Personality and defensive behavior of the collared peccary, Peccari tajacu

Abstract

Progress in the field of personality research led us to think that a general link between personality and fitness exists. We believe that understanding personality traits may lead us to manage the risk of extinctions and biodiversity loss while also playing a key role on releasing captive animals and the reintroduction of species in an environment. Intra-specific variation in the defensive behavior was observed in collared peccary and had already been questioned as an advantage for fitness. The aim of this study was to understand if and how personality impacts the defensive behavior of the collared peccary and, therefore, the impact of its fitness to survive. To do so we conducted a personality test and a MDBT modified test on a group of twelve peccaries. We confirmed our first hypothesis that peccaries have personality traits such as aggressiveness. Furthermore, individual differences in boldness occur in several aspects of the defensive behavior and shows at some extent plasticity. The personality during the defensive behavior was context dependent, yet aggressiveness did not correlate with it, therefore, animals did not show behavioral syndrome. Further studies should be necessary to understand the impact of personality and plasticity on its fitness.