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Differential behavioural and hormonal responses of voles and spiny mice to owl calls.

Eilam1, Dayan, Ben-Eliyahu

  • 1Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University

Animal Behaviour
|November 30, 1999
PubMed
Summary
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Predator presence, like tawny owl calls, triggers stress responses in rodents. Microtus socialis voles exhibited freezing or fleeing behaviors, while Acomys cahirinus spiny mice showed stress without behavioral changes, likely due to habitat differences.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral ecology
  • Animal behavior
  • Predator-prey interactions

Background:

  • Rodents typically reduce activity, especially foraging, when predators are present.
  • Tawny owl (Strix aluco) calls serve as a significant predator cue for many rodent species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the behavioral and physiological responses of rodents to predator (tawny owl) calls.
  • To compare the responses of the social vole (Microtus socialis) and the common spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) to auditory predator cues.

Main Methods:

  • Playback experiments using recorded tawny owl calls and a control human voice.
  • Observation of rodent activity patterns (freezing, fleeing, foraging).
  • Measurement of corticosterone and cortisol levels as indicators of stress.

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Main Results:

  • Microtus socialis voles exposed to owl calls exhibited either freezing or fleeing behaviors, unlike controls exposed to human voice.
  • Owl calls significantly increased corticosterone levels in voles, indicating a stress response.
  • Acomys cahirinus spiny mice showed increased cortisol levels (stress) but no significant behavioral changes when exposed to owl calls.

Conclusions:

  • The dichotomy of freezing versus fleeing in voles may be due to individual behavioral differences or stimulus interpretation.
  • Habitat differences likely explain the lack of behavioral response in spiny mice, which forage in more protected environments.
  • Auditory predator cues induce stress in rodents, but behavioral responses are modulated by species-specific ecology and habitat.