A new sexual signal in rutting male red deer: Age related chemical scent constituents in the belly black spot

Rutting behaviour of red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) includes an extensive repertoire of visual and acoustic signals directed either to rival males or to females. As in other mammals, olfactory communication is expected to play a central role in these rutting interactions too, but this has rarely been investigated. Only during the rutting season, red deer males show a conspicuous black spot area throughout most of their underbelly produced by the impregnation of substances with a strong scent. Here, we examined the origin of these compounds and their potential role as chemical signals. By using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), we identified 67 compounds in the hair from the belly black spot of red deer stags, mainly heterocyclic aromatic organic compounds, such as m-cresol, benzoic acid, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and ethylphenol, but we also found steroids, such as cholesterol and androstane-3,17-dione, carboxylic acids and their esters between n-C₆ and n-C₂₂, alcohols, squalene and other minor compounds. Many of these compounds are found in the belly black spot but not in other hair areas, and may have originated from several sources, such as the urine or the sebaceous glands of the skin, which impregnated the belly. Moreover, we found differences in chemical profiles depending on age, with older males having higher proportions of benzoic acid and androstane-3,17-dione, but lower proportions of m-cresol. Because most of these compounds are strongly odoriferous, and appear related to male characteristics, our data indicate that scent from the hairs forming the black spot of the belly may be regarded as an overlooked new sexual chemical signal in red deer in the context of competition for mates during the rutting season.     

秦岭雄性羚牛的发情行为与其社会状态的关系

2004年5月31日至8月31日在陕西省佛坪县国家级自然保护区,对羚牛秦岭亚种（Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi）的繁殖行为及雄牛的社会状态进行了研究。研究期间每天在比较容易见到羚牛的区域内沿固定路线寻找羚牛,在不惊扰羚牛正常活动的情况下,记录牛群大小、群内个体的性别、年龄、雄性的社会状态,即是单独活动还是在繁殖群中;社会状态的变动,即每只是进入还是离开繁殖群;羚牛群中个体之间的相互关系,包括入群的独牛与群内其它雄牛之间的行为、与群内雌牛之间的行为。同时用摄像机辅助记录羚牛在群内的行为,并根据图像资料对记录的数据进行校正。研究期间累计对277 头次雄性羚牛的繁殖行为进行了观察,记录到241次繁殖行为。虽然6月初至8月下旬都可以见到羚牛的繁殖活动,但80% 以上的繁殖行为发生在6月20日至7月10日期间,其中以6月21 ～ 30日间的繁殖活动最多（105 次）。繁殖季节中雄性羚牛有两种社会状态,即在繁殖群中和单独活动（即独牛）。研究期间累计的独牛比例占成年雄性的30. 32%,其中72. 62%的独牛出现在6月10 日至7 月10 日。6 月21 ～ 30 日间独牛比例最高,占成年雄性个体的50. 67%。雄牛进出繁殖群的现象比较常见,独牛的比例与繁殖行为正相关。繁殖高峰期后,单独活动的雄牛数量迅速减少。雄牛的社会状态会随着繁殖期的不同阶段发生改变,独牛在不同繁殖群之间移动寻求更多的交配机会。我们的研究结果不支持以往认为独牛是繁殖争斗失败者的观点。     

Does a temperate ungulate that breeds in summer exhibit rut-induced hypophagia? Analysis of time budgets of male takin (Budorcas taxicolor) in Sichuan,China

Mammals maximize fitness by optimizing time and energy allocation between reproduction and survival. Describing time budgets is a way to understand a species' constraints in energy allocation. We describe a time budget for male takin (Budorcas taxicolor) in Tangjiahe Nature Reserve, China, to better understand rut-induced hypophagia, which is frequently observed in temperate ungulates that breed in autumn or in winter. Observations generally occurred at two elevations (1200-1600m and 2600-3200m), using 20-min focal animal scan sampling from 2007 to 2009. Feeding behaviors accounted for the majority in takin's time budget (61.1%) during daylight hours, relative to the other observed behaviors, such as rest (14.1%), alert behavior (10.2%) and locomotion (6.8%). We found a negative correlation between feeding behavior and rutting behavior during the rutting season. A ratio of feeding time to resting time increased from pre-rut to rut, while resting behavior did not change significantly across seasons. These results suggest the "energy saving" hypothesis could explain reduced foraging in male takin during the rut, but aspects of the species biology suggest that hypotheses for rut-induced hypophagia developed for other temperate ungulates do not apply to takin. We suggest that the unusual summer rutting season of takin releases males from the energy constraints encountered by temperate ungulates that breed in the autumn and has other benefits for offspring survival. Further research should be conducted on ungulates that exhibit rut during the summer and tropical ungulates that might not experience limited food availability following the mating season to improve our understanding on rut-induced hypophagia.     

不同年龄雄性北山羊发情期时间分配特征

前人研究表明,可多次繁殖的反刍物种其雄性个体在发情期采食时间显著减少。目前有两个假说解释这一现象,即能量摄入最大化假说和能量保存假说。为验证雄性北山羊在不同发情阶段所采取的能量保存策略,作者于2014年10-12月在新疆天山中部采用焦点动物取样法采集数据,采用Kruskal-Wallis检验和Spearman秩相关性检验分析数据。研究发现雄性北山羊成体和亚成体发情期采食时间均显著低于发情前期和发情后期,但二者在不同发情阶段卧息时间无显著变化,发情期采食和卧息时间比亦显著降低。发情期发情行为时间显著高于发情前期和发情后期,非发情时间主要用于采食。发情期采食时间和卧息时间都与发情行为时间呈显著的负相关关系。雌性北山羊发情期采食时间亦显著低于发情前期和发情后期,发情期和发情后期卧息时间显著高于发情前期。本研究结果表明,发情期不同年龄阶段雄羊都主要采取能量摄入最大化策略,但同时也具有部分能量保存策略的特征。     

发情交配期贺兰山岩羊的集群特征

2003 年和2004 年的11 ～12 月,采用样线法和全事件取样法研究了贺兰山岩羊的集群特征。共观察到岩羊715 群,共计2 473只。发情前期平均群大小3.5±2.8 只(n = 241),发情期平均群大小3.4±3.2 只(n =297)。发情前期与发情期雄性群、雌性群、雌雄群、混合群及母子群大小间均无显著差异。发情前期到发情期群类型组成差异极显著,发情期雌雄群、混合群和独羊比例显著上升;雄性群、雌性群和母子群比例显著下降。发情前期到发情期,雄性岩羊在雄性群、雌雄群、混合群和独羊中的分布差异极显著,成年雌性岩羊在雌性群、雌雄群、混合群、母子群和独羊中的分布差异极显著。发情期4 个年龄等级雄性在雄性群、雌雄群、混合群和独羊中分布差异极显著,4 个年龄等级雄性岩羊都倾向分布于混合群。
     

Seasonal changes in the testicular morphology and interstitial tissue histomorphometry of Sahraoui camel under Algerian extreme arid conditions

The seasonal testicular morphology and the morphometry of the interstitial tissue were studied in 62 camels at Algerian extreme arid region. The maximal testicular size was recorded during the rutting season. In this period, the interstitial tissue occupied high area and volume with significant increase of the intertubular constituent’s volume, hypertrophy of the Leydig cell, and maximal number of Leydig cells per testes. Therefore, the highest ratios of seminiferous tubules to interstitial tissue area and volume and the highest fraction of intertubular empty space were recorded during the non-rutting. The greater Leydig cell nucleus size was observed during the post-rutting season. Finally, the numerical density of Leydig cells did not significantly change over the year. These results provide information on the relationship between seasonal changes of camel testicular morphology and the histomorphometry of the testicular endocrine compartment in camels at the arid livestock conditions of the southeastern Algerian desert.     

不同发情阶段雄性鹅喉羚的时间分配特征

以往研究表明受发情交配行为制约,一些雄性反刍动物在发情期食物摄入量明显降低。已有两个相关假说解释该现象:能量摄入最大化假说和能量保存假说。作者于2009 ～ 2010 年在卡拉麦里山有蹄类自然保护区研究了雄性鹅喉羚不同发情阶段的时间分配。结果表明雄羚发情期采食时间比例明显下降(37. 9% ),低于发情前期(63. 6% )和发情后期(65. 8% );发情期卧息时间比例(6. 0% )与发情后期相近(5. 4% ),明显低于发情前期(23.2% );发情前期至发情后期采食卧息时间比(分别为2. 7、6. 3、12. 1)显著增加;发情期雄羚站立和移动时间比例明显升高,采食行为时间占非发情行为时间主要部分(86. 4% ),且采食行为与发情行为显著相关。相比之下,雌羚不同发情阶段采食行为时间分配比例相似。总之,除必需投入的发情行为外,发情期雄羚最大化其能量摄入;发情行为的投入是导致发情期雄羚食物摄入量下降的主导因子,雄性能量摄入最大化假说更好地解释了发情期鹅喉羚所采取的能量策略。     

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。     

白唇鹿交配季节的群体活动

成年白唇鹿平时雌雄分开话动,只有在交配季节即将来临时,才混合群集由暖季栖息地向越冬栖息地迁移,并最后组成交配群。但各交配群之间界线分明,由主雄支配全群其他成员。交配期约81天,交配盛期为9月底至l0月下旬,共24天。当天气突变时,如下大雪,则会扰乱其正常生活,表现出更换卧息地、中止采食或交配等。     

Freezability of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) spermatozoa according to the glycerolization temperature and plasma testosterone concentration

Ibex spermatozoa can be successfully frozen using glycerolated media. However, no information is available regarding the most effective method of glycerol addition in this species. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of the glycerolization temperature on the response to freezing-thawing of ibex spermatozoa collected by electroejaculation. The effect of the interaction glycerolization temperature x plasma testosterone concentration was also evaluated. The spermatozoa used in this work came from six adult ibexes maintained in captivity. Each ejaculate was divided into two aliquots in a Tris-egg yolk-based medium. One fraction was subjected to single step dilution with 5% glycerol at room temperature (23 °C). The other fraction was diluted in two steps, first by dilution at room temperature with an extender identical to that described above but without glycerol, followed by the addition of glycerol after cooling to 5 °C. The glycerolization temperature did not affect any sperm variable after thawing. Heterospecific artificial insemination involving domestic goats, revealed no differences in the fertilization rate for frozen-thawed spermatozoa diluted by the one or two step procedures (18.2% vs. 20.0%). The interaction glycerolization temperature x plasma testosterone concentration had no affect on the freezing-thawing of the sperm cells. The results revealed, however, that high plasma testosterone levels during the pre-rutting season may interfere with the freezing-thawing process, having a negative influence on sperm cryosurvival.