Lek is a territorial mating strategy which is widely spread amongst males in the fallow deer, Dama dama high density population. A group of fallow deer in Březka park, Czech Republic, was studied where males exhibit a mixed mating system with territorial (single temporary stands, leks) and non-territorial strategies during the rut. Reproductive success was estimated indirectly by counting females/minute held per male both on the lek and single temporary stands. A total of 636 records were analysed (281 on leks and 355 on temporary stands). In contrast to other reports, males on leks were accompanied with significantly less females (LSMEANs ± S.E., 3.80 ± 1.10 does present per minute of observation) compared to those on single temporary stands (6.74 ± 1.10 does present per minute of observation). The results suggest that under specific conditions (over-abundance of adult males compared to females) attracting females on the lek need not be the most effective one.
We tested the influence of the moon phase on the diurnal behaviour of the visually oriented nocturnal predator pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.) in the channelized Elbe River, located in the Czech Republic. Both the new moon phase and winter season predicted an increase in pikeperch diurnal activity. The distance moved in the longitudinal orientation of the river peaked in spring and autumn, indicating pre-spawning and feeding behaviour.
Similarly to other Cervidae, conflicts and fights are frequent during the rut of fallow deer. The part of does (female fallow deer) during buck (male fallow deer) encounters was examined in this study. Encounters between adult bucks were recorded during the rut. The numbers of encounters with and without females present were nearly equal with similar proportions of encounters when females accompanied one or both of the males. Fighting occurred in 39.5% of the encounters only. Female presence seemed to have a negligible effect on the probability of an encounter between two bucks escalating into a fight. However, fights tended to escalate more frequently when there were no females present compared to when females were present. Vocalizations were recorded in most encounters and occurred irrespectively of female presence / absence. Bucks were more likely to engage with conspecific with female consorts. When both opponents had female consorts with them, the probability of desertion of the females was significantly lower compared to when the male had some females while his opponent did not. Results in this study suggest that the presence of females did not affect male agonistic behaviour during the rut.
The captive plains zebra are characterised by a high incidence of male infanticide and feticide. One of the most common reasons why infanticide and feticide occur is the introduction of a new male into a herd. In the present study, we used twice as much data, including nine plains zebra herds from four Czech zoos, compared to our previous study on this topic. As a result, both of the statistical models that we tested were significant. The probability of the death of a foal was greatest when a new male was introduced into the herd just after conception. The probability of a foal to die in the presence of the new male was nearly 100% during the first two months of age and decreased as the foal aged. The foal’s probability to die, depending on the timing of the introduction of a new male or the foal’s age, was neither affected by the zoo nor the subspecies. In this paper, we also describe a fourth case of male feticide in plains zebra. Our results demonstrate the highest occurrence of infanticide and feticide among ungulates caused by males.
Dosavadní údaje o délce kojení a odstavu u zebry stepní (Equus burchellii) byly omezené, proto autoři studovali různé etologické faktory, které ovlivňují délku kojení, u několika poddruhů zebry stepní chovaných v zoologické zahradě ve Dvoře Králové. Zjistili, že odstavení závisí na stáří hříběte, na tom, zda je klisna opět březí a na pohlaví plodu. and Previous data on the duration of the lactation period and foal weaning have been limited in the Plains Zebra (Equus burchellii). Hence the authors studied some ethological factors influencing the duration of lactation in some Plains Zebra subspecies kept at the Dvůr Králové Zoo. They found that the weaning time depends on the age of the foal, the fact that the mare is again pregnant and the sex of the impending foetus.
Autoři analyzovali úmrtnost mláďat nosorožce indického (Rhinoceros unicornis) v zoologických zahradách a v Národním parku Dudhwa (srovnání vlivu křížení populací původem z Nepálu a Ásámu a vlivu zkušeností matky prvorodičky versus zkušenější samice) a přinášejí nové poznatky o tomto kriticky ohroženém druhu. and The authors analyzed young mortality in the Indian Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), also known as the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, in zoos and in the Dudhwa National Park – impact of hybridizing the populations originating from Nepal and Assam and of the experience of a primipara and that of a more experienced female, i.e. parity.
Článek představuje popularizovanou verzi odborné publikace z časopisu Applied Animal Behaviour Science (99: 315-329). Hlavním výsledkem je zjištění, že výše postavené klisny zebry stepní (Equus burchellii) měly kratší meziporodní intervaly a pokud ve stádě chyběl hřebec, pak po jeho příchodu do stáda rychleji zabřezávaly, než klisny níže postavené. Díky tomu mohly výše postavené klisny odchovat více potomků a měly tak vyšší reprodukční úspěch než níže postavené klisny. and This article is a popular version of the original paper published in Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. (99: 325-329). It was revealed that high-ranking mares of the Plains Zebra (Equus burchellii) have shorter inter-birth intervals and if a stallion went missing from a herd then after its reintroduction they give birth sooner than low-ranking mares. Due to these patterns high-ranking mares were able to rear a higher number of offspring and they showed greater reproduction success than low-ranking ones.
There are five species of musk deer of the genus Moschus, in China, occurring in about 17 provinces. We estimate the total numbers in China to be between 220,000 and 320,000. In some areas the populations are in decline, and some are close to extinction due to over-hunting and habitat loss or degradation, the former being the primary threat to musk deer populations. To conserve musk deer, in situ protection should be improved, and the present unsustainable forest exploitation in the range areas should be halted. Poaching of musk deer, and smuggling of musk deer products, should be prevented. Domestic use of musk should be restricted. In some areas where musk deer have become extinct or are critically endangered, ex situ protection should be introduced. Musk deer farming should be revised and developed according to biological requirements.
During the 1997 rut, we tested the hypothesis that there are lekking and territorial stags in a herd of approximately 350 free-ranging sika deer living in 5 km2 area in Northern Austria. During five 2-hour observation sessions observers recorded the callings of the sika deer stags from three high seats and simultaneously recorded the direction from which each male was calling. We recorded 2167 calling bouts consisting of 3655 calls. A calling bout consisted of 1 to 9 calls (mean ± S.D., 1.69 ± 1.09). The distance between calling stags was 85.15 ± 3.10 m (LSMEAN ± S.D.) in the centre of the lek and 121.94 ± 4.33 m at its periphery. Our observations suggested that stags were not associated with fixed territories. Rather, all stags took part in lekking with some ‘satellite’ stags more frequently at the periphery of the moving lek. Our results suggest an existence of a large, transient ‘mega lek’ with up to 23 active male participants. The location of the lek varied considerably over the period of observation, but always was associated with feeding places attractive to hinds.
White-tailed deer were introduced into the Czech Republic about one hundred years ago. Population numbers have remained stable at low density despite almost no harvesting. This differs from other introductions of this species in Europe. We presumed that one of the possible factors preventing expansion of the white-tailed deer population is lack of high-quality food components in an area overpopulated by sympatric roe, fallow and red deer. We analyzed the WTD winter diet and diets of the other deer species to get information on their feeding strategy during a critical period of a year. We focused primarily on conifer needle consumption, a generally accepted indicator of starvation and on bramble leaves as an indicator of high-quality items. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) If the environment has a limited food supply, the poorest competitors of the four deer species will have the highest proportion of conifer needles in the diet ; (2) the deer will overlap in trophic niches and will share limited nutritious resource (bramble). White-tailed, roe, fallow, and red deer diets were investigated by microscopic analysis of plant remains in their faeces. The volume of bramble decreased in the diet of all four deer species from November to March. The content of conifer needles in the diet of white-tailed and roe deer was negatively correlated with bramble and in spring made up 90 % of their diet volume. On the other hand conifer needles in the diet of red and fallow deer occurred only in January with snow cover. Fallow and red deer started the compensation of winter starvation at least one monthearlier than both roe and white-tailed deer. a high content of conifers in white-tailed deer diet in the second half of the winter fully support the presumption about low nutritional food supply and its diet. It can lead to a markedly impaired condition for white-tailed and roe deer and negatively affect their condition. The dietary overlap of four sympatric deer species was extensive in winter. All species share a limited good quality food supply (bramble) when food is scarce, suggesting that interspecific competition may occur.