Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>)
The aim of this study was to examine the personality structure of domestic ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) by using owner-based reporting of personality traits. A total of 743 ferret owners participated in an online questionnaire, with a total of 1029 ferrets being assessed. Respo...
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doaj-fc5dc317ad70442b8946d6a22cdf11502021-08-26T13:26:32ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-07-01112173217310.3390/ani11082173Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>)Sarah Talbot0Rafael Freire1Skye Wassens2School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, LMB 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, AustraliaSchool of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, LMB 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, AustraliaInstitute of Land Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW 2640, AustraliaThe aim of this study was to examine the personality structure of domestic ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) by using owner-based reporting of personality traits. A total of 743 ferret owners participated in an online questionnaire, with a total of 1029 ferrets being assessed. Respondents rated 67 adjectives based on their ferret(s) behavioural traits and personality. Principal component analysis (PCA) of these trait ratings identified four underlying personality dimensions, which accounted for 47.1% of the total variance. These were labelled according to the traits that they encompass: Extraversion, Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism. Details about ferret sex, de-sexing status, age, and coat colour were also sought, and General Linear Mixed Models were used to test the main effects of these characteristics on the personality dimensions. It was found that sex (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and age (<i>p</i> < 0.001) significantly influenced certain personality components, whereas de-sexing did not. Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism were found to differ based on sex, whereby males were rated as more sociable than females, but females were rated higher on the Attentiveness and Neuroticism subscales. Finally, Extraversion was found to generally decrease with age. We can use the findings of this study to make cross-species comparisons and further inform the discussion regarding the adaptive relevance of animal personality. Identifying differences in personality types can improve welfare by using this information to satisfy the different needs of individuals.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2173domestic ferretsanimal personalitybehaviourwelfare |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sarah Talbot Rafael Freire Skye Wassens |
spellingShingle |
Sarah Talbot Rafael Freire Skye Wassens Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) Animals domestic ferrets animal personality behaviour welfare |
author_facet |
Sarah Talbot Rafael Freire Skye Wassens |
author_sort |
Sarah Talbot |
title |
Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) |
title_short |
Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) |
title_full |
Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) |
title_fullStr |
Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) |
title_sort |
identifying behavioural traits and underlying personality dimensions in domestic ferrets (<i>mustela putorius furo</i>) |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Animals |
issn |
2076-2615 |
publishDate |
2021-07-01 |
description |
The aim of this study was to examine the personality structure of domestic ferrets (<i>Mustela putorius furo</i>) by using owner-based reporting of personality traits. A total of 743 ferret owners participated in an online questionnaire, with a total of 1029 ferrets being assessed. Respondents rated 67 adjectives based on their ferret(s) behavioural traits and personality. Principal component analysis (PCA) of these trait ratings identified four underlying personality dimensions, which accounted for 47.1% of the total variance. These were labelled according to the traits that they encompass: Extraversion, Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism. Details about ferret sex, de-sexing status, age, and coat colour were also sought, and General Linear Mixed Models were used to test the main effects of these characteristics on the personality dimensions. It was found that sex (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and age (<i>p</i> < 0.001) significantly influenced certain personality components, whereas de-sexing did not. Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism were found to differ based on sex, whereby males were rated as more sociable than females, but females were rated higher on the Attentiveness and Neuroticism subscales. Finally, Extraversion was found to generally decrease with age. We can use the findings of this study to make cross-species comparisons and further inform the discussion regarding the adaptive relevance of animal personality. Identifying differences in personality types can improve welfare by using this information to satisfy the different needs of individuals. |
topic |
domestic ferrets animal personality behaviour welfare |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2173 |
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