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THE ROLE OF ACETYLCHOLINE IN FELINE PREDATORY ATTACK: QUANTITATIVE AND BEHAVIORAL ANALYSES

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Date Issued:
1981
Summary:
The role of acetylcholine in feline predatory attack was examined by pharmacological manipulations. Attack behavior was partitioned into components of app roach (visualorientation, approach, extension of the head, trapping, seizing in the jaws, biting) and withdrawal (whole body withdrawal, retraction of the head and upper torso, swiping ) in an attempt to selectively affect specific components of the attack pattern. Carbachol, a cholinomimetic, produced an increase in the percentage of head and upper torso retractions, as well as a slight inhibition of prey seizing. Atropine methyl nitrate, an anticholinergic, was found to decrease the percentage of head and upper torso retractions, as well as the rate of swiping. The primary effect of atropine, however, was a slight, non-specific inhibition of all behaviors, as evidenced by longer latencies to kill the prey, as well as by long periods of pausing and dry mouth symptoms. Leakage of the drug into the periphery may have contributed to these effects.
Title: THE ROLE OF ACETYLCHOLINE IN FELINE PREDATORY ATTACK: QUANTITATIVE AND BEHAVIORAL ANALYSES.
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Name(s): SERVIDIO, SUSAN.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1981
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 50 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The role of acetylcholine in feline predatory attack was examined by pharmacological manipulations. Attack behavior was partitioned into components of app roach (visualorientation, approach, extension of the head, trapping, seizing in the jaws, biting) and withdrawal (whole body withdrawal, retraction of the head and upper torso, swiping ) in an attempt to selectively affect specific components of the attack pattern. Carbachol, a cholinomimetic, produced an increase in the percentage of head and upper torso retractions, as well as a slight inhibition of prey seizing. Atropine methyl nitrate, an anticholinergic, was found to decrease the percentage of head and upper torso retractions, as well as the rate of swiping. The primary effect of atropine, however, was a slight, non-specific inhibition of all behaviors, as evidenced by longer latencies to kill the prey, as well as by long periods of pausing and dry mouth symptoms. Leakage of the drug into the periphery may have contributed to these effects.
Identifier: 14047 (digitool), FADT14047 (IID), fau:10864 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1981.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Subject(s): Predation (Biology)
Acetylcholine
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/14047
Sublocation: Digital Library
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.