Male golden hamsters (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mesocricetus auratus</Emphasis>) are more reactive than females to a visual predator cue |
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Authors: | M Elsbeth McPhee Amanda E Ribbeck Robert E Johnston |
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Institution: | (1) Psychology Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA |
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Abstract: | In most species of small mammals, males are exposed to higher levels of risk than females because they compete for mates,
travel greater distances to find and procure mates, and/or defend a territory. This suggests that males and females might
have different responses to risky situations, such as the presence of a predator. We tested responses to a visual predator
cue (an owl silhouette) in male and female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). In a laboratory arena, there was no significant sex difference in the latency to enter the burrow or time spent in the
burrow immediately after exposure to the owl silhouette. Males, however, were less likely to be active during the 3-min period
following the animal’s exposure to the silhouette, indicating that male golden hamsters are more wary after exposure to an
aerial predator cue than females. Most studies of responses to predators or predator cues have not considered sex differences,
but our results show that males and females may have quite different responses to predator cues. Further work should be done
to characterize and quantify sex differences in response to predators or predator cues. |
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Keywords: | Golden hamster Predator response Mesocricetus auratus Sex differences Visual predator |
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