Behavior and measures of respiration in rabbits differing in terms of movement activity in an open field

Abstract

Analysis of the behavior of 19 Chinchilla rabbits the first time they were placed in an open field allowed them to be divided into three groups differing in terms of investigative movement activity (passive rabbits accounted for 37%, active for 21%, and intermediate for 42%). On repeat placing in the open field, passive rabbits increased and active rabbits decreased their levels of activity. Correlations were found between the rabbits' behavior in the open field and the nature of their external respiration in the absence of movements in the comfort situation. Passive rabbits, as compared with intermediate and active animals, showed longer respiratory cycles, expirations, and breath holds in expiration. Animals with a predominance of right-hand turns in the open field showed shorter respiratory cycles and expirations than animals with a predominance of left-hand turns. These studies led to the conclusion that the characteristics of external respiration can serve as a predictive factor for the passive-defensive strategy of behavior in rabbits in emotionally negative situations.