1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
SPECIFICATION OF BEHAVIOR TRAITS AND FORMULATION OF ANIMAL KEEPING SYSTEM OF THE HOUSE MUSK SHREW
| Project/Area Number |
09301005
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
実験系心理学
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
TSUJI Keiichiro Nagoya University, Department of Psychology, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (20023591)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MATSUO Takashi Aichi Shukutoku Junior College, Department of Psychology, Associate Professor, 助教授 (30199757)
ISHII Kiyoshi Nagoya University, Department of Psychology, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (70092989)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1999
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| Keywords | Suncus (House musk shrew) / Domestication / Behavior traits / Activity rhythm / Animal keeping environment / Drive arousal / Early behavior / Mating behavior |
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| Research Abstract |
The house musk shrew, Suncus murinus, is the only laboratory animal that has been successfully domesticated among species of Insectivores. The present study examined its behavior traits and formulated its keeping system for use in behavioral studies. The following results were obtained.
(1) Daily activity rhythm : The rhythms were obtained for body temperature and locomotor activity. There were observed a unique drop in body temperature which was synchronized with disappearance of locomotion. It occurred once a day in several successive days. This finding leads us to discuss its relation with the phenomenon of "daily torper".
(2) Drive : Drive force was measured as a function of hours of water deprivation. Shrews showed a specific mode of drive change which was different from rats and mice. It should be further examined in relation to basal level of metabolism and inhibitive system of brain function.
(3) Behavioral effect of domestication : Domestication which was started in 1993 with nearly 40 wild animals has so far been successfully proceeded in our laboratory. However, no significant effect of domestication was found with early and mating behaviors for the first 15 generations.
(4) Keeping and breeding in artificial environment : Standard procedure and environment for keeping and breeding were formulated for both domesticated and wild shrews, in spite of small litter size and frequent occurrence of infanticide.
(5) Ecological information on wild populations : Ecological condition and behavioral information were collected from informants in three islands of Okinawa district. In parallel to the reduction in size of population, amount of information has been decreased.
A report including both of the present and previously published results was edited.
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