Social cues and hormone levels in male <i>Octodon degus</i> (Rodentia)

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dc.contributor.authorSoto-Gamboa, M
dc.contributor.authorVillalón, M
dc.contributor.authorBozinovic, F
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T01:07:07Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T01:07:07Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description.abstractSocial interactions are important factors determining and regulating individual behaviors. Testosterone has been related to agonistic interactions, while glucocorticoids have been related to social stress, especially during interactions of dominance. We compared testosterone and cortisol concentrations in male degus (Octodon degus, Rodentia) under laboratory conditions without male social interactions, with data from wild males in nature. Under natural conditions, males should present higher levels of testosterone during the breeding season due to social interactions (Challenge Hypothesis). Alternatively, intense social instability could act as a stressing environment, raising glucocorticoids, which inhibit testosterone concentrations. Our results show a significant increase in agonistic interactions between males during the breeding season, and disappearance of non-agonistic male interactions during this period. Hormone levels in breeding season show nonsignificant differences between laboratory groups, but testosterone concentrations in field males were significantly higher than in laboratory males. Testosterone levels were similar among pre-breeding and breeding periods, but in field animals the concentration was similar to30% higher than in laboratory degus. In field animals, we found two different mating strategies: resident males, with territorial behavior, and transient males, displayed an opportunistic approach to females. Finally, cortisol presents a similar pattern in both laboratory and field animals; pre-breeding values of cortisol are higher than during the breeding season. This suggests that social interactions in O.degus activate a rise in testosterone, supporting the Challenge Hypothesis, and could be considered as partial support of the Social Stress Hypothesis. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.11.010
dc.identifier.eissn1095-6867
dc.identifier.issn0018-506X
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.11.010
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/96279
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000227326100010
dc.issue.numero3
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final318
dc.pagina.inicio311
dc.revistaHormones and behavior
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjecttestosterone
dc.subjectcortisol
dc.subjectsocial interaction
dc.subjectsocial stress
dc.subjectsocial instability
dc.subjectchallenge hypothesis
dc.subjectOctodon degus
dc.subjectdegu
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.titleSocial cues and hormone levels in male <i>Octodon degus</i> (Rodentia)
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen47
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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