四川梅花鹿发情期的几种发声行为

2006 年9 ～11 月在四川省若尔盖县铁布自然保护区,对四川梅花鹿发情期的声行为进行了初步观测,结果表明:在发情期,四川梅花鹿的发声行为可分为雌、雄鹿的报警叫声,雄鹿的吼叫声和求偶叫声。雌鹿的报警叫声持续时间257 ～ 539 ms,频率范围1409. 5 ～ 4474. 6 Hz,主频率3534. 8 ±89.12 Hz;雄鹿的报警叫声持续时间136 ～187 ms,频率范围271.8 ～3910.5 Hz,主频率3244.3 ±79.32 Hz;两者在持续时间、最低频率、最高频率上差异极显著(P < 0.01),在间隔时间上差异不显著(P = 0.624)。吼叫是雄鹿的主要发情行为之一。雄鹿每次吼叫1 声,持续时间1580 ～4972 ms,频率范围234.6 ～6171.4 Hz,主频率2264.6 ± 166.44 Hz。雄鹿吼叫声的主频率存在显著的个体差异(P <0.01)。在整个吼叫过程中,一只雄鹿的吼叫常会引起周围其它雄鹿的吼叫反应。雄鹿每日吼叫的次数与其在繁殖群中的等级序列有关,不同序列等级雄鹿的吼叫频次存在显著差异(P<0.01)。雄鹿的吼叫声在白天和夜晚均能听到,但主要发生在06:00 ～ 08:00、17:00 ～ 19:00 和01:00 ～ 03:00 三个时间段。四川梅花鹿雄鹿的求偶叫声有4 种,其生物学意义与发情炫耀、追逐、激惹和爬跨等行为有关。     

绿背山雀繁殖期鸣声声谱分析

2005年4～6月,在四川屏山县老君山自然保护区采用计算机声谱分析技术,对绿背山雀繁殖期护域、警告、报警、警戒和幼雏乞食的鸣声进行了初步研究。结果表明,雄性护域有3种不同音节鸣声,3种音节鸣声的MPF差异均不明显（P〉0.05）,全句持续时间差异显著（X^2=8,42〉x0.05^2,df=2,P〈0．05）;雌性护幼为2个音节的警告呜声;雌雄两性遇到危险时均发出音节不同的警戒声和报警声,其警戒声各音节持续时间差异极显著（P〈0,01）,各音节间隔时间差异不明显（P〉0.05）;幼雏乞食鸣声通常由2～3个音节重复而成。同时还探讨了不同鸣声与相应行为的关系。     

四川梅花鹿生命表和种群增长率的研究

1987年、1989—1991年四川梅花鹿产仔期,在四川省若尔盖县铁布自然保护区用耳缺法连续标记了111只(♂♂56,♀♀55)3～10日龄的四川梅花鹿幼仔,根据野外对这批标记仔鹿生长、繁殖、死亡的观察数据编绘出四川梅花鹿的生命表、存活曲线、死亡曲线、种群自然增长率和繁殖价。这批标记仔鹿中,雄鹿和雌鹿的最大寿命分别为14岁和15岁;初生仔鹿的雌雄性比为1：1,5～6岁时雌雄性比为3：1;雌鹿最早的产仔年龄为3～4岁,最晚产仔年龄为11～12岁;雄鹿最早在4～5岁时拥有雌鹿,10—11岁以后就都失去了曾占有的雌鹿群。雄鹿2 3岁时期望寿命最大为5.111,雌鹿1～2岁时期望寿命最大为6.148。雌鹿的存活曲线接近于Odum有关存活曲线的A型,雄鹿的存活曲线属B型。净生殖率、种群自然增长率和平均世代时间分别为1．228、0.031和7.015。雌鹿3—4岁时的繁殖价最高。     

红嘴山鸦青藏亚种鸣声的初步探讨

2006 年10月,在四川省若尔盖县铁布自然保护区,对红嘴山鸦鸣声进行了记录并将其主要鸣声进行了声谱分析.非繁殖期红嘴山鸦具有联络、呼唤、应答、报警、惊叫和集群觅食鸣声6种叫声,其中联络和报警声最为常见,呼应声和应答声是一个连续的过程;获得了联络、呼唤、应答、报警、惊叫和集群觅食鸣声6种叫声的语谱图及其频谱特征.初步探讨了红嘴山鸦的鸣声与其相应行为之间的关系.     

四川梅花鹿繁殖行为

2006年4—12月和2007年3—11月在四川省铁布自然保护区观察和统计了野生梅花鹿的繁殖行为,包括发情交配、产仔、发情吼叫、爬跨及其昼夜节律行为等。结果表明,四川梅花鹿为季节性发情动物,发情交配行为发生在9月上旬至12月中旬,集中在10—11月(占(86.99±3.24)%)。四川梅花鹿发情交配日期最早见于9月8日,最晚为12月16日,跨度约90—100 d(±6 d,n=90)。雌鹿交配日期与其繁殖经历具有低度正相关性(Kendall's tau-b和Spearman's rho,0.3r0.5,P0.05),成体雌鹿交配日期稍微早于初次配种雌鹿。雄鹿发情吼叫和爬跨行为具有明显的昼夜节律性,各有2个高峰期(05:00—08:00和18:00—21:00),夜间有小节律的发情吼叫和爬跨时期。U-test检验表明发情吼叫频次和爬跨频率在昼夜间有极显著差异(P0.01)。雄鹿吼叫行为与其交配行为具有高度正相关性(Kendall's tau-b和Spearman's rho,0.8r1.0,P0.05),主雄、次雄和群外单身雄鹿的昼夜吼叫次数有极显著差异(P0.01)。雌鹿产仔期从4月下旬开始到7月下旬结束,集中在5—6月(占(91.51±4.96)%),产仔日期最早见于4月29日,最晚为7月28日,跨度约80—90 d(±5 d,n=130)。梅花鹿产仔日期与其分娩经历具有低度正相关性(Kendall's tau-b和Spearman's rho,0.3r0.5,P0.05),成体雌鹿产仔日期早于初次繁殖雌鹿。雌鹿每胎产1—2个幼仔,单双胎率分别为98.86%(±6.96%,n=129)和1.01%(±0.07%,n=1)。妊娠期和哺乳期梅花鹿采食行为分配占较大比率,其次是卧息和移动,哺乳期采食行为分配低于妊娠期,这与妊娠期正逢冬季,食物资源相对匮乏有关,而哺乳期恰逢夏季,植物生长旺盛,食物资源相对丰富。     

寿带鸟繁殖期鸣声行为的初步研究

2006年4～7月在四川南充市对寿带鸟繁殖期的鸣声行为进行了初步研究,得到6种不同类型的鸣声,分别为歌声、领域鸣声、警戒鸣声、喂食鸣声、雏鸟乞食鸣声和幼鸟呼唤鸣声。同时还探讨了各类鸣声行为的生物学意义。     

红嘴相思鸟鸣声的初步探讨

2005年4～10月,在四川省屏山县老君山自然保护区通过计算机声谱分析技术对红嘴相思鸟的鸣声进行了初步研究。结果表明：红嘴相思鸟具有报警、联络、警戒和惊叫4种鸣声;其中最常见的鸣声为联络鸣声,报警、警戒和惊叫3种鸣声是一个先后连续的鸣叫过程。通过红嘴相思鸟鸣声特点探讨了与其相应行为的关系。     

白颊噪鹛四川亚种繁殖期鸣声声谱分析

2008年3～10月,在四川省南充市郊通过声谱分析对白颊噪鹛四川亚种Garrulax sannio oblectans繁殖期的鸣声与行为做了初步研究.其鸣声类型具有占区、驱赶、雌雄应答、求偶、交配、乞食、召唤、报警、惊叫及集群觅食等鸣声.其鸣声大多由短的重复的单音节、双音节和多音节鸣声组成.鸣声音节中最常见为单音节鸣声,最少的为多音节鸣声.     

迷卡斗蟋鸣声的声学特征及其生物学意义

首次利用计算机技术对迷卡斗蟋Velarifictorusmicado (Saussure)的鸣声特征及其生物学意义进行了研究。结果表明 :迷卡斗蟋在不同性比条件下 ,鸣声的声学特征不同。雄性独处时发出召唤声 ;2只以上的雄性在一起时会发出警戒声、挑战声或胜利声 ;1雄 1雌在一起时会发出欢迎声、求爱声 ,如果雌性不理会雄性的求爱时则会发出一种催促声。利用计算机 ,除了对人们用耳辨别的 3种鸣声 (召唤声、求偶声和争斗声 )进行客观记录外 ,还可以对以前所称的“求偶声”和“争斗声”进行更细致地分析和比较。根据其生物学意义 ,作者首次将其鸣声分为 7种 ,并对这 7种鸣声在功率谱和时域两方面进行了比较 ,发现迷卡斗蟋在不同行为下有不同的鸣声特征 ,传递不同的信息。     

斑背大尾莺繁殖期鸣声行为分析

2009年5-7月,在辽宁双台河口保护区录制了20只繁殖期斑背大尾莺雄性个体的鸣声.根据行为特征,该鸟鸣声定义为3种鸣声类型:求偶炫耀鸣唱、报警声和联络声.利用Wavesurfer软件对20只斑背大尾莺雄性个体543个鸣声的句子持续时间、句子音节个数、音节持续时间、音节间隔时间等4个参数进行分析测量,发现求偶炫耀鸣唱由节奏逐渐加快的前部句子和音节组成复杂的主体部两个句子组成; 报警声和联络声的句子均由单音节组成.音节类型总数为38种,其中包括前部句子的音节类型6种.采用单因素方差分析(one-way ANOVA)对求偶炫耀鸣唱的4个参数进行差异性检验发现,不同个体的各个参数均呈极显著差异(P<0.01).     

Alarm signals of the Sichuan sika deer Cervus nippon sichuanicus

Sichuan sika deer (Cervus nippon sichuanicus) is an endangered and endemic subspecies of sika deer to Sichuan Province, China. According to our observations in the wild, the Sichuan sika deer makes alarm signals in the presence of actual or potential predators. In order to test the variation of the rhythmic alarm calls in some sex/age classes and different risk contexts, we recorded alarm calls of Sichuan sika deer from 2 October to 30 November 2008 and from 4 April to 5 September 2009 in the Tiebu Nature Reserve, Zoige County, Sichuan Province, China, and made acoustic analysis of these alarm calls. The results showed that the fundamental frequencies of alarm signals of Sichuan sika deer tended to decrease with age, and were significantly higher for females than for males. Duration tended to increase with age, and was significantly longer for males than for females. The fundamental frequencies and duration of alarm calls in adults were significantly higher and shorter respectively in high-risk than in moderate-risk contexts.     

Female Sexual Preferences Toward Conspecific and Hybrid Male Mating Calls in Two Species of Polygynous Deer, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphu</Emphasis>s and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. nippon</Emphasis>

The behavioral processes at the basis of hybridization and introgression are understudied in terrestrial mammals. We use a unique model to test the role of sexual signals as a reproductive barrier to introgression by investigating behavioral responses to male sexual calls in estrous females of two naturally allopatric but reproductively compatible deer species, red deer and sika deer. Previous studies demonstrated asymmetries in acoustic species discrimination between these species: most but not all female red deer prefer conspecific over sika deer male calls while female sika deer exhibit no preference differences. Here, we extend this examination of acoustic species discrimination to the role of male sexual calls in introgression between parent species and hybrids. Using two-speaker playback experiments, we compared the preference responses of estrous female red and sika deer to male sexual calls from conspecifics versus red × sika hybrids. These playbacks simulate early secondary contact between previously allopatric species after hybridization has occurred. Based on previous conspecific versus heterospecific playbacks, we predicted that most female red deer would prefer conspecific calls while female sika deer would show no difference in their preference behaviors toward conspecific and hybrid calls. However, results show that previous asymmetries did not persist as neither species exhibited more preferences for conspecific over hybrid calls. Thus, vocal behavior is not likely to deter introgression between these species during the early stages of sympatry. On a wider scale, weak discrimination against hybrid sexual signals could substantially contribute to this important evolutionary process in mammals and other taxa.     

四川山鹧鸪繁殖期的鸣声行为特征

2005年4—12月在四川老君山自然保护区,通过计算机声谱分析技术,对四川山鹧鸪(Arborophilarufipectus)雄性的鸣声行为特征进行了研究,其结果表明,雄性单音节鸣声出现在啼叫、保护领域和求偶中,这些鸣声持续时间差异明显,主峰值差异不明显;雄性双音节鸣声出现在啼叫、保护领域、竞争雌体和求偶中,这些鸣声第一音节时间、第二音节时间、音节间隔时间和主峰值差异极显著,全句时间差异不明显;雄性多音节鸣声出现在保护领域、警戒和惊吓中。雄性亚成体多音节鸣声出现在惊吓和警戒中;雄性成体和亚成体警戒鸣叫的音节持续时间、音节间隔时间和主峰值差异均不明显,全句持续时间差异明显;雄性亚成体和雄性成体的惊吓鸣叫音节持续时间、音节间隔时间、全句持续时间和主峰值差异均不明显。四川山鹧鸪表现出的各种鸣声行为是为了保护配偶和防止天敌,使该种群更好地繁衍。     

Variability of Female Responses to Conspecific vs. Heterospecific Male Mating Calls in Polygynous Deer: An Open Door to Hybridization?

Males of all polygynous deer species (Cervinae) give conspicuous calls during the reproductive season. The extreme interspecific diversity that characterizes these vocalizations suggests that they play a strong role in species discrimination. However, interbreeding between several species of Cervinae indicates permeable interspecific reproductive barriers. This study examines the contribution of vocal behavior to female species discrimination and mating preferences in two closely related polygynous deer species known to hybridize in the wild after introductions. Specifically, we investigate the reaction of estrous female red deer (Cervus elaphus) to playbacks of red deer vs. sika deer (Cervus nippon) male mating calls, with the prediction that females will prefer conspecific calls. While on average female red deer preferred male red deer roars, two out of twenty females spent more time in close proximity to the speaker broadcasting male sika deer moans. We suggest that this absence of strict vocal preference for species-specific mating calls may contribute to the permeability of pre-zygotic reproductive barriers observed between these species. Our results also highlight the importance of examining inter-individual variation when studying the role of female preferences in species discrimination and intraspecific mate selection.     

Possible use of heterospecific food-associated calls of macaques by sika deer for foraging efficiency

Heterospecific communication signals sometimes convey relevant information for animal survival. For example, animals use or eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls concerning common predators. Indeed, most observations have been reported regarding anti-predator strategies. Use of heterospecific signals has rarely been observed as part of a foraging strategy. Here, I report empirical evidence, collected using playback experiments, showing that Japanese sika deer, Cevus nippon, use heterospecific food calls of Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata yakui, for foraging efficiency. The deer and macaques both inhabit the wild forest of Yakushima Island with high population densities and share many food items. Anecdotal observations suggest that deer often wait to browse fruit falls under the tree where a macaque group is foraging. Furthermore, macaques frequently produce food calls during their foraging. If deer effectively obtain fruit from the leftovers of macaques, browsing fruit fall would provide a potential benefit to the deer, and, further, deer are likely to associate macaque food calls with feeding activity. The results showed that playback of macaque food calls under trees gathered significantly more deer than silence control periods. These results suggest that deer can associate macaque food calls with foraging activities and use heterospecific calls for foraging efficiency.     

Alarm call discrimination in a social rodent: adult but not juvenile degu calls induce high vigilance

Many social animals develop vocal communications to send and receive information efficiently in a group. In alarm communication, call recipients in a social group evaluate alarm calls, enhancing their probability of survival in the face of predatory threats. Calls from naïve and younger group members might be less evocative, in terms of rendering group members vigilant, than calls from more experienced adults because adults are generally more reliable. It remains uncertain, however, what acoustic characteristics render an alarm call reliable. Here, we report that adult degus, Octodon degus (Rodentia, Octodontidae), produced an alarm with a frequency-modulated (FM) syllable, accompanied by low bandwidth and entropy, to evoke a high-vigilance response amongst receivers. Unlike adults, subadult degus did not emit the FM syllable in the warning context, and their call without the FM syllable evoked less vigilance than the adult alarm. We suggest that the FM structure of the adult-produced syllable serves as the primary feature characterizing a reliable alarm call. Our results are consistent with those found in other social rodents, e.g., ground squirrels and gerbils, also produce FM alarm calls in high-urgency situations supports the importance of the FM syllable in alarm communication.     

Vocal behavior of Great Curassows,a vulnerable Neotropical bird

ABSTRACT The Cracidae rank among the most threatened families of Neotropical birds, and studies of their vocal behavior may help guide conservation and monitoring efforts. We describe the vocal behavior of Great Curassows (Crax rubra), a little‐studied Cracid species currently listed as vulnerable. From 2008 to 2010, we recorded curassows in northwest Costa Rica using both handheld and automated digital recorders. Analysis of recordings revealed that Great Curassows had a vocal repertoire of five call types. Yip and bark calls are sex‐specific alarm calls of short duration (0.12 and 0.08 s, respectively). The descending whistle is a longer duration alarm call (2.18 s) produced primarily by males. The snarl is a short call (0.67 s) associated with a threat display produced by adults with dependent young. The boom call was the most common Great Curassow vocalization, and was given only by males. Boom calls are long (8.86 s), low‐frequency (<150 Hz), multisyllable calls comprised of four stereotyped phrases. Great Curassows often uttered boom calls well before dawn, with a peak in activity at dawn and the hours following. Males produced bouts of repeated boom calls that lasted an average of 35 min, but sometimes continued for more than 5 h. Boom calls were given from February to June, with a peak in late April and early May when breeding begins. Discriminant analysis of boom calls of birds from 10 different locations revealed interindividual variation in call structure that may be useful for bioacoustic monitoring of individuals. Our results suggest that automated recorders might provide a way to monitor the abundance of male curassows because their boom calls are given frequently during the period from February to June and can be detected at distances up to 250 m.     

Divergence of Acoustic Signals in a Widely Distributed Frog: Relevance of Inter-Male Interactions

Divergence of acoustic signals in a geographic scale results from diverse evolutionary forces acting in parallel and affecting directly inter-male vocal interactions among disjunct populations. Pleurodema thaul is a frog having an extensive latitudinal distribution in Chile along which males'' advertisement calls exhibit an important variation. Using the playback paradigm we studied the evoked vocal responses of males of three populations of P. thaul in Chile, from northern, central and southern distribution. In each population, males were stimulated with standard synthetic calls having the acoustic structure of local and foreign populations. Males of both northern and central populations displayed strong vocal responses when were confronted with the synthetic call of their own populations, giving weaker responses to the call of the southern population. The southern population gave stronger responses to calls of the northern population than to the local call. Furthermore, males in all populations were stimulated with synthetic calls for which the dominant frequency, pulse rate and modulation depth were varied parametrically. Individuals from the northern and central populations gave lower responses to a synthetic call devoid of amplitude modulation relative to stimuli containing modulation depths between 30–100%, whereas the southern population responded similarly to all stimuli in this series. Geographic variation in the evoked vocal responses of males of P. thaul underlines the importance of inter-male interactions in driving the divergence of the acoustic traits and contributes evidence for a role of intra-sexual selection in the evolution of the sound communication system of this anuran.