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First published online March 2, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 1035-1043 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02112
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How much stress do researchers inflict on their study animals? A case study using a scincid lizard, Eulamprus heatwolei

Tracy Langkilde* and Richard Shine

Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia


Figure 1
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  		Fig. 1. The time course of change in plasma corticosterone levels of 40 female water skinks (Eulamprus heatwolei) following exposure to a stressful stimulus (having a blood sample taken, then being chased around an enclosure for 30 s), and 10 `control' females that were undisturbed prior to the blood sample being obtained. Each sample is based on data from 10 females, so that each animal provided only a single sample for analysis. Values are means ± s.e.m.

 

Figure 2
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  		Fig. 2. Effects of routine laboratory procedures and simulated `natural' stressful events on (A) plasma corticosterone levels and (B) breathing rates, of water skinks (Eulamprus heatwolei). Stimuli are described in the text. Groups A–D in A are significantly different from one another, and are discussed in the text. Blood samples were taken 1 h following exposure to the potentially stressful stimulus. Each sample consists of 20 animals (10 males and 10 females), with data shown separately for male and female lizards. Values are means ± s.e.m.

 

Figure 3
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  		Fig. 3. Effects of four treatments on plasma corticosterone levels of (A) female and (B) male water skinks (Eulamprus heatwolei) at 1 h, 2 h and 14 days since initiation of the respective treatments, and in response to the application of a `novel' stressor (having a blood sample taken, then being chased around an enclosure for 30 s) 14 days after the initial treatment initiation. Sample sizes for treatments were: control, N=16; tail autotomy, N=16; microchip insertion, N=20; toe-clip, N=10, and samples consist of equal numbers of males and female lizards. Values are means ± s.e.m.

 

Figure 4
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  		Fig. 4. The relationship between two potential measures of `stress' in water skinks exposed to a wide variety of potentially stressful stimuli. The two measures were (1) breathing rate at the time the stimulus was applied, and (2) plasma corticosterone level 1 h later. See text for details; each point represents data for a single lizard. Data are shown separately for males and females.

 




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2006