半自然条件下成年雌性长江江豚的抚幼行为

2014年5-9月,采用目标动物取样法,对栖息在铜陵淡水豚国家级自然保护区半自然水域的两头成年雌性长江江豚分娩后4个月内的抚幼行为进行观察。结果表明,母豚有5种明显的抚幼行为,其中以护领行为和携带行为为主,托举行为、返回行为和干涉行为发生频率较低;随着幼豚发育,托举、携带、干涉行为呈下降趋势;护领行为先上升,后趋于平稳;返回行为变化相对平稳,但在幼豚2月龄左右出现一个高峰。此外,两头母豚间的干涉和返回行为发生频率差别较大。综合以上结果可见,出生后约两个月内是半自然水域长江江豚抚幼的关键时期,应在此期间加强管理。     

基于PAE编码系统构建的半自然条件下长江江豚行为谱

识别和编制动物行为谱是深入研究动物行为及其与环境复杂关系的基础和前提。本研究于2013年8月至2014年4月以栖息在铜陵淡水豚国家级自然保护区半自然水域的8头长江江豚为研究对象,采用焦点动物取样法和随机动物取样法观察记录了动物行为发生的过程、内容和环境,并以"姿势—动作—环境"(posture-act-environment,PAE)为轴心,以行为的功能为依据,构建了长江江豚的PAE行为谱。共分辨记录了半自然水域长江江豚的8种姿势、33种动作和46种行为,并定性描述了不同行为出现频率与年龄组、性别的关系。该行为谱综合了姿势和环境信息,有助于进一步研究长江江豚的生态与行为、促进长江江豚的保护。     

人工饲养鲸类动物的繁殖

介绍多年来对鲸类动物在人工饲养条件下繁殖问题的研究成果,包括：雌雄性生殖器官的组织解剖,饲养和采精训练,人工饲养条件下的繁殖,孕豚护理,分娩和幼豚饲养。为推动我国鲸类动物的人工繁殖提供科学资料。     

人工饲养条件下白鱀豚的行为节律

1985年4月至1986年3月观察了饲养6年的雄性白鱀豚“淇淇”的十种宏观行为,即顺时针方向游、逆时针方向游、仰游、侧游、转游、直立、玩、性行为、捕食和休息。行为型式变换次数的统计表明,白鱀豚存在明显的食前节律和昼夜节律。另外,顺时针方向游发生在夜间为多,逆时针方向游白天发生的多。以上2种行为所占的总时间大致相等。典型的休息行为均发生在夜间,全年在1月和5—8月出现2个高峰期。4—5月和8—9月出现2个性行为高峰。转游在早晨和白天摄食后共出现1个高峰期,而且与饲养池条件有关。呼吸行为的昼夜节律不明显。     

长江白鱀豚行为的观察

1979—1990年,作者在长江中下游江段,对白鱀豚的行为作了47次航行朋察。根据观察记录,对白鱀豚出水呼吸时所表现的集群,抚幼、觅食、求偶、玩耍、歇息、逃避等行为,作了较全面的描述和分析。     

长江江豚哺乳期母豚昼间行为和时间的分配

2006 年7 ～11 月,在铜陵淡水豚国家级自然保护区半自然水域采用随机取样法和焦点动物取样法对哺乳期长江江豚母豚昼间行为和时间分配进行了研究。结果表明,母豚用于摄食的时间占61. 2%;其次是母幼联系和移动,分别为18.8% 和7.6%;用于休息和社会行为的时间较少, 分别为6.1% 和5.2%; 其它行为的时间极少, 仅占1.1%; 摄食和母幼联系是其主要的行为。在活动规律方面, 其各种行为在强度、出现和持续的时间上存在较大差异。单因素方差分析表明,在哺乳期不同阶段长江江豚母豚的母幼联系差异极显著(P< 0.01), 摄食和社会行为存在显著差异(P< 0.05), 移动、休息和其它行为则不存在显著差异(P> 0.05); 而此期间在不同活动区域以上各种行为均存在极显著差异(P <0.01), 说明其对栖息环境具有选择性。      

低频强声对动物及其行为效应的研究

目的:观察低频强声对幼猪与兔大体行为的影响,了解不同声学参数的效应。方法:将幼猪和兔暴露于频率分别为50、100、300和361Hz,声压级≥140dB的声场中,观察受试动物即时行为的变化。结果:受试动物表现出不同程度的行为异常现象,解剖发现部分受试动物的内脏与器官出现了异常。结论:强声效应的剧烈程度可能与受试动物的敏感频率相关。     

半自然水域中母仔长江江豚呼吸行为的初步观察

2005年5~6月,采用岸边定点和流动观察的方法,对生活在半自然夹江水域中的母仔长江江豚(Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis)的呼吸行为进行了观察。结果表明,在仔豚出生的第一个月内,母仔豚的呼吸行为有以下主要特征:(1)仔豚出水仰角大于母豚;(2)母豚常背驮仔豚出水呼吸;(3)母仔豚呼吸行为多发生在夹江中心水域。     

鄱阳湖稻田生境中越冬灰鹤行为模式及其影响因素

2018年10月—2019年3月,采用焦点动物法研究了鄱阳湖区稻田生境中灰鹤(Grus grus)越冬期的行为模式及其影响因素。结果表明:越冬期灰鹤的主要行为是觅食(77.45%)、警戒(11.17%)和修整(7.82%);行为模式以取食-警戒-取食或取食-修整-取食为主;幼鹤取食行为的时间分配和持续时间均极显著高于成鹤(P0.01),推测幼鹤取食效率低,单次取食持续时间和总时间较长;成鹤警戒行为(P0.01)极显著高于幼鹤,成、幼鹤警戒行为的持续时间无显著差异,取食间隔的警戒频次和时间分配均显著高于幼鹤(P0.05),说明成鹤是通过增加警戒次数来确保幼鹤的安全;取食行为的持续时间和时间分配在整个越冬期均显著升高,取食间隔期间的行走行为也逐渐上升,这与食物资源的可获得性有关;建议适当降低家鸭放牧等人类活动,减少灰鹤越冬期的取食难度;灰鹤不同家庭群的行走行为和取食间隔的行走行为均有显著性差异,推测与各家庭群占有的食物资源质量相关;行为节律上,灰鹤各时段取食行为占总行为的比例均较高,在10:00—10:59、12:00—12:59和16:00—16:59出现取食小高峰;警戒行为保持在一个稳定水平,修整行为高峰出现在取食行为高峰之后,这是因为灰鹤保持取食行为积累疲劳后进行修整;成鹤的取食行为节律性较幼鹤明显,幼鹤的取食行为曲线随机性强,这与幼鹤取食经验不足有关;幼鹤警戒行为的高峰出现在成鹤警戒的低谷,推测与保持整个家庭群较高的总体警戒水平有关。     

豢养条件下白鱀豚雌雄个体的感情协调及其行为分

为独居6年的雄性白鱀豚“淇淇”成功地介绍了雌性白鱀豚“珍珍”。通过近两年的驯养,已使雌雄豚生活融洽。本文还对不同个体之间的行为关系作了仔细的观察和研究,特别对白鱀豚的性行为和人工饲养条件下繁殖的可行途径作了探讨。     

Infant development in two aquarium bottlenose dolphins

The behavioral development of two aquarium bottlenose dolphin calves, one male (born to a primiparous mother) and one female (born to a multiparous mother), was examined. From birth to 9 weeks of age, a total of 558.7 h of nursing and behavioral data were collected using focal sampling methods. Data from both calves revealed a pattern of increasing independence as they aged, but there were significant differences between the two calves. Suckling rates, mean suckles per bout, suckling bout rates, and bout durations for the male calf were higher than those for the female calf throughout the study. These frequencies declined significantly over time in the male's case but not in the female's case. Her suckling durations (lock-on time) were longer than his. The male spent more time in infant position (under the mother) than the female calf and less time swimming in echelon position (alongside the mother). Over time, the male spent less time in infant position, and the female calf spent more time socializing and less time echelon swimming. Both calves decreased the amount of time spent close to their mothers over the 9 week period, and the mothers decreased their role in proximity maintenance over time. We suggest that factors related to maternal primiparity caused the male calf to develop an effective compensatory response of frequent nursing and spending more time in infant position. Both calves survived and were healthy at the end of the observation period. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Neonatal Milestones,Behavior and Growth Rate of Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) Calves Born and Bred in Captivity

The birth of Sumatran rhino calves at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden offered a unique opportunity to study early development and cow–calf behavior in this elusive, critically endangered species. Study goals were to: (1) record developmental milestones of newborn calves; (2) characterize cow and calf behavior during the first year following birth; (3) compare trends in the behavioral development of a male vs. female calf; and (4) record weight gain and footprint size throughout the first year. In addition to recording eight neonatal milestones, more than 450 hr of behavioral data were collected on each of the two calves (one male and one female) and their dam during the first 12 months of life. Neonatal milestones were achieved within 24 hr of birth with the exception of first defecation, which occurred at 16–18 days. Although nursing bouts decreased slightly in the second half of the year (from once every 90 min to once every 2 hr), they continued to occur frequently throughout the day and night. Therefore, calves grew rapidly from approximately 33 kg at birth to 400 kg at 12 months. Average daily weight gain for the first week was approximately 2.0 kg, whereas average daily weight gain for the remaining 12 months was slight (<1 kg) and did not differ between calves. Eating and resting occupied 70–80% of the Sumatran rhino cow and calves' time and no gender biases in either maternal investment or developmental parameters were noted. Finally, footprint measurements proved valuable for estimating calf age. Zoo Biol 31:546‐560, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A possible dominant white gene in Jersey cattle

A white heifer ("Snow") was born in 1991 from coloured registered Jersey parents. She produced six calves sired by coloured Jersey bulls: three white bull calves, two white heifer calves, and one coloured bull calf. One of the white bull calves was mated with 40 Hereford × Friesian yearling heifers (white face, predominantly black body with some white patches). The 38 resulting calves included 16 white and 22 coloured calves. Twelve of the 16 white calves were heifers and four were bulls. Red or black spotting was recorded on some white calves. The results are consistent with an autosomal dominant mutant causing the white phenotype. The mutation appears to have arisen spontaneously in Snow, then passing to her white progeny and white grand-progeny. The white individuals varied from entirely white in a few cases, to most having some residual small areas of red or black pigmentation in patterns not typical of other reported white spotting patterns of cattle.     

Woodland caribou habitat selection patterns in relation to predation risk and forage abundance depend on reproductive state

The ideal free distribution assumes that animals select habitats that are beneficial to their fitness. When the needs of dependent offspring differ from those of the parent, ideal habitat selection patterns could vary with the presence or absence of offspring. We test whether habitat selection depends on reproductive state due to top‐down or bottom‐up influences on the fitness of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), a threatened, wide‐ranging herbivore. We combined established methods of fitting resource and step selection functions derived from locations of collared animals in Ontario with newer techniques, including identifying calf status from video collar footage and seasonal habitat selection analysis through latent selection difference functions. We found that females with calves avoided predation risk and proximity to roads more strongly than females without calves within their seasonal ranges. At the local scale, females with calves avoided predation more strongly than females without calves. Females with calves increased predation avoidance but not selection for food availability upon calving, whereas females without calves increased selection for food availability across the same season. These behavioral responses suggest that habitat selection by woodland caribou is influenced by reproductive state, such that females with calves at heel use habitat selection to offset the increased vulnerability of their offspring to predation risk.     

Parental behavior of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in natural environment

The parental behavior of beluga whales observed in a summer reproductive gathering (near Solovetsky Island, Onega Bay, White Sea) is described, including the parturition process. A tight association between the female and its newborn infant has been traced by the case study of a stillborn calf. Individual behavioral patterns of a mother and calves observable only in natural habitats are detailed.     

Behavioral development in okapis and giraffes

Observations on the behavioral development of two okapi calves and one giraffe calf were made at Brookfield Zoo. The following behaviors were monitored for 4 to 6 mo after birth; nursing duration and nursing attempts, mother-infant distance, bunting the mother's udder, lying, moving, maternal grooming, mother and infant autogrooming, object licking, tail chewing, and contact by others in the herd. Behaviors in both species showed oscillating patterns with high levels of mother-infant contact behaviors at 3–4 wk, 9–11 wk, and 14–15 wk in okapis. Giraffe infants showed similar oscillations with high periods of contact about 2–5 wk later than those in okapis. Other behaviors oscillated in concert with these, with specific correlations occurring between nursing behaviors and grooming behaviors. A main difference between okapi and giraffe development centered around maternal motivation during the high contact (regressive) periods. In okapis, after 10–12 wk there was a low rate of nursing success, whereas in giraffes the percentage of success in nursing rose with later behavioral oscillations. The regressive periods became conflict periods in okapis, whereas in the giraffe, the mother initiated the periods. This difference was in accordance with the unique strategy of infant rearing in wild giraffes in which there is an extended “hider” period when older calves are left together in shaded areas with an adult sentry. Field studies also indicated probable oscillations of mother-infant contact and a prolonged period of the mother initiating contact with her calf.     

Some notes on the physiological and behavioral ontogeny of okapi (Okapia Johnstoni) calves

Four okapi calves were monitored from birth for specific behavioral and physiological developmental phenomena. Substantial changes are appropriate in defining normal ranges and averages of some behavioral landmarks previously reported in the literature (i.e., birth weight, first time standing, first attempt to nurse, first successful nurse, and first defecation). Simple, minimally invasive habituation techniques were used to collect daily body temperatures and weights for the four calves from birth to at least 90 days of age. Body temperatures for this time period averaged 38.07°C. Okapi calves appear to take from 51 to 60 days of age to thermoregulate efficiently. The calves grow rapidly, doubling their birth weight within approximately four weeks (28 days), and tripling it by seven weeks of age (49 days). © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Temporal shedding patterns and virulence factors of Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O103, O111, O145, and O157 in a cohort of beef calves and their dams

This study investigated the shedding of Escherichia coli O26, O103, O111, O145, and O157 in a cohort of beef calves from birth over a 5-month period and assessed the relationship between shedding in calves and shedding in their dams, the relationship between shedding and scouring in calves, and the effect of housing on shedding in calves. Fecal samples were tested by immunomagnetic separation and by PCR and DNA hybridization assays. E. coli O26 was shed by 94% of calves. Over 90% of E. coli O26 isolates carried the vtx(1), eae, and ehl genes, 6.5% carried vtx(1) and vtx(2), and one isolate carried vtx(2) only. Serogroup O26 isolates comprised seven pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns but were dominated by one pattern which represented 85.7% of isolates. E. coli O103 was shed by 51% of calves. Forty-eight percent of E. coli O103 isolates carried eae and ehl, 2% carried vtx(2), and none carried vtx(1). Serogroup O103 isolates comprised 10 PFGE patterns and were dominated by two patterns representing 62.5% of isolates. Shedding of E. coli O145 and O157 was rare. All serogroup O145 isolates carried eae, but none carried vtx(1) or vtx(2). All but one serogroup O157 isolate carried vtx(2), eae, and ehl. E. coli O111 was not detected. In most calves, the temporal pattern of E. coli O26 and O103 shedding was random. E. coli O26 was detected in three times as many samples as E. coli O103, and the rate at which calves began shedding E. coli O26 for the first time was five times greater than that for E. coli O103. For E. coli O26, O103, and O157, there was no association between shedding by calves and shedding by dams within 1 week of birth. For E. coli O26 and O103, there was no association between shedding and scouring, and there was no significant change in shedding following housing.     

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) hunting for walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) near Retkyn Spit, Chukotka

Group hunting by killer whales for walruses was observed in August 18, 2008, in the littoral area (3 km from the haulout of walruses, Retkyn Spit, Chukotka). The group of killer whales consisted of seven adults (one adult male did not participate in attacks) and two calves. Based on prey type, these killer whales were mammal-eating. The total duration of their hunt activity was not less than 95 min. The hunt consisted of three phases. The first phase was an attack on the group of walruses and choice of individual prey; the second phase was attacks on the chosen walrus; and the third (final) phase was a decrease in activity of killer whales and leaving group with walrus from sea shore. The main behavioral patterns of killer whales during the hunt were discerned. Two killer whales tried to kill walruses by chasing them and jumping out of the water on the shore. The video analysis of the ??attack phase?? showed that killer whales made 55 attacks on the walrus during 17.3 min. On average, each killer whale attacked the walrus seven times. The attack tactics of killer whales, the number of movements, and the location of killer whales (adults and calves) relative to each other and to the walrus were described. Well coordination of their movements and group actions was observed.