Individual differences in behaviour and gut bacteria are associated in collared peccary (Mammalia, Tayassuidae)

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology Vol. 131; no. 6; pp. 2748 - 2762
• Main Authors: Cairo, P.L.G., Nogueira, S.S.C., Altino, V.S., Vandenheede, M., Schroyen, M., Taminiau, B., Daube, G., Gross, E., Bindelle, J., Nogueira‐Filho, S.L.G.
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01-12-2021; Wiley
• Subjects: animal domestication; Animal health; Animal husbandry; Animal welfare; Animals; Bacteria; bacterial diversity; behaviour differences; behavioural differences; coping style; Dietary fiber; Digestibility; Diversity indices; Feed efficiency; Fermentation; gut microbiota; gut picrobiota; Life sciences; Microbiologie; Microbiology; Microbiota; Pecari tajacu; Relative abundance; Sciences du vivant; Tayassu; bacterial diversity; animal domestication; coping-style; behavioral differences; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1111/jam.15133

Aims
We tested the hypothesis that the behaviour of an individual is associated with the diversity of its gut bacteria, using the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) as a model.
Methods and Results
In all, 24 adult male collared peccaries received either low‐ (n = 12) or high‐fibre diet (n = 12) to induce contrasting gut fermentation profiles. They were submitted to three short‐term challenges, allowing us to rate the animals in a coping‐style dimension named ‘calmness’. At the end of the experimental period, we collected samples of peccaries’ forestomach contents to characterize bacterial diversity. We found a significant positive association between individual ‘calmness’ z‐scores and the bacterial evenness index in gut bacteria (and a similar trend with the Simpson’s diversity index), suggesting a more homogeneous bacterial community of calmer individuals. We also found a positive association between fibres digestibility and gut bacterial diversity in the peccaries’ forestomach, but no effect of the dietary fibre level.
Conclusions
Gut bacteria evenness increases with ‘calmness’ z‐scores, suggesting a more homogeneous bacterial community of calmer individuals, compared with the more heterogeneous of the most distressed ones. Our results also suggest associations between the digestibility of ADF with the gut bacterial diversity indices and with the relative abundance of the Actinobacteria phylum.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Our data showed that the hosts’ individual behavioural differences are potentially aligned with gut bacterial diversity. The behaviour–microbiota link is correlated with host feed efficiency and, ultimately, may have implications for animal health and welfare of farm animals.