Behavvioural and hormonal responses to capture stress in the male red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis

摘要

We measured the behavioural and hormonal responses to capture stress in male red-sided garter snakes. Four hours of capture stress resulted in no suppression of mating behaviour relative to control Individuals. In contrast, the same stress resulted in a significant increase in plasma levels of corticosterone And a significant decrease in plasma levels of testosterone. There was a significant negative correlation Between plasma levels of corticosterone and testosterone in both control and cature-stress groups, Suggesting that the increase in coreticosterone directly drives the decrease in testosterone.