High resolution locomotor time series in Japanese quail in a home-cage environment over a 6.5 day period (quail #12 -group 1)

Each data point represents a 0.5s time interval (xi) in which the quail could either been ambulating (xi=1) or immobile (xi=0), over a 6.5 day period .The total number of data points is approximately 1.070.000. This time series has been shown to present both a fractal pattern, as well as ultradian and circadian rhythms. <strong>This is the data from quail number 12, of the first experimental group.</strong> In this experiment as a whole, the locomotor activity of 24 adult females quail (100-140 days old) was evaluated in a home-cage environment in a white wooden box measuring 40 x 40 x 40 cm (width x length x height, respectively) with a wire mesh floor. A metal bar wall divided the box in two same-size zones (feeding, nesting), and an opening served as a door allowing the bird to move freely between compartments. A video camera that automatically switched to infrared recording after lights were turned off was suspended 1.5m above the box. It was connected to a computer in an adjacent room and could be accessed remotely by experimenters. Testing began at approximately 1:00 PM, when 12 quail were placed in a box, and transported to a nearby experimental room. Each bird was then placed individually in the feeding zone of one of the boxes. During the following 6.5 days, the birds’ locomotor activity was continuously recorded. Testing ended at 9 PM the 7th day. Daily maintenance activities (egg collection, cleaning and feeding) were performed between 12 and 12:30 PM; the activity during this period was not included in time series, which in total implied a loss of 2% from the data set. Since only 12 birds could be tested simultaneously, two consecutive groups of 12 individuals were evaluated (group 1 and group 2). We used the commercially available ANY-MAZE@ computer program to register locomotion at 0.5 s intervals (xi). The locomotor time series (1.07e6 time intervals) of each bird was obtained by assigning a number one (xi = 1) if during the interval the bird was ambulating, or a zero (xi = 0) if immobile.

每个数据点对应一段0.5秒的时间区间（记为$x_i$），区间内鹌鹑若处于移动状态则赋值为1（$x_i=1$），静止则赋值为0（$x_i=0$），整个观测周期为6.5天，本数据集共包含约107万个数据点。该时间序列同时呈现分形模式、超昼夜节律与昼夜节律。**本数据集来自第一实验组的12号鹌鹑。**

本实验整体评估了24只100~140日龄成年雌性鹌鹑的笼养自主活动行为。实验环境为规格40×40×40厘米（宽×长×高）的白色木盒，笼底铺设金属丝网，盒内以金属杆隔墙划分为两个等大区域：觅食区与巢区，区域间留有开口供鹌鹑自由穿梭。实验盒上方1.5米处悬挂一台摄像机，关灯后可自动切换至红外录制模式，该摄像机与邻室的计算机相连，实验人员可远程调取录制内容。

实验于当日下午1时许启动：先将12只鹌鹑转移至邻近实验室，再将每只鹌鹑单独放置于对应实验盒的觅食区内。后续6.5天内持续记录鹌鹑的自主活动行为，直至第7日晚9时实验结束。每日12:00至12:30进行捡蛋、笼舍清洁与投喂等常规维护操作，该时段内的活动数据未纳入时间序列，最终导致数据集总数据量损失2%。由于单次仅可同时测试12只鹌鹑，实验分为连续两批开展，每批12只（即第一实验组与第二实验组）。

本研究采用商用ANY-MAZE@计算机程序，以0.5秒为间隔记录鹌鹑的移动行为。最终为每只鹌鹑生成自主活动时间序列：若该区间内鹌鹑处于移动状态，则赋值为1（$x_i=1$）；若处于静止状态，则赋值为0（$x_i=0$），单只鹌鹑的时间序列共包含1.07×10^6个时间区间。