不同性别和年龄的大仓鼠对黄鼬气味的反应

Responses of rat-like hamsters Cricetulus triton of different sex and age to predator odor

将雌性成体和雌雄亚成体大仓鼠 (Cricetulustriton)长期 (4周 )暴露给过量的黄鼬 (Mustelasibirica)肛腺分泌物 ,观察其行为和生理状态的变化 ,并通过与我们以前有关黄鼬气味对成年雄鼠影响的研究结果进行比较 ,表明黄鼬气味对不同性别和不同年龄大仓鼠的胁迫效应和生殖抑制存在差异。发现黄鼬气味对雌性大仓鼠的影响较雄性小 ,对亚成体的影响较成体小 ,这与雌性和未成年动物对各种胁迫因素的反应更敏感的普遍现象相反。在成年鼠中 ,雌雄鼠的攻击行为都受到黄鼬气味的抑制 ;但天敌气味使雌性的胁腺膨大 ,对胁腺标记和肾上腺大小无影响 ;成年雄鼠的肾上腺膨大 ,胁腺萎缩 ,标记减少。在亚成体中 ,除了雄性胁腺受到抑制(与成年雄鼠相同 )外 ,雌雄鼠的肾上腺和雌性的胁腺未受影响。亚成体实验鼠的体重都比对照组低 ,但成年鼠的体重未受影响。另外 ,与以往对其它鼠类的研究结果一致 ,天敌气味并不影响成年鼠的生殖器官 ,却抑制了未成年雄鼠的附睾和未成年雌鼠的子宫。

We examined the behavioral and physiological effects of long-term exposure to aversive odor(predator odor, anal gland secretions of Siberian weasels Mustela sibirica) on female and immature rat-like hamsters Cricetulus triton by same methods and comparisons as our previous study of conspecific adult males. Contrary to the general pattern that females and immature animals are more vulnerable to stress than male and adult counterparts, we found that female rat-like hamsters and immature males and females were less influenced. In adult females, contrary to adult males, predator odor did not affect their flank marking and adrenal sizes, and promoted the flank gland sizes. In immatures, only flank glands of males were inhibited by predator odors, similar to adult males; adrenals of both sexes and flank glands of females were not affected. Body weight was inhibited by predator odor exposure in immatures but not in adults. As in other rodent species, predator odor did not affect the reproductive organs in both sexes of adults, and decreased epididymies in immature males and uteri in immature females. The relevant physiological process and confrontation of predation risks were discussed.