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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1976

Effects of p-chlorophenylalanine on the predatory behavior of Onychomys torridus.

Adult male and female grasshopper mice, Onychomys torridus, were treated over a 5 day period with p-chlorophenylalanine (50 mg/kg daily), a depletor of brain 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE (5-HT). These mice exhibited a significant decrease over the 5 day test interval in predation time and predation score in encounters with cricket prey, However, the basic pattern and frequency of attacks for drug-treated mice remained similar to saline controls. The relation between the various brain amine systems and predatory behavior is discussed and the utility of the grasshopper mouse as a laboratory model for the study of predatory behavior is emphasized.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Instinctive predatory behavior of the ferret (Putorius putorius furo L.) modified by chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (Librium).

The predatory behavior of ferrets (Putorius putorius furo L.) consists mainly of instinctive behavioral patterns that are elicited by simple external stimuli. For the ferret, the time needed to catch and kill rats depends on the size of the rats in relation to that of the ferret. Killing success decreases with a relative increase in prey size. Chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride injections (1 mg/kg, i.m.) modified this behavior. Drugged ferrets needed less time and less bites to kill relatively large rats; killing success was also increased. Chlordiazepoxide seemed to disinhibit the ferrets when they were presented with large rats, which they normally attack more cautiously.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Effects of d-amphetamine, maprotiline, L-dopa, and haloperidol on the components of the predatory behavior of the ferret, Putorius furo L.

Ferret predation on rats was examined in an arena. One hour before the test one of the following drugs was administered. d-Amphetamine (0.8 and 1.4 mg/kg IM), MAPROTILINE (10 AND 40 Mg/kg orally), L-dopa (30 and 60 mg/kg orally), or haloperidol (0.14 and 0.6 mg/kg IM). Provided that capture was successful, the sequence of the behavioral components was not changed by these drugs. With the exceptions of paw movements and rolling over, which were not affected by the drugs, the components of predatory behavior were influenced differently. This leads to the assumption that a drug affects different mechanisms which control behavior. It is assumed that dopamine is involved in the control of capture elicitation as well as in the control of pursuit and biting. Capture elicitation was inhibited by d-amphetamine and L-dopa, but not by maprotiline, and was even facilitated by haloperidol. The orientation of pursuit movements and biting was impaired by L-dopa and improved by haloperidol, whereas maprotiline did not influence these components.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Stimulus control of predatory behavior in the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis). IV. Effect of mammalian blood.

Brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) from Guam were exposed to mammalian (Rattus norvegicus) blood on cotton-tipped applicators. Water and other control substances were similarly presented. All trials lasted 60 s, and the dependent variable was the number of tongue flicks emitted by the snake during the trial. In five experiments, B. irregularis responded with greater numbers of tongue flicks to blood than to control substances. This is the first study to reveal an ophidian response to internal chemicals of potential prey organisms.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1977

Predatory behavior in the cat elicited by lower brain stem and hypothalamic stimulation: a comparison.

The predatory attack of a cat against a rat elicited by lateral hypothalamic, ventral midbrain and ventromedial periaqueductal gray stimulation has been compared. Regardless of the region stimulated, the attack behaviors were found to be identical with respect to response topography, preference for the rat as an attack object, the distance at which the cats would approach and attack a rat and the success in finding and attacking the rat when the cats were blindfolded. However, the minimum current required to elicit the predatory attack by periaqueductal gray stimulation was 3-4 times less than that required to elicit the same behavior by ventral midbrain and lateral hypothalamic stimulation. The difficulty in reconciling these results with the preeminent role assigned to the hypothalamus in the organization of predatory aggressive behavior was considered.

Aggression↗
PubMed1976

A comparison of hypothalamically induced biting attack with natural predatory behavior in the cat.

A comparison of biting attack induced by electrical stimulation of the cat hypothalamus with natural feline predatory attack revealed a high degree of similarity between the two behaviors. All major components of natural attack could be elicited by hypothalamic stimulation in cats not showing spontaneous attack, including stalking approach to prey, holding and pinning of the prey with forepaws, biting directed to the head and neck, prey kicking, prey carrying, and prey eating. Differences between natural and elicited attack appeared to be related to the range of completenes of elicited attack, the greater intensity of elicited attack, and the presence of unrelated responses induced by hypothalamic stimulation. Results support the view that hypothalamic stimulation facilitates sensorimotor mechanisms for separate response components, which are highly sensitive to specific stimulus features of the environment and potential goal objects.

Aggression↗
PubMed1975

[The role of serotonin in one of the types of aggressive behavior--"predatory aggression"].

Electrolytic lesion of the midbrain raphe nuclei in rats, lowering serotonin level in the forebrain, elicited mouse-killing behavior. After the lesion, 50% of previously non-killers rats became mouse-killers. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (100 mg/kg) administration elevated serotonin level to normal values and completely blocked predatory aggression. p-Chlorophenylalanine produced obvious reduction in brain serotonin and slightly stimulated aggressive behavior. These results suggest that the brain serotonin participates as an inhibitory factor in mouse-killing behavior in rats.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1975

Behavioral and epileptic determinants of predatory attack behavior in the cat.

This report presents studies which relate limbic epileptic excitability to behavioral measures of defensive suppression of predatory attack in cats. Correlated with heightened defensiveness to environmental stimuli among non-killer cats is a heightened amygdaloid epileptic excitability, as well as a heightened conduction of amygdaloid epileptic activity to thalamic and hypothalamic substrates of predatory response in the amygdala to the complex visual stimuli presented by rat prey. These neurosensory responses correlate well with measures of epileptic excitability. Brain and behavior measures appear related since enhancement of excitability in the amygdala and of projection of epileptic activity by repeated electrical stimulation of predatory attacks. Furthermore, the ventral hippocampus seems capable of antagonizing the behaviorally suppressive effects of heightened amygdaloid excitability perhaps at points of convergence of amygdaloid and hippocampal output.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Topography and morphology of retinal ganglion cells in Falconiforms: a study on predatory and carrion-eating birds.

The topographic distribution of retinal ganglion cells and their cell body size have been studied in five Falconiform species, including predatory (chilean eagle Buteo fuscenses australis, and sparrow hawk Falco sparverius) and carrion-eating (chimango caracara Milvago chimango; condor Vultur gryphus, and black vulture Coragyps atratus) birds. All these species had a well defined nasal fovea and a horizontal streak. Instead of a temporal fovea as in eagles and hawks, an afoveate temporal area is present in chimango, condor, and vulture. The highest ganglion cell density was found in the nasal fovea of Falco and Buteo with 65,000 and 62,000 cells/mm2, respectively. A negative correlation between ganglion cell density and cell body size was found in all the species studied. The specializations of the temporal retina showed a rather homogenous population of medium sized neurons, while the nasal foveas showed a homogeneous population of smaller ganglion cells. Finally, the peripheral retina showed a heterogeneous population of large, medium, and small ganglion cells. Predatory behavior appears to be closely related to foveal specializations, and is best exemplified in the eagle and hawk and to a lesser extent in the chimango.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Non-predatory ingestive behaviors of the praying mantids Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Sauss.) and Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).

Praying mantids are thought to be so strictly predacious that, historically, carnivorousness has been used as a defining characteristics of the taxon Mantodea, and no data exist on other ingestive behaviors. We observed food- and water-deprived male and female Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Sauss.) and Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.) in various situations and found that their ingestive behaviors are more variable than generally recognized. Both species regularly drink water in response to deprivation, the amount imbibed being correlated with the total (but not daily) percent of initial body weight lost. When presented with stimuli consisting of plastic beads of different reflective quality (shiny clear, opaque frosted, or matte black), lighted by a single direct light source, the shiny stimuli consistently elicited the most drinking-like behavior by the mantids. The preference was consistent, whether stimuli were presented together or singly. This suggests that visual cues can be used to identify water and are alone capable of maintaining drinking-like behavior. When S. lineola were presented with various stimuli, including diced apple and diced banana, in a five-way or a three-way choice test, mantids that chose a stimulus within the allotted time consistently ate the diced banana. When presented one of two stimuli differing only in odor (30 x 20 x 15 mm cloth bags filled with either plastic beads or banana), S. lineola did not attempt to eat the former, but 50% attempted to eat the bag of banana. Eating bouts were always preceded by antennae drumming in the direction of, or over the stimulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The distribution of catecholamines and beta-endorphin in the brains of three behaviorally distinct breeds of dogs and their F1 hybrids.

This study examines neurochemical and behavioral differences among three types of domestic dogs and F1 hybrids derived from them. Purebred dogs included Border Collies, representing herding dogs, Shar Plaininetz, representing livestock protecting dogs, and Siberian Huskies, representing Northern dogs. Composite behavioral scores were derived from frequency measures of various components of predatory behavior observed when the dogs were tested with mice. Catecholamine levels, including norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and epineprine (EPI), were determined in various brain regions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection. beta-endorphin levels were determined in the same regions by RIA. Collies showed the highest levels of non-consummatory behaviors and Huskies the highest levels of consummatory behaviors. Shars were found to have lower levels of NE and DA than Collies and Huskies in several brain regions, including those comprising the nigrostriatal DA system. Positive correlations between neurochemical and behavioral characteristics could be made between Shars and Collies. Comparisons of F1 hybrids with their respective parental breeds revealed no clear pattern of inheritance for these characteristics but suggested that multiple factors, both independent and epistatic, are involved. Based on previous studies on nigrostriatal DA and behavior, the levels of DA in this system may be causally related to the levels of predatory behavior expressed by Collies and Shars.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Alimentary instrumental responses and neurological reflexes in amygdalar cats.

Lesions in ventromedial part of amygdala impaired neither alimentary instrumental reflexes nor food intake, but impaired predatory behavior. Lesions localized in the more dorsal and lateral part of the amygdala produced disorders in instrumental performance and food intake without changes in predatory attack. Both kind of lesions did not impair neurological reflexes, therefore the abolishment of predatory attack after ventromedial amygdala damage was not caused by sensory-motor disturbances. It is concluded that predatory behavior is based on specific mechanisms separate from both alimentary and instrumental ones.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1977

[Psychopharmacological influence on the prey catching behavior of ferrets (Putorius furo L.) (author's transl)].

The prey-catching behavior of ferrets (Putorius furo L.) consists mainly of instinctive behavior patterns, which can be elicited only through their releaser. Then they are performed stereotypically. To get information concerning the central background and the hierarchical structure of this behavior the neuroleptics Haloperidol (0.14 mg/kg), Clozapine (10 mg/kg) and Chlorpromazine (4 mg/kg) were injected i.m. under controlled conditions. In a conditioning experiment the reactivity of the animals was examined. This conditioned reaction was strongly decreased by the drugs. The reaction to the natural stimulus the prey was changed, but not suppressed. The modification of the predatory behavior was manifedsted in an "improvement" of orientation reactions when pursuing the prey and in a better placement of bites. This effect, most evident with Haloperidol, is possibly due to the specific neuroleptic component of the substances. A delay in approaching the prey, or even the total suppression of the prey-catching behavior is suggested to be due to a sedative component which was most obvious in some experiments with Clozapine. On the other hand, there are behavioral elements like the use of paws which are not effected by the neuroleptics. From these and other observations, it is concluded, that the predatory behavior of the ferret has a hierarchically organisated structure. Further it is suggested that some functional connected parts of the behavior have distinct central representation, for they are not influenced in the same way by these drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Discrimination of visual stimuli representing prey versus non-prey by the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).

Adult, female praying mantids, Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.), were presented with seventy, flat black rectangles which moved toward the mantids (in the horizontal plane) against a white background. The lengths of the lures' edges parallel to their direction of movement, 1(1), were 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 54, 72, or 114 mm; the edge lengths perpendicular to movement direction, 1(2), were 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 mm. Mantids emitted the most predatory behaviors to square lures (1[1] = 1[2]) for which 1(1, 2) = 3-12 mm, and to 'worm' lures (1[1] greater than 1[2]) for which 1(2) = 1.5-6 mm. 'Anti-worm' lures (1[1] less than 1[2]) were poor releasers of predatory behavior. These results reconcile seemingly discrepant findings between studies that have presented mantids with various types of oscillating, rotating and/or three-dimensional lures. Further, the results indicate that like other terrestrial predators, such as toads, prey recognition by S. lineola is approximate and based on the spatiotemporal relationships between the features of moving objects (i.e. worm versus anti-worm). These findings are congruent with data on mantid prey selection in the wild.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The effects of background pattern and contrast on prey discrimination by the praying mantis Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.).

Tethered, adult female Sphodromantis lineola (Burr.) were presented with two groups of two-dimensional stimuli (i.e., 2-D lures) against various backgrounds. Lure Group 1 comprised various black rectangles in three different size arrays: each size array included a 2, 6, or 12 mm square, respectively, several 'worm' lures of a constant width (l2, edge perpendicular to the direction of movement, 3-30 mm), but varying in length (l1, parallel to the direction of movement, 6-114 mm), and several 'antiworm' lures of a constant length but varying width. Group 1 lures were presented against patterned backgrounds of similar luminance: one natural pattern mimicking foliage and the other a random geometric pattern of rectangles. Group 2 lures comprised various configurations and combinations of black and white lures which were presented against white, black, and natural pattern backgrounds. The appetitive behaviors of approaching and striking at a lure were dependent measures indicating that a stimulus was categorized as prey. For Group 1 lures, overall response rates to lures of the same size were enhanced by the natural pattern background rather than the geometric pattern background. Against the natural pattern background, worm lures were stronger releasers of predatory behavior than antiworm lures of the same size. Lure configuration (especially for the smallest array) was masked by the geometric pattern background, although worm versus antiworm discrimination was apparent with the largest size array. For Group 2 lures, lure-to-background contrast, as well as configuration, effected prey recognition. For instance, lures with low lure-to-background contrast ratios were weaker releasers than those with high ratios, and lures that were darker (versus lighter) than the background were stronger releasers. In addition, particular stimulus properties interacted to effect lure strength. For instance, a weak or strong releaser became stronger or weaker, respectively, when a more or less, respectively, preferred releaser was super-imposed. The results also suggest that S. lineola attends preferentially to the leading edge of a moving stimulus. These findings are in agreement with predatory behavior of praying mantises in the wild.

Animals↗