SPECIFICATION OF BEHAVIOR TRAITS AND FORMULATION OF ANIMAL KEEPING SYSTEM OF THE HOUSE MUSK SHREW

家麝鼠是食虫物种中唯一成功驯化的实验动物。本研究考察了它的行为特征，并制定了它的保存系统，以用于行为研究。研究结果如下：(1)日常活动节律：获得了体温节律和运动节律。观察到一种独特的体温下降，这种下降与运动消失同步。它连续几天每天发生一次。这一发现引导我们讨论了它与“每日龙卷风”现象的关系。(2)驱动力：驱动力是作为缺水小时数的函数来测量的。地鼠表现出一种不同于大鼠和小鼠的特殊的驱动力变化模式。驯化的行为效应：从1993年开始对近40只野生动物进行驯化，到目前为止，我们实验室已经成功地进行了驯化。(4)人工饲养和繁殖：尽管家养和野生地鼠窝产仔少，杀婴事件频发，但仍制定了饲养和繁殖的标准程序和环境。(5)野生种群生态信息：从冲绳地区三个岛屿的信息者那里收集生态状况和行为信息。在人口数量减少的同时，信息量也减少了。编辑了一份报告，其中包括目前和以前公布的结果。

The house musk shrew, Suncus murinus, is the only laboratory animal that has been successfully domesticated among species of Insectivores. The present study examined its behavior traits and formulated its keeping system for use in behavioral studies. The following results were obtained.(1) Daily activity rhythm : The rhythms were obtained for body temperature and locomotor activity. There were observed a unique drop in body temperature which was synchronized with disappearance of locomotion. It occurred once a day in several successive days. This finding leads us to discuss its relation with the phenomenon of "daily torper".(2) Drive : Drive force was measured as a function of hours of water deprivation. Shrews showed a specific mode of drive change which was different from rats and mice. It should be further examined in relation to basal level of metabolism and inhibitive system of brain function.(3) Behavioral effect of domestication : Domestication which was started in 1993 with nearly 40 wild animals has so far been successfully proceeded in our laboratory. However, no significant effect of domestication was found with early and mating behaviors for the first 15 generations.(4) Keeping and breeding in artificial environment : Standard procedure and environment for keeping and breeding were formulated for both domesticated and wild shrews, in spite of small litter size and frequent occurrence of infanticide.(5) Ecological information on wild populations : Ecological condition and behavioral information were collected from informants in three islands of Okinawa district. In parallel to the reduction in size of population, amount of information has been decreased.A report including both of the present and previously published results was edited.