Seasonal changes in the time budget of degus, <i>Octodon degus</i>

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dc.contributor.authorEbensperger, LA
dc.contributor.authorHurtado, MJ
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T01:07:20Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T01:07:20Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description.abstractThe activity budget of an individual is the allocation of time to all its activities, and is expected to vary in response to both internal and environmental factors that influence its energy acquisition, breeding success, and survival. We recorded seasonal variation in individual and social behaviour of a natural population of degus (Octodon degus), a diurnal, semi-subterranean and social rodent from central Chile. We related changes in degu activity to differences in sex, seasonality (breeding activity, abundance of high quality food), and abundance of degu predators. On average, degus allocated most of their time while active above ground to foraging (46%) and alertness (32%); activities such as resting (8%), locomotor activity (7%), self-grooming (3%), burrow digging (0.2%), dust-bathing (1%), and social interactions (3%) occupied a relatively small percentage of degus' time budget. Time spent in foraging and total vigilance did not vary seasonally, but they were inversely related, reflecting a trade-off. Degus adjusted bipedal vigilance and locomotor activity partially to the presence of predators. Sex interacted with seasonality to influence degu behaviour. Male degus dust-bathed more and were more aggressive toward conspecifics than females during breeding time. We hypothesize that breeding activity is a more important predictor than abundance of high quality food to account for these interactions.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.eissn1568-539X
dc.identifier.issn0005-7959
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/96311
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000229075300006
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final112
dc.pagina.inicio91
dc.revistaBehaviour
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectactivity
dc.subjectforaging
dc.subjectvigilance
dc.subjectpredation risk
dc.subjectdegu breeding
dc.subjectseasonality
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.ods13 Climate Action
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.subject.odspa13 Acción por el clima
dc.titleSeasonal changes in the time budget of degus, <i>Octodon degus</i>
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen142
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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