Daily activity patterns in captive elephant shrews (Macroscelididae)

Woodall, P. F.; Woodall, Leith B; Bodero, D. A. V.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1989.tb00929.x

Cited by 21 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…They are not known to build nests either in the laboratory (personal observations) or in the wild. They are reportedly diurnal although there have been suggestions of polyphasic activity (Woodal 1989).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Exogenous passive heating during torpor arousal in free-ranging rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus

2002

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In the laboratory rock elephant shrews (Elephantulus myurus; mean body mass 56.6 g) displayed the lowest torpor T yet recorded (ca. 5°C) in a placental daily heterotherm. It was unknown whether these low Ts were characteristic of daily heterothermy in free-ranging animals. It was also unclear how cost effective these low T s were since considerable energy is required to arouse from low Ts on a daily basis. We continuously measured body temperature once every hour for 85 days in 13 free-ranging E. myurus from May to August 2001 (winter) in Weenen Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We recorded a total of 412 torpor bouts. Free-ranging E. myurus had a high propensity for torpor with females displaying higher torpor frequency than males. The lowest T recorded was 7.5°C at T=2.7°C and the minimum torpor T was strongly correlated with ambient temperature. Torpor arousal was tightly coupled with ambient temperature cycles. Low torpor T at low T s was therefore cost-effective because the animals offset the high cost of arousal through exogenous passive heating. Laboratory studies under constant ambient temperatures may therefore underestimate the energetic benefits of torpor in free-ranging small mammals that inhabit regions where seasonality is moderate.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Exogenous passive heating during torpor arousal in free-ranging rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus

2002

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“…For husbandry, we followed the guidelines of Tripp (1972), Woodall et al (1989), Ehrlich (2006) and the advice of J. Bitterwolf from the Cologne Zoo (Germany).…”

Section: Husbandrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Promiscuous tendencies in the round-eared sengi: a male’s perspective

Schubert

Rödel

Pillay

et al. 2011

J Ethol

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Although monogamy is interpreted as riskadverse strategy by reducing intra-sexual conflicts, most pair-living males increase their reproductive success by engaging in extra-pair copulations. However, little is known about costs involved in such extra-pair attempts from the male's perspective. We investigated promiscuous tendencies of paired Macroscelides proboscideus (roundeared elephant-shrew or round-eared sengi), a pair-living small mammal occurring in southern Africa. In particular, we measured potential costs of extra-pair attempts for the males. For this, we conducted laboratory experiments, involving interactions between neighbouring male-female pairs. Data collection included direct behavioural observations and establishing the morphological and physiological characteristics of males. Both sexes intruded into the neighbouring area, and initiated sexual behaviour with neighbours of the opposite sex. Males which displayed a higher marking frequency in the neighbouring area received more sexually motivated behaviour from neighbouring females. Resident males attacked intruding males. Aggression experienced by and marking behaviour of intruding males was positively correlated with body mass losses. Furthermore, glucocorticoid levels, determined from analyses of faeces and urine samples, correlated positively with body mass losses and marking behaviour of intruding males, indicating costs of intruding. We conclude that male as well as female round-eared sengis have promiscuous tendencies. Although interactions with neighbouring females may offer potential benefits for males in terms of enhanced reproductive success, males also seem to pay substantial costs, as indicated by body mass losses and elevated stress hormone levels.

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“…In particular, non-shivering thermogenesis may be important as a short-term mechanism of dealing with cold night-time temperatures (Downs and Perrin 1991). No study to date of the round-eared elephant shrew has detected torpor in the course of laboratory experiments at low temperatures (Leon et al 1983;Woodall et al 1989;Roxburgh and Perrin 1994), although torpor has been recorded in Elephantulus rozeti from north-western Africa (Seguignes 1983). Sauer and Sauer (1971) noted that M. proboscideus were diurnally and nocturnally active and that activity patterns were affected by ambient temperature and food availability.…”

Section: Elephant Shrew Biology and Environmental Stochasticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sauer and Sauer (1971) noted that M. proboscideus were diurnally and nocturnally active and that activity patterns were affected by ambient temperature and food availability. Woodall et al (1989) and Roxburgh and Perrin (1994) record polcyclic activity phasing with peaks at dusk, dawn and through the night. Activity appears to be curtailed on cold nights (Sauer and Sauer 1971).…”

Section: Elephant Shrew Biology and Environmental Stochasticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk-sensitive foraging behaviour of the round-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus)

Lawes

Perrin

1995

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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We examined the risk-sensitive foraging behaviour of the round-eared elephant shrew by openeconomy choice experiments, in which animals were deprived of food immediately prior to experiments but given food ad libitum afterwards, to test the energy budget rule. The energy budget rule states that if an animal's (daily) energy budget is negative it should behave in a risk-prone manner. A risk-prone elephant shrew should select food from a more variable rather than a constant feeding station, although both feeding stations yield the same average return. The choice of a variable station can indicate the degree to which an animal is an energy-shortfall minimizer. Elephant shrews running below energy requirement did not choose feeding stations in accordance with the rule. Under laboratory conditions, approximating either average summer or winter temperatures, elephant shrews showed risk-averse behaviour. A polycyclic activity profile, the ability to switch the diet, and greater than expected physiological control over energy balance, may favour a continuously foraging animal such that short-term energy deficits are minimized. We argue that, under these conditions, a risk-averse response to reward-size variance is expected, because an elephantshrew may not reliably perceive those circumstances under which risk-prone behaviour should be adopted.

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Daily activity patterns in captive elephant shrews (Macroscelididae)

Cited by 21 publications

References 19 publications

Exogenous passive heating during torpor arousal in free-ranging rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus

Exogenous passive heating during torpor arousal in free-ranging rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus

Promiscuous tendencies in the round-eared sengi: a male’s perspective

Risk-sensitive foraging behaviour of the round-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus)

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