Characterization of the reproductive behaviour of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)
| Autor: | Andre Ganswindt, Vanessa W. Kamgang, T.E. Wolf, Nigel C. Bennett, Annemieke C. van der Goot |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Flehmen response biology media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Receptivity Zoology Hippotragus equinus biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Courtship Animal ecology Roan antelope Captive breeding 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Animal Science and Zoology 050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology Mating Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics media_common |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Ethology. 39:165-177 |
| ISSN: | 1439-5444 0289-0771 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10164-020-00689-5 |
| Popis: | Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803), a species listed vulnerable in southern Africa. To fill this gap, two adult males and 13 adult females from two captive breeding herds, at Lapalala Wilderness, South Africa, were observed three times per day from September 2017 to July 2018. Pre-categorised behaviours exhibited by males and females were recorded and their frequencies quantified. Fifteen pre-defined behaviours were recorded in males with precopulatory behaviours being the most recurrent. Overall, 181 courtships and 73 complete mounts (copulations) were recorded for the two mating periods observed; each mount lasted between 3 and 4 s. In females, eight pre-defined behaviours were observed and homosexual mounts were observed for the first time in females of this species and indeed within the Hippotragini tribe. Receptivity lasted for between 24 and 72 h, with prominent behaviours being copulation, flehmen and urination. Besides hiding, moving away or lying-out, non-receptive females fell on their metacarpal joints when approached by a male, a behaviour not yet reported in hippotragine species. This study showed that courtship is the most prominent component of male mating behaviour and that receptivity in females may vary between 1 and 3 days. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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