Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and alarm calling in free-living yellow-bellied marmots - PubMed (original) (raw)
Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and alarm calling in free-living yellow-bellied marmots
Daniel T Blumstein et al. Biol Lett. 2006.
Abstract
When individuals of a variety of species encounter a potential predator, some, but not all, emit alarm calls. To explain the proximate basis of this variation, we compared faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations in live-trapped yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) between occasions when they did and did not emit alarm calls. We found that marmots had significantly higher glucocorticoid levels when they called than when they did not call, suggesting that stress or arousal may play an important role in potentiating alarm calls. Marmots are sensitive to variation in the reliability of callers. The present finding provides one possible mechanism underlying caller variation: physiological arousal influences the propensity to emit alarm calls.
Figures
Figure 1
Box plots illustrating faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels in yellow-bellied marmots on occasions when they did or did not emit alarm calls while restrained in a live trap. The circle illustrates an outlier.
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