Anthropogenic change is a major threat to individual species and biodiversity. Yet the behavioral and physiological responses of animals to these changes remain understudied. This is due to the technological challenges in assessing these effects in situ. Using captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus, n = 6) as a model, we deployed implantable biologgers and collected physiological data on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) over a 1-year period. To test for links between HR and changes in the environment we analysed HR daily rhythms and responses to potential stressors (e.g. physical restraint, change in housing conditions, short-distance transportation and unfamiliar human presence). The 2-min HR averages ranged from 33 to 250 bpm, with an overall rest average of 73 bpm and a maximum of 296 bpm. On average, HRV was higher in females (227 ± 51 ms) than in males (151 ± 51 ms). As expected, HR increased at dusk and night when animals were more active and in response to stressors. Sudden decreases in HR were observed during transportation in three wolves, suggestive of fear bradycardia. We provide the first non-anesthetic HR values for the species and confirm that behaviour does not always reflect the shifts in autonomic tone in response to perceived threats. Because strong HR responses often were not revealed by observable changes in behaviour, our findings suggest that the number and variety of stressors in ex situ or in situ environments for maned wolves and most wildlife species may be underestimated. Our study also shows that integrating biologging with behavioral observations can provide vital information to guide captive management. Similar technology can be used to advance in situ research for developing more effective welfare, management and conservation plans for the species.

中文翻译：

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由内而外：心率监测可促进鬃狼 (Chrysocyon brachyurus) 的福利和保护


人为变化是对个体物种和生物多样性的主要威胁。然而，动物对这些变化的行为和生理反应仍未得到充分研究。这是由于现场评估这些影响存在技术挑战。我们以圈养鬃狼（Chrysocyon brachyurus，n = 6）为模型，部署了植入式生物记录仪，并收集了 1 年时间内心率 (HR) 和心率变异性 (HRV) 的生理数据。为了测试人力资源与环境变化之间的联系，我们分析了人力资源的日常节律和对潜在压力源（例如身体束缚、住房条件变化、短途交通和陌生人类存在）的反应。 2 分钟心率平均值范围为 33 至 250 bpm，总体休息平均值为 73 bpm，最高为 296 bpm。平均而言，女性的 HRV (227 ± 51 ms) 高于男性 (151 ± 51 ms)。正如预期的那样，心率在黄昏和夜间增加，此时动物更加活跃并对压力源做出反应。在运输过程中观察到三只狼的心率突然下降，提示恐惧性心动过缓。我们提供了该物种的第一个非麻醉心率值，并确认行为并不总是反映自主神经基调响应感知威胁的变化。由于强烈的人力资源反应通常不会通过可观察到的行为变化来揭示，因此我们的研究结果表明，鬃狼和大多数野生动物物种在异地或就地环境中的压力源的数量和种类可能被低估。我们的研究还表明，将生物记录与行为观察相结合可以为指导圈养管理提供重要信息。 类似的技术可用于推进实地研究，为该物种制定更有效的福利、管理和保护计划。