BEHAVIORAL AND ANATOMICAL CORRELATES OF SYMPATHETIC AROUSAL AND STRESS IN MALE CENTRAL-AMERICAN AGOUTIS (DASYPROCTA-PUNCTATA)

Studied were distinctions and relationships between behavioural indica tors of sympathetic arousal in twelve male Central American agoutis (s ix living in large groups and six in male-female pairs) in two social situations (pair-bonded and non pair-bonded). Indicators were scaled b y correspondence analysis; scrapemark, scentmark (in pair living males ), bury and scrape indicating high, scratch, nibble-of-body-sides, lic k and tremble low sympathetic activity. Pair-bonded males displayed lo w and non pair-bonded males showed high amounts of behavioural element s indicating high sympathetic arousal. Morphologic-anatomical data wer e used for parallel analysis of long-term stress reactions. Pair-bonde d males showed low and non pair-bonded males high relative portions of adrenal medulla at the central section area of adrenal glands. This c an be regarded as adaptation to long lasting high sympathetic activity in the non pair-bonded males along with considerable stress reactions (enlarged hearts and diminished testes and anal glands). Thus the cla ssification of males by their amounts of behavioural indicators of sym pathetic arousal corresponds to their classification by physiological indicators of continuous sympathetic activity. The differentiating rec ording and analysis of appropriate behavioural elements provide a non invasive method for detecting arousal states and stress in individual animals, even in their ''everyday life''.