Independence between coping style and stress reactivity in plateau pika

In this study, we tested the two-tier model in a wild plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) population on the Tibetan Plateau, by quantifying the associations between several behavioural and physiological traits at the among- and within-individual levels. We repeatedly measured exploration, docility, boldness, heart rate and plasma cortisol concentration in individuals between April and September of 2013. All traits tested were repeatable. At the among-individual level, all behavioural traits were correlated with each other and with heart rate, but were independent of both basal level and variation of plasma cortisol concentration. Most correlations were negligible at the within-individual level. In support of the two-tier model, these results suggest that coping style (i.e. behaviour and heart rate associations) is independent of stress reactivity (i.e. glucocorticoid reactivity) in that species.
Source: Physiology and Behavior - Category: Physiology Source Type: research