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- Title
Agonistic male-female and female-female behaviour in pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus).
- Authors
FREITAS-DE-MELO, Aline; MORALES-PIÑEYRÚA, Jessica T.; UNGERFELD, Rodolfo
- Abstract
The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) is an endangered species distributed in the southern cone of South America. It lives in hierarchical groups, thus individual welfare may be affected by management and housing in semi-captive populations. The aims of the study were (i) to develop a male-female and femalefemale agonistic behaviour ethogram for the pampas deer, and (ii) to compare the use of different agonistic behaviours by males or females to dominate other females. The study was performed with semi-captive animals allocated at the Estación de Cría de Fauna Autóctona Cerro Pan de Azúcar (Uruguay) in six breeding groups, each composed of one adult male and four-seven adult females. To characterize the behaviours ad libitum observations were done, followed by focal observations during a total of 96 h along 23 days. The frequency for each behaviour was determined from focal observations of the six groups (total: six males and 31 females) performed in the morning and afternoon during ration feeding in the early breeding season. Six behavioural categories were defined: Boxing (BO), Directing head (DH), Glare (GL), Kicking (KI), Persecute (PE) and Presence (PR). Behaviours were grouped in energetic demanding behaviours (BO, DC, KI, and PE), and non-energetically demanding behaviours (PR and GL). Males used non-energetically costly behaviours more frequently (86.0 ± 2.0%; mean ± SEM) than females (48.9 ± 3.1%) (P<0.0001). Although the observed behaviours were similar to those previously described in other deer, the whole pattern was exclusive for this species. Males used proportionally more non-energetically costly agonistic behaviours than females to dominate over females.
- Subjects
SOUTH America; PAMPAS deer; ENDANGERED species; AGONISTIC behavior in animals; SCIENTIFIC observation; ANALYSIS of variance
- Publication
North-Western Journal of Zoology, 2013, Vol 9, Issue 1, p127
- ISSN
1584-9074
- Publication type
Article