Data and script for Apodemus behaviour and metabolism co-variation analysis

Energy is a central resource for life, but animals’ energy budgets are limited by their ability to collect, process and redistribute energetic assets to diverse functions, including behavior. Yet none of the existing bioenergetic models unequivocally explain behavioral variation, suggesting that they are not mutually exclusive, or that they are incomplete and overlook important processes. To describe a means by which an endotherm regulates its metabolism and behavior in varying environments, we simultaneously analyzed several components of energetic budgets. To accurately assess the costs of body maintenance and thermoregulation, and locomotory movement and shyness of wild mice, we measured resting metabolism at different temperatures, and repeatedly quantified basal metabolic rate (BMR) and behavior. At the among-individual level we found no significant associations between personality traits and metabolic rates, although at the within-individual level we found that higher BMR was associated with reduced shyness. The among-individual trends of the associations between thermoregulatory cost and behavior were stronger than those between BMR and behavior. Our results suggest that temperature affects shyness, and that behavior and BMR may co-vary over time within individuals, reinforcing context dependence of energetic regulation of behavioral responses.

能量是生命活动的核心资源，但动物的能量收支受限于其收集、加工并将能量资产重新分配至包括行为在内的多种生理功能的能力。然而，现有生物能量模型（bioenergetic models）均无法明确阐释行为变异的成因，这提示这些模型要么并非互斥，要么存在不足且遗漏了关键生理过程。为描述恒温动物（endotherm）在多变环境中调控代谢与行为的途径，我们同时分析了能量收支的多个组分。为精准评估机体维持、体温调节、运动行为以及野生小鼠的怯生性的能量成本，我们测定了不同温度下的静息代谢，并对基础代谢率（basal metabolic rate, BMR）与行为进行了重复量化。在个体间水平上，我们未发现个性性状与代谢速率间存在显著关联；但在个体内水平上，较高的基础代谢率与怯生性降低显著相关。体温调节成本与行为间关联的个体间趋势，强于基础代谢率与行为间的关联趋势。我们的研究结果表明，温度会影响怯生性，且个体内的行为与基础代谢率可能随时间发生共变，这进一步强化了行为响应的能量调控的情境依赖性。