Adrenocortical Responses to Stress and Their Modulation in Free‐Living Vertebrates

Abstract

The sections in this article are: 1 Labile (Transient) Perturbation Factors 2 The Emergency Life History Stage 3 Comparative Hormone Responses to Classical Stressors 3.1 Actions of Adrenal Hormones During Stress 3.2 Regulation of the Emergency Life History Stage by Glucocorticosteroids 3.2.1 Suppression of Reproductive and Territorial Behavior 3.2.2 Regulate Foraging Behavior 3.2.3 Promote Escape (Irruptive) Behavior, or Find a Refuge 3.2.4 Increase Gluconeogenesis 3.2.5 Promote Night Restfulness 3.2.6 Promote Recovery on Return to the Normal Life History Stage 4 Examples of the Emergency Life History Stage in Nature 4.1 Severe Storms and Interruption of Breeding 4.2 Snow and Ground-Feeding Birds 4.3 Storms and Oceanic Birds 4.4 Intraspecific Competition 4.5 Human Disturbance and Pollution 4.6 A Case for Glucocorticosteroids as Mediators of the Emergency Life History Stage 5 Facultative Metamorphosis 5.1 Desiccation and Metamorphosis in Amphibians 6 Semelparity and Programmed Death—Role of Glucocorticosteroids 6.1 Fish 6.2 Dasyurid Marsupials 7 Modulation of Adrenocortical Responses to Labile Perturbation Factors (Including Stress) 7.1 The Capture Stress Protocol 7.2 Variation Among and Within Populations Across Seasons 7.3 Facultative Variation Within a Population 7.4 Individual Variation Within a Population and Season 7.5 Variation in Physiological and Behavioral Responses to Elevated Levels of Glucocorticosteroids 8 conclusion8 Conclusion