Abstract: We studied the effects of body weight on dominance hierarchy and agonistic behaviors of male greater long-tailed hamster (Tscheskia triton)in a laboratory setting. The main hypothesis tested was that body weight can significantly influence the dominance hierarchy and agonistic behaviors of male T. triton. Paired encounters between 16 male T. triton were conducted in the lab, and the probability of linearity within hierarchies was calculated. To demonstrate linearity of a hierarchy in a group, we calculated the number of circular triads in each group, and the degree of linearity within each hierarchy (i. e. the coefficient K, which has values from 0, indicating complete absence of linearity, to 1, indicating a linear hierarchy). We used regression analysis to test relationships between body weight,and agonistic behaviors and dominance hierarchy. Staged agonistic encounters showed that males developed a dominance hierarchy. Dominance hierarchy was significantly and positively correlated with body weight. Aggressive behaviors and flank marking were significantly and positively correlated with body weight, whereas defensive behaviors and aggression latency were significantly and negative correlated with body weight. Stepwise multiple regressions showed that dominance hierarchy was significantly and positively correlated with defensive behaviors and flank marking. Our results show that male T. triton, which are solitary rodents in the wild,developed a near linear dominance hierarchy during the staged agonistic encounters and that body weight play an important role in the hierarchy developed. Furthermore,we observed a diversity of relationships between body weight and agonistic behaviors.

Key words: Agonistic behaviors, Body weight, Dominance hierarchy, Greater long-tailed hamster (Tscheskia triton)

摘要： 在实验室条件下测定雄性大仓鼠体重对社会等级和斗殴行为的作用模式,检验体重对雄性大仓鼠社会等级及斗殴行为序列具有重要影响的假设。本实验以16 只成年雄性大仓鼠为目标个体,采用等级内部的线性概率、组内循环三元组数量(d)和优势等级的线性度(K),排列个体的社会等级序位。研究结果表明,雄性大仓鼠可形成近似线性的优势等级,体重与个体的优势等级,攻击行为和胁腺标记行为均呈显著的正相关关系,与防御行为和攻击潜伏期存在显著的负相关关系。说明独居性物种大仓鼠雄体间可形成优势等级关系,体重对此关系具有重要的作用。

关键词: 大仓鼠, 体重, 优势等级, 斗殴行为