, in particular, physiology and behavior of predatoravoidance and immune defense against parasites and pathogens. The speciesstudied represent only a quarter of the diversity of the genus, and several topicswere assessed almost exclusively in C. talarum, which makes it difficult toidentify general response patterns. However, while some patterns found regardingphysiological and behavioral responses are clearly in accordance with what isexpected for underground rodents, others are affected by different degrees ofuse of the underground habitat that characterize this genus.