Zoos use ambassador animals in educational programs featuring close contact with humans. Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) at the Saint Louis Zoo are retrieved for programs by a keeper wearing brown handling gloves, but green cleaning gloves are worn during normal husbandry when physical contact with the animal is only incidental. The chinchillas' primary keeper anecdotally reported more reactivity and movement from chinchillas when approached with handling gloves. Animals' behavioral reactions to the presence of humans often include locomotion and vigilance, but these responses may be attenuated by predictability. To investigate these behaviors, handling trials involving brief contact attempts with both cleaning and handling gloves were filmed. Results indicated that chinchillas responded to disturbances by moving, jumping, and adopting more alert body postures. Surprisingly, movement was recorded in longer durations when the keeper attempted to touch the animals with cleaning gloves. This higher arousal may indicate that the animal was not expecting to be handled, yet an attempt to do so was being made. This reaction provides evidence that potentially aversive events should be reliably and consistently signaled.

中文翻译：

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龙猫 (Chinchilla lanigera) 在处理前对视觉信号的行为反应

动物园在与人类密切接触的教育项目中使用大使动物。圣路易斯动物园的龙猫 (Chinchilla lanigera) 由一名戴着棕色处理手套的饲养员为节目取回，但在正常饲养期间，如果与动物的身体接触只是偶然的，则戴绿色清洁手套。据传闻，当带着处理手套接近龙猫时，龙猫的主要饲养员会表现出更多的反应和运动。动物对人类存在的行为反应通常包括运动和警惕，但这些反应可能会因可预测性而减弱。为了调查这些行为，对涉及与清洁手套和处理手套进行短暂接触的处理试验进行了拍摄。结果表明，龙猫通过移动、跳跃、并采取更警觉的身体姿势。令人惊讶的是，当饲养员试图用清洁手套接触动物时，记录的运动持续时间更长。这种更高的唤醒可能表明该动物不希望被处理，但正在尝试这样做。这种反应提供了证据，表明应该可靠且一致地发出潜在的厌恶事件。