ХИМИЧЕСКИЕ СИГНАЛЫ КОНСПЕЦИФИКОВ И ИХ РОЛЬ В СЕЗОННЫХ ВЗАИМООТНОШЕНИЯХ У МОНГОЛЬСКОГО ХОМЯЧКА (ALLOCRICETULUS CURTATUS) (CRICETINAE, RODENTIA)

Abstract

The hormonal response of males of the Allocricetulus curtatus hamster to the natural excreta (urine and midventral gland secretion [MVGS]) of conspecific females during several seasons of the year was studied when the animals were kept in the conditions of natural light and temperature. In the autumn, no significant changes in the testosterone level in the blood of males for any of the signals presented were observed. In the winter and summer, there was a trend of increasing this indicator in response to the smells of urine and MVGS of females in their diestrus state. In the spring, presentation of the urine of conspecific females in their estrous state led to a significant increase in the levels of both testosterone and cortisol, and the level of cortisol did not increase in response to exposure of the smells of females in their diestrus state in any season of the year. The level of progesterone significantly increased only when MVGS was presented in the spring and summer periods, and the absolute values of this indicator were significantly higher in the spring than in the summer. Differences in the responses to chemocommunication signals in two closely related Eversmann species (the Eversmann and Mongolian hamsters) are discussed in connection with intraspecific social relation peculiarities.