Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Peering into the Dynamics of Social Interactions: Measuring Play Fighting in Rats
Published on: January 18, 2013
Personality and plasticity of defensive behavior in collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu)
Adriane Bonnemaison1, Vanessa S Altino2, Sérgio L G Nogueira-Filho2
1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Abstract:
Inter-individual differences in behavior, together with phenotypic plasticity, may play a key role in the reintroduction success of captive-born individuals. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether and how personality traits affect the plasticity of defensive behavior in collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu). Twenty-six adult captive-born collared peccaries (12 males and 14 females) were submitted to three short-term challenges for personality assessment. Thereafter, each individual was submitted to four sequential tests, with different degrees of risk, allowing us to assess temporal/context consistencies in personality traits as well as the plasticity of defensive behavior. We noted a pronounced variability among the individuals' boldness trait, while males and females did not differ in their behavioral responses in all tests. Additionally, collared peccaries show behavioral plasticity of defensive behavior across risk conditions. We also verified an association between boldness and defensive behavior in this species: the higher the boldness score, the less time collared peccaries spent on wariness behaviors in the higher risk condition. The link between personality traits and behavioral plasticity of collared peccaries across risk conditions warrants further investigation to understand the impact of this association on the post-release success of this and other species.
Related Concept Videos
Mate Choice
The Behavioral Perspective on Personality
Predator-Prey Interactions
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality
Evolutionary Psychology
Fixed Action Patterns

