title: Exposure to humans and activity pattern of European souslik (Spermophilus citellus) in zoo conditions.
abstract: European souslik (Spermophilus citellus) is an endangered species being the subject of reintroduction plan in some European countries, including Poland. It is important to obtain data about behavior of reintroduced species, especially a reaction to captivity of specimens prepared to release. The aim of this study was to evaluate influence of human exposure on sousliks behavior. Observed animals were kept in Poznań zoo in three enclosures. Two of them (called "high noise") were in part of the zoo available to the visitors, whereas one ("low noise") was in part closed for them. In "high noise" enclosures sousliks spent more time outside burrows and more specimens were present above ground. They also ate and ran more frequently in "high noise" enclosure, whereas emitted loud voices more often in the "low noise" one. In all enclosures more animals were present above grounds in absence of humans. Time spent by one souslik above ground was positively significantly correlated with the number of sousliks outside burrows. European sousliks observed in this study were used to humans and were less vigilant if they were exposed to permanent humans presence, but they did not become tamed and behave in a way similar to free living animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland. marcing@up.poznan.pl
authors.forename: Marcin Tadeusz
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Górecki
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juszkiewicz
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graclik
authors.forename: Borys
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kala
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D056727:Endangered Species; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019370:Observation; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000502:physiology*