Autonomic nervous system
- Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is a major component of heart rate variability in undisturbed, remotely monitored rattlesnakes, Crotalus durissus
Summary: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia constitutes a major component of heart rate variability (HRV) in remotely monitored rattlesnakes. Detection of HRV is posited as a reliable indicator of recovery from trauma in animals.
- Autonomic control of cardiovascular adjustments associated with orthostasis in the scansorial snake Boa constrictor
Summary: In Boa constrictor, orthostatic tachycardia (of adrenergic/cholinergic origin) prevents excessive arterial pressure reduction at the beginning of body inclinations, and vasomotor adjustments (of adrenergic origin) restore arterial pressure during long-term inclinations.
- Individual differences in heart rate reveal a broad range of autonomic phenotypes in a free-living seabird population
Summary: Streaked shearwaters show consistent individual differences in autonomic activity that persist even across years and are driven by individual differences in parasympathetic ‘rest-and-digest’ activity, not sympathetic ‘fight-or-flight’ activity.