Hormone-mediated foraging strategies in an uncertain environment: Insights into the at-sea behavior of a marine predator.

ABSTRACT: Hormones are extensively known to be physiological mediators of energy mobilization and allow animals to adjust behavioral performance in response to their environment, especially within a foraging context.Few studies, however, have narrowed focus toward the consistency of hormonal patterns and their impact on individual foraging behavior. Describing these relationships can further our understanding of how individuals cope with heterogeneous environments and exploit different ecological niches.To address this, we measured between- and within-individual variation of basal cortisol (CORT), thyroid hormone T3, and testosterone (TEST) levels in wild adult female Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) and analyzed how these hormones may be associated with foraging strategies. In this

SUBMITTER: DeRango EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8216952 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature