Starvation decreases behavioral consistency in a Neotropical harvestman

Consistent inter-individual differences in behavior have been shown in several animal groups, ranging from vertebrates to invertebrates. One of the most studied personality traits in animals is boldness, which is the tendency to expose to risky situations. Theory proposes that individuals’ state (e....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta ethologica 2019-10, Vol.22 (3), p.203-208
Main Authors: Segovia, Júlio M. G., Moura, Rafael Rios, Willemart, Rodrigo H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Consistency
Dietary restrictions
Evolutionary Biology
Food
Freezing
Invertebrates
Levels
Life Sciences
Original Paper
Personality
Personality traits
Starvation
Vertebrates
Zoology
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Summary:Consistent inter-individual differences in behavior have been shown in several animal groups, ranging from vertebrates to invertebrates. One of the most studied personality traits in animals is boldness, which is the tendency to expose to risky situations. Theory proposes that individuals’ state (e.g., body energy) would influence the expression of personality traits. In this study, we tested if boldness levels of the harvestman Mischonyx cuspidatus (measured as duration of death feigning/freezing after simulated predator attack) differ between two different states, namely sated and food deprived. We also tested if the degree of repeatability in boldness is affected by the individual state. We found no differences in the levels of boldness expressed by M . cuspidatus when comparing between different conditions (sated and food deprived) at a population level. However, we found that individuals showed more consistency in boldness when sated relative to a food-deprived condition. Finally, we suggest new avenues for future studies addressing personality in harvestmen.
ISSN:0873-9749
1437-9546
DOI:10.1007/s10211-019-00327-5