Situation and context impacts the expression of personality: The influence of breeding season and test context

Haage, Marianne; Bergvall, Ulrika A.; Maran, Tiit; Kiik, Kairi; Angerbjörn, Anders

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2013.08.009

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Only a few other studies to date have investigated the personality in mink although using different approaches [20,30]. One study on European mink investigated approach behaviours towards a novel object as well as a mirror [30]. Haage et al [30] found that fast approach to a novel object was related to fast approach to a mirror, which is in contrast to our findings.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…One study on European mink investigated approach behaviours towards a novel object as well as a mirror [30]. Haage et al [30] found that fast approach to a novel object was related to fast approach to a mirror, which is in contrast to our findings. The explanation could be that the novelties were placed in their home environment, which is much larger than a farm cage.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Comparing studies of the same species can also be difficult due to different approaches used when measuring, analysing as well as labelling different aspects of personality. Only a few other studies to date have investigated the personality in mink although using different approaches [20,30]. One study on European mink investigated approach behaviours towards a novel object as well as a mirror [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Context Matters: Multiple Novelty Tests Reveal Different Aspects of Shyness-Boldness in Farmed American Mink (Neovison vison)

et al. 2015

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Animal personality research is receiving increasing interest from related fields, such as evolutionary personality psychology. By merging the conceptual understanding of personality, the contributions to both fields of research may be enhanced. In this study, we investigate animal personality based on the definition of personality traits as underlying dispositional factors, which are not directly measurable, but which predispose individuals to react through different behavioural patterns. We investigated the shyness-boldness continuum reflected in the consistency of inter-individual variation in behavioural responses towards novelty in 47 farmed American mink (Neovison vison), which were raised in identical housing conditions. Different stages of approach behaviour towards novelty, and how these related within and across contexts, were explored. Our experimental design contained four tests: two novel object tests (non-social contexts) and two novel animated stimuli tests (social contexts). Our results showed consistency in shyness measures across multiple tests, indicating the existence of personality in farmed American mink. It was found that consistency in shyness measures differs across non-social and social contexts, as well as across the various stages in the approach towards novel objects, revealing that different aspects of shyness exist in the farmed American mink. To our knowledge this is the first study to reveal aspects of the shyness-boldness continuum in the American mink. Since the mink were raised in identical housing conditions, inherited factors may have been important in shaping the consistent inter-individual variation. Body weight and sex had no effect on the personality of the mink. Altogether, our results suggest that the shyness-boldness continuum cannot be explained by a simple underlying dispositional factor, but instead encompasses a broader term of hesitating behaviour that might comprise several different personality traits.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Context Matters: Multiple Novelty Tests Reveal Different Aspects of Shyness-Boldness in Farmed American Mink (Neovison vison)

et al. 2015

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“…Haage et al (2013) sugges ted that captive European mink exhibit different 'personalities' (sensu Gosling 2001). Individual personality types may differ in their exploratory or dispersal behaviour (Dingemanse et al 2003) and/or in their response to predators (Blumstein et al 2006); therefore, this phenomenon may be worth further consideration in future reintroductions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-release movements of captive-born European mink Mustela lutreola

Harrington¹,

Põdra²,

Macdonald³

et al. 2014

Endang. Species. Res.

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N aïve captive-bred animals often make excessive movements when released into the wild, which may increase vulnerability to predation, take animals into unsuitable habitat and/or increase the probability of conflict with humans. We analysed the post-release movements of captive-bred European mink Mustela lutreola reintroduced to Hiiumaa Island, Estonia. We tested the effect of pre-release enclosure type, sex, generations in captivity, pregnancy and age on post-release movements, investigated the settlement process and explored the relationship between post-release movements and survival. We found no effect of enclosures on post-release movements in the first 2 wk following release (except that individuals from large naturalistic enclosures spent less time close to water than did animals from standard zoo enclosures) but some evidence of a slight effect at 1 mo post-release. Males moved further at 3 d (but not 2 wk) postrelease than did females, and juveniles appeared to move further in the first 3 d post-release than did 1 yr olds. We were unable to detect a relationship between post-release movements and survival. The largest known cause of mortality was predation, but it was not clear why mink were vulnerable to predation, and the locational data presented here were unable to shed light on this issue. Individual variation also made it difficult to define patterns. These are common problems in reintroductions, and we suggest that in future releases of captive-bred animals, more detailed post-release behavioural observations and investigation of personality types might be insightful.

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“…Nine adult animals in good health, aged 1 to 4 years, were used (N female = 4, N male = 5). We did not consider age in this study, as age does not affect survival in reintroductions (Maran et al 2009), and as it has no significant impact on behaviour in the form of personality (Haage et al 2013). Furthermore, the sample size is small wherefore it is preferable to avoid additional variables (see Statisics).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental approach to the formation of diet preferences and individual specialisation in European mink

et al. 2017

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Individual dietary specialisation can occur within populations even when average diets suggest that the population has a generalist feeding strategy. Individual specialisation may impact fitness and has been related to demographic traits, ecological opportunity, competition, learning and animal personality. However, the causation and formation of individual specialisation are not fully understood. Experiments on animals raised in controlled environments provide an opportunity to examine dietary preferences and learning largely independent from variation in lifetime experiences and ecological opportunity. Here, we use a feeding experiment to examine individual specialisation and learning in captive bred European mink (Mustela lutreola) in an Estonian conservation programme. In a series of cafeteria experiments, animals could choose between one familiar food item (Baltic herring Clupea harengus membras) and two initially novel ones (noble crayfish Astacus astacus and house mouse Mus musculus). In general, mice were rarely eaten whilst crayfish consumption increased over time and fish decreased. At the individual level, there was a mix of generalists and crayfish or fish specialists, and the individuals differed in learning time in relation to novel prey. Our results indicate that individual variation in innate preferences and learning both contributes to individual diet specialisation. The differences in learning indicate individual variation in behavioural plasticity, which in turn can be related to personality. This could be of concern in conservation, as personality has been shown to affect survival in translocations.

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Situation and context impacts the expression of personality: The influence of breeding season and test context

Cited by 28 publications

References 29 publications

Context Matters: Multiple Novelty Tests Reveal Different Aspects of Shyness-Boldness in Farmed American Mink (Neovison vison)

Context Matters: Multiple Novelty Tests Reveal Different Aspects of Shyness-Boldness in Farmed American Mink (Neovison vison)

Post-release movements of captive-born European mink Mustela lutreola

An experimental approach to the formation of diet preferences and individual specialisation in European mink

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