scholarly journals Captive Dwarf and Mouse Lemurs Have Variable Fur Growth

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1288
Author(s):  
Brooke Erin Crowley
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Hair Growth ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Weekly Basis ◽  
Variable Activity ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Cheirogaleus Medius

Researchers typically assume constant fur and hair growth for primates, but the few studies that have investigated growth explicitly suggest this may not be the case. Instead, growth may vary considerably among individuals and across seasons. One might expect this variability to be most pronounced for species that have seasonally variable activity patterns (e.g., Madagascar’s Cheiorogaleidae). In particular, dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus spp.) undergo considerable changes in their daily activity levels (torpor) in the austral fall, when nights get shorter. I monitored regrowth of shaved fur patches for eight adult captive fat-tailed dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus medius) and gray mouse lemurs (Microcebusmurinus) on a bi-weekly basis for 21 months in total. Regrowth varied considerably both within and among individuals. Overall, fur regrew in spurts and was faster for mouse lemurs (0–14 to 215–229 days) than dwarf lemurs (27–40 to 313–327 days). There were significant differences between species and an obvious influence of season for dwarf lemurs, but no clear influence of shave location, age, or sex. Similar trends have been previously reported for captive lemurids, suggesting that seasonal fur growth may be widespread across Lemuroidea. Researchers are cautioned against using primate fur or hair to investigate variables confounded by seasonality (such as diet and body condition) until patterns of growth are better understood.

scholarly journals Effect of sex, age, and reproductive status on daily activity levels and activity patterns in jaguars (Panthera onca)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Włodzimierz Jędrzejewski ◽  
Ilad Vivas ◽  
Maria Abarca ◽  
Margarita Lampo ◽  
Luis G. Morales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Movement Activity ◽  
Daily Movement ◽  
Reproductive Females

AbstractAll animals, including carnivores, adapt their daily activity duration and distribution to satisfy food demands, breed, or avoid mortality risk. We used the kernel density method to estimate daily movement activity levels and movement activity patterns of jaguars in Hato Piñero, in Venezuelan Western Llanos, based on 3,656 jaguar detection time records from two and a half years of camera trapping. Jaguars were active for 11.7 h per day on average and exhibited mostly nocturnal and crepuscular activity pattern, however, with marked differences between sex/age/reproductive groups. Reproductive females had the highest daily activity level (13.2 h/day), followed by adult males (10.9 h/day), non-reproductive females (10.5 h/day), and cubs (8.7 h/day). Activity patterns also differed, with males and reproductive females having activity peaks at the same hours after sunset and before sunrise, cubs in the night and after sunrise, while non-reproductive females were most active during night hours. This study was the first to document the effect of sex, age, and reproductive status on daily level and activity pattern in the jaguar.

Exploration profiles drive activity patterns and temporal niche specialization in a wild rodent

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 772-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elouana Gharnit ◽  
Patrick Bergeron ◽  
Dany Garant ◽  
Denis Réale
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Niche Differentiation ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Foraging Patterns ◽  
Temporal Niche ◽  
Personality Differences ◽  
Niche Specialization

Abstract Individual niche specialization can have important consequences for competition, fitness, and, ultimately, population dynamics and ecological speciation. The temporal window and the level of daily activity are niche components that may vary with sex, breeding season, food supply, population density, and predator’s circadian rhythm. More recently, ecologists emphasized that traits such as dispersal and space use could depend on personality differences. Boldness and exploration have been shown to correlate with variation in foraging patterns, habitat use, and home range. Here, we assessed the link between exploration, measured from repeated novel environment tests, activity patterns, and temporal niche specialization in wild eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). Intrinsic differences in exploration should drive daily activity patterns through differences in energy requirements, space use, or the speed to access resources. We used collar-mounted accelerometers to assess whether individual exploration profiles predicted: 1) daily overall dynamic body acceleration, reflecting overall activity levels; 2) mean activity duration and the rate of activity sequences, reflecting the structure of daily activity; and 3) patterns of dawn and dusk activity, reflecting temporal niche differentiation. Exploration and overall activity levels were weakly related. However, both dawn activity and rate of activity sequences increased with the speed of exploration. Overall, activity patterns varied according to temporal variability in food conditions. This study emphasizes the role of intrinsic behavioral differences in activity patterns in a wild animal population. Future studies will help us understand how yearly seasonality in reproduction, food abundance, and population density modulate personality-dependent foraging patterns and temporal niche specialization.

scholarly journals Quantifying daily activity patterns of the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) using camera trap data from a stronghold population in south-eastern New South Wales

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K. Courtney Jones ◽  
Katarina M. Mikac
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
New South ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Daily Activity Patterns

Activity levels of spotted-tailed quolls were investigated using camera traps over 12 months. There were 33 independent camera trap photos with 17 individual quolls identified. Latency to initial detection was 40 days. Quolls were nocturnal/crepuscular, spending 35% of the day they were detected active. Highest activity levels were recorded in summer.

scholarly journals Activity Rhythms of Coexisting Red Serow and Chinese Serow at Mt. Gaoligong as Identified by Camera Traps

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixin Chen ◽  
Zhishu Xiao ◽  
Long Zhang ◽  
Xinwen Wang ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Activity Rhythms ◽  
And Behavior

Surveying the activity rhythms of sympatric herbivorous mammals is essential for understanding their niche ecology, especially for how they partition resources and their mechanisms of coexistence. Over a five-year period, we conducted infrared camera-trapping to monitor the activity rhythms of coexisting red serow (Capricornis rubidus) and Chinese serow (C. milneedwardsii milneedwardsii) in the remote mountainous region of Pianma, Mt. Gaoligong, Yunnan, China. Cameras captured images of red serow and Chinese serow on 157 and 179 occasions, respectively. We used circular kernel density models to analyze daily activity rhythms and how temporal variations in activity ensure their co-existence. Although their overall activity levels and patterns were similar, temporal activity and behavior partitioning among the two species occurred during the wet season. Compared with Chinese serows, red serows exhibited less variable daily activity levels, patterns, as well as feeding and vigilance behaviors between seasons. When the two species occasionally ranged together, red serows tended to alter their activity pattern while Chinese serows significantly increased their activity level. Red serow and Chinese serow are exploitative competitors but coexist by altering their daily activity rhythms when in contact and changing activity patterns during the wet season, enabling their coexistence.

scholarly journals Novel approach to modeling high-frequency activity data to assess therapeutic effects of analgesics in chronic pain conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zekun Xu ◽  
Eric Laber ◽  
Ana-Maria Staicu ◽  
B. Duncan X. Lascelles
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
High Frequency Activity ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Chronic Pain Conditions

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition often associated with pain, affecting approximately fourteen percent of the population, and increasing in prevalence. A globally aging population have made treating OA-associated pain as well as maintaining mobility and activity a public health priority. OA affects all mammals, and the use of spontaneous animal models is one promising approach for improving translational pain research and the development of effective treatment strategies. Accelerometers are a common tool for collecting high-frequency activity data on animals to study the effects of treatment on pain related activity patterns. There has recently been increasing interest in their use to understand treatment effects in human pain conditions. However, activity patterns vary widely across subjects; furthermore, the effects of treatment may manifest in higher or lower activity counts or in subtler ways like changes in the frequency of certain types of activities. We use a zero inflated Poisson hidden semi-Markov model to characterize activity patterns and subsequently derive estimators of the treatment effect in terms of changes in activity levels or frequency of activity type. We demonstrate the application of our model, and its advance over traditional analysis methods, using data from a naturally occurring feline OA-associated pain model.

scholarly journals 82 The impact of feeding treats containing cannabidiol (CBD) on the daily activity level of dogs

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 60-61
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M Morris ◽  
Susanna E Kitts-Morgan ◽  
Dawn M Spangler ◽  
Kyle R McLeod ◽  
David L Harmon
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Total Activity ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Quiet Time ◽  
Activity Duration ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Growing public interest in and use of Cannabidiol (CBD) in companion animals has amplified the need to elucidate potential impacts. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the impact of CBD on daily activity of adult dogs. Twenty-four dogs (18.0 ± 3.4 kg) were utilized in a randomized complete block design with treatments consisting of control, 2 mg CBD/kg BW/d, and 4 mg CBD/kg BW/d split between two treats administered after twice-daily exercise (7:00-9:00 and 17:00-19:00). Four hours each day (10:00-12:00, AM and 13:30-15:30, PM), were designated as time when no persons entered the kennels, with 2 h designated as Quiet Time and the other 2 h as Music Time, where calming music played over speakers. Quiet and Music sessions were randomly allotted to daily AM or PM times. Activity monitors were fitted to dogs’ collars for continuous collection of activity parameters. Data were collected over a 2-wk baseline period to block dogs by activity level (high or low) before randomly assigning dogs within each block to treatments. After 1 wk of treatment adaptation, activity parameters were collected for 2 wk. Data were tested for normality using the UNIVARIATE procedure in SAS before examining differences using the MIXED procedure in SAS, including effects of treatment, day, session (Quiet or Music), time of day (AM or PM), and accompanying interactions. CBD did not alter total activity points (P = 0.9971) or activity duration (P = 0.8776). CBD tended (P = 0.0692) to reduce scratching compared to control. Irrespective of treatment, dogs were more active in PM than AM (P < 0.0001). Regardless of session, dogs receiving 4 mg/kg/d tended (P = 0.0914) to be less active in the PM than control. CBD did not affect activity duration during exercise periods (P = 0.1425), but dogs receiving CBD ran more than control (P = 0.0339). These results indicate that when supplemented up to 4 mg/kg/d, CBD does not negatively impact daily activity levels of dogs.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Human Disturbance on the Activity of Medium–Large Mammals in Myanmar Tropical Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Giacomo Cremonesi ◽  
Francesco Bisi ◽  
Lorenzo Gaffi ◽  
Thet Zaw ◽  
Hla Naing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Disturbance ◽  
Daily Activity ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Circular Statistics ◽  
Large Mammals ◽  
Human Presence ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Status ◽  
Statistical Approaches

The effects of human disturbance represent one of the major threats for wildlife conservation. Many studies have shown that wildlife avoids or reduces direct contact with human activities through changes in activity patterns, and by minimizing spatiotemporal overlap. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of human presence on the temporal activity of medium-to-large mammals using two areas in Myanmar that differ in the intensity of human disturbance. We monitored temporal segregation mechanisms using camera trapping data and with two statistical approaches: daily activity overlaps between humans and wildlife and circular statistics. We did not find a significant difference in overlapping activity between areas but, thanks to circular statistics, we found that some species show changes in activity patterns, suggesting temporal avoidance. We observed that the daily activity of five species differed between areas of Myanmar, likely adopting mechanisms to reduce overlap in areas highly frequented by humans. Interestingly, these species are all threatened by hunting or poaching activities, four of which have been described in literature as “cathemeral”, or species that are active through day and night. This study suggests that some species adapt their behavior, at least partially, to avoid human presence in habitats with higher anthropic occurrence and increase our knowledge on the status of medium–large mammals in a poorly studied country as Myanmar.

scholarly journals Physical activity level of adult cats with varied feeding frequency

2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (S1) ◽  
pp. S166-S169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Deng ◽  
Ryan W. Grant ◽  
Kelly S. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Feeding Frequency ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Adult Cats

The prevalence of feline obesity is influenced by numerous factors, including inactivity and overconsumption of food. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency on physical activity in adult cats. A total of twelve healthy adult cats were used in a cross-over study consisting of 32 d. In each of the two periods, six cats were fed either two meals or four meals daily. Throughout the study, cats were fed the same diet at amounts to maintain body weight and body condition score. Cats were individually housed 4 h/d at each scheduled feeding time, while for the other 20 h, cats were group-housed to allow for voluntary physical activity in the room with a 16 h light–8 h dark cycle. Voluntary activity levels were evaluated using Actical activity collars for seven consecutive days in each period. Daily average activity level for two-meal-fed cats (20·04 (sem 2·19), activity counts/epoch (15 s)) was not different from four-meal-fed cats (20·14 (sem 2·15), activity counts/epoch (15 s); P>0·05). In conclusion, when group-housed cats are fed to maintain their body weight and body condition score, varied feeding frequency between twice and four times daily may not affect activity levels.

scholarly journals Interval training induces clinically meaningful effects in daily activity levels in COPD

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 567-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zafeiris Louvaris ◽  
Stavroula Spetsioti ◽  
Eleni A. Kortianou ◽  
Maroula Vasilopoulou ◽  
Ioannis Nasis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Interval Training ◽  
Activity Levels
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