Human Attitude toward Reptiles: A Relationship between Fear, Disgust, and Aesthetic Preferences.

Focusing on one group of animals can bring interesting results regarding our attitudes toward them and show the key features that our evaluation of such animals is based on. Thus, we designed a study of human perception of all reptiles focusing on the relationship between perceived fear, disgust, and aesthetic preferences and differences between snakes and other reptiles. Two sets containing 127 standardized photos of reptiles were developed, with one species per each subfamily. Respondents were asked to rate the animals according to fear, disgust, and beauty on a seven-point Likert scale. Evaluation of reptile species shows that people tend to perceive them as two clearly distinct groups based on their similar morphotype. In a subset of lizards, there was a positive correlation between fear and disgust, while disgust and fear were both negatively correlated with beauty. Surprisingly, a positive correlation between fear and beauty of snakes was revealed, i.e., the most feared species also tend to be perceived as beautiful. Snakes represent a distinct group of animals that is also reflected in the theory of attentional prioritization of snakes as an evolutionary relevant threat.

A gyroscopic advantage: phylogenetic patterns of compensatory movements in frogs.

Head and eye compensatory movements known as vestibulo-ocular and vestibulo-cervical reflexes are essential to stay orientated in space while moving. We have used a previously developed methodology focused on the detailed mathematical description of head compensatory movements in frogs without the need for any surgical procedures on the examined specimens. Our comparative study comprising 35 species of frogs from different phylogenetic backgrounds revealed species-specific head compensatory abilities ensuring gaze stabilization. Moreover, we found a strong phylogenetic signal highlighting the great ability of compensatory head movements in families of Pyxicephalidae and Rhacophoridae from the Natatanura group. By contrast, families of Dendrobatidae and Microhylidae exhibited only poor or no head compensatory movements. Contrary to our expectation, the results did not corroborate an ecomorphological hypothesis anticipating a close relationship between ecological parameters and the head compensatory movements. We did not find any positive association between more complex (3D structured, arboreal or aquatic) habitats or more saltatory behavior and elevated abilities of head compensatory movements. Moreover, we found compensatory movements in most basal Archeobatrachia, giving an indication of common ancestry of these abilities in frogs that are variously pronounced in particular families. We hypothesize that the uncovered proper gaze stabilization during locomotion provided by the higher head compensatory abilities can improve or even enable visual perception of the prey. We interpret this completely novel finding as a possible gyroscopic advantage in a foraging context. We discuss putative consequences of such advanced neuromotor skills for diversification and ecological success of the Natatanura group.

Behavioural strategies of three wild-derived populations of the house mouse (Mus m. musculus and M. m. domesticus) in five standard tests of exploration and boldness: Searching for differences attributable to subspecies and commensalism.

Animal populations adopting a commensal way of life, e. g. house mice in buildings and stores, are subject to different selection pressures than those living in a non-commensal environment. This may radically influence their behaviour. This study investigated the effects of a commensal way of life on exploratory behaviour in mice. The focal population was non-commensal Mus musculus musculus from Northern Iran. To assess the effect of commensal way of life on exploratory behaviour, it was compared with commensal M. m. musculus from the Czech Republic and to assess the effect of subspecies, it was compared to non-commensal M. m. domesticus from Eastern Syria. We compared their behaviour in five tests of exploratory behaviour and boldness: an open field test with 1) free exploration and 2) forced exploration, 3) hole-board test, 4) test of vertical activity and 5) elevated plus maze. We detected a significant effect of population on behaviour in all five tests. M. m. domesticus was generally bolder and more active than M. m. musculus. Commensal mice were characterized by a higher level of vertical activity (climbing, rearing, jumping). These results suggest that the specific selection pressures of the commensal lifestyle select mice for higher affinity towards elevated places.

Development of behavioural profile in the Northern common boa (Boa imperator): Repeatable independent traits or personality?

Recent studies of animal personality have focused on its proximate causation and ecological and evolutionary significance in particular, but the question of its development was largely overlooked. The attributes of personality are defined as between-individual differences in behaviour, which are consistent over time (differential consistency) and contexts (contextual generality) and both can be affected by development. We assessed several candidates for personality variables measured in various tests with different contexts over several life-stages (juveniles, older juveniles, subadults and adults) in the Northern common boa. Variables describing foraging/feeding decision and some of the defensive behaviours expressed as individual average values are highly repeatable and consistent. We found two main personality axes-one associated with foraging/feeding and the speed of decision, the other reflecting agonistic behaviour. Intensity of behaviour in the feeding context changes during development, but the level of agonistic behaviour remains the same. The juveniles and adults have a similar personality structure, but there is a period of structural change of behaviour during the second year of life (subadults). These results require a new theoretical model to explain the selection pressures resulting in this developmental pattern of personality. We also studied the proximate factors and their relationship to behavioural characteristics. Physiological parameters (heart and breath rate stress response) measured in adults clustered with variables concerning the agonistic behavioural profile, while no relationship between the juvenile/adult body size and personality concerning feeding/foraging and the agonistic behavioural profile was found. Our study suggests that it is important for studies of personality development to focus on both the structural and differential consistency, because even though behaviour is differentially consistent, the structure can change.

Consistent individual differences in standard exploration tasks in the black rat (Rattus rattus).

In a fluctuating environment, the optimal level of exploratory behavior depends on the proportion of current risks and benefits. The exploratory behavior is, therefore, often subjected to heterogenous selection. In populations of commensal rodents living in close proximity of humans, this pressure is further increased by pest management. We hypothesize that the black rat (Rattus rattus) responds to this pressure by either high behavioral flexibility or by development of personality types. The aim of this study was to analyze exploratory behavior and boldness of wild black rats and its changes over time to determine whether exploratory behavior is a personality trait in black rats. Studies on animals with unreduced variability are necessary for determination of normal range of behaviors. The behavior in the open field and hole board tests yielded 1 multivariate variable representing exploratory behavior and 1 representing boldness. The hole board test additionally provided an axis representing exploratory behavior. Exploratory behavior showed moderate to high repeatability, even though we observed a considerable effect of habituation. Exploratory behavior was also strongly correlated across contexts; therefore, our results suggest that the black rat responds to heterogenous selection pressure by developing personality types. We also found a strong effect of litter identity on some aspects of the exploratory behavior. Boldness was less repeatable, which we interpret as high behavioral flexibility in this behavioral trait. In concordance with our hypothesis, the personality types in exploratory behavior, but not in boldness, are possibly maintained by heterogenous selection pressure created by human pest management. (PsycINFO Database Record