Stress coping styles and singing behavior in the short-tailed singing mouse (Scotinomys teguina)

Stress coping styles have been characterized as a proactive/reactive dichotomy in laboratory and domesticated animals. In this study, we examined the prevalence of proactive/reactive stress coping styles in wild-caught short-tailed singing mice (Scotinomys teguina). We compared stress responses to spontaneous singing, a social and reproductive behavior that characterizes this species. To establish proactive/reactive profiles for singing mice, we measured exploratory and anxiety behavior using an open-field behavioral test. We examined correlations between open-field behaviors and fecal corticosterone (CURT) metabolites, baseline plasma CURT, and stress-induced CURT. Mice with proactive behavioral responses in the open-field had higher fecal CURT titers than reactive males, but did not differ in baseline or stress-induced plasma CURT. We suggest that individual differences in CURT metabolism may contribute to this surprising pattern. Males that sang in the open-field were behaviorally proactive and had lower stress-induced CURT, indicating a link between stress responses and singing in this species. Overall, the data demonstrate that singing mice offer an interesting model for exploring how stress reactivity can shape social behaviors. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.