GREAT GERBIL (RHOMBOMYS OPIMUS) IN WILDLI FE AND IN LABORATORY

Variation of time budget, body size and ventral gland size in Rhombomy s opimus was analyses in wildlife (Repetek Reserve, South-Eastern Turk menistan, 1991-1992) and in captivity (vivarium of Moscow Zoo, 1995). Gerbils under observation were individually marked by wool cutting. Ti me budgets were estimated for solitary adult males and females, in pai rs and in groups. Captivity affected all types of activity, though its influence differed in males and females by direction and spectrum of affected activities excluding feeding behaviour. In the laboratory pro bability of social contacts in the females living in pairs increased a s well as the rate of digging, exploring and marking. Under these cond itions in males the probability of digging, exploring and marking de c reased significantly. In solitary life in the laboratory the level of exploring and digging activity of males rose sharply and became signif icantly higher than in males living together with females and in those in nature. Males in groups digged and explored to a greater degree th an those in pairs. Males and females of great gerbils differed in thei r response to varying environment. A decrease in stimuli flow in capti vity resulted in the respective lowering the males' activity while fem ales performed a kind of compensatory responses increasing activities, especially social. Rapid increase of digging in solitary males was re lated to frustration or stress caused by social deprivation. ''Vigilan ce'' behaviour may be regarded as a kind of spontaneous behaviour, rel atively independent of variability in social and nonsocial environment .