Stress in speckled ground squirrels (Spermophilus Suslicus Güld. 1770) relocated from a natural population to a semi-free outdoor enclosure

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Abstract

Using a non-invasive approach, changes in the level of physiological stress in speckled ground squirrels (Spermophilus suslicus) relocated from a natural population to an outdoor enclosure were assessed. The enclosure of 0.16 ha in area provided ground squirrels with natural conditions and resources and was protected against predators. First, using the physiological test with ACTH injection, we validated a commercial ELISA kit for cortisol in blood serum (“OOO XEMA”, RF) for measuring a glucocorticoid response in fecal samples as an indicator of individual stress level. We collected faeces from ground squirrels immediately after capture in nature (to characterize a basal level of stress in the donor population), after transportation before release to the outdoor enclosure, three days after release, and after one month, before hibernation. Three days after relocation, the stress level in speckled ground squirrels was significantly lower than after transportation and did not differ significantly from the initial level in the donor population. The absence of a body mass loss in young animals after the relocation, the successful accumulation of fat before hibernation, and the high overwinter survival rate (72.5%) indicate the successful adaptation of speckled ground squirrels to a novel environment.

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About the authors

O. N. Shekarova

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119071

L. E. Savinetskaya

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119071

O. A. Burkanova

FSBО “State Nature Reserve “Voroninsky”

Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Tambov Region, 393310

E. N. Surkova

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119071

A. V. Tchabovsky

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119071

K. A. Rogovin

A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: krogovin@yandex.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119071

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2. Fig. 1. Enclosure in the Voroninsky Nature Reserve (photo by S. V. Pavlova).

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3. Fig. 2. Dynamics of the IMG level in five speckled ground squirrels used to validate the method for determining the IMG level in feces. The time interval included capture in the donor population (background stress level), transportation, keeping in cages for the next three days (from 07.07.2023 to 09.07.2023) and release into the enclosure in the morning on the fourth day. The ordinal number of the day is given in brackets. A – males, B – females. The abnormally low IMG value in the sample from male 39m, taken on 07.07.2023 at 16:00, is shown in a separate circle and was not included in the subsequent analysis.

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4. Fig. 3. Validation of the method for noninvasive assessment of IMG levels in feces of five spotted ground squirrels by assessing the physiological response to an adrenocorticotropic hormone injection. Each animal was injected with ACTH one day after the ground squirrels were transported to the release site at 8 a.m. on July 7, 2023. The mean IMG concentrations and their errors are shown. Identical Latin letters indicate the absence of significant differences (p > 0.05, Tukey test).

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5. Fig. 4. Body weight of yearlings of spotted ground squirrels (mean ± standard error) captured in the donor population (1), three days after transportation and release (3) and before hibernation (4). Result of using the Mixed General Linear Model with the individual number as a random effect and the stage as a categorical fixed effect. Identical Latin letters indicate the absence of significant differences (p > 0.05, Tukey's test); n is the sample size.

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6. Fig. 5. The level of IMG (mean ± error) at different stages of the experiment in speckled ground squirrels taken from the donor population: A – all individuals (F3, 32 = 4.1, p = 0.014), B – yearlings (F3, 21 = 6.3, p = 0.003). 1 – immediately after capture (background stress level), 2 – after transportation, 3 – three days after release into the enclosure, 4 – before hibernation. The result of using a mixed general linear model with the individual number as a random factor and the stage as a categorical fixed effect is shown. The same Latin letters indicate the absence of significant differences (p > 0.05, Tukey's test); n is the sample size.

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