圈养马麝(Moschus sifanicus)个性特征及与麝香分泌的关系

采用焦点取样和扫描取样方法,对甘肃兴隆山麝场圈养马麝(Moschus sifanicus)交配季节及非交配季节进行行为取样。通过行为样本,对个体个性特征(活跃性、领域性、刻板性、探索性、行为冗余性)进行标准化处理,分析了年龄及性别对个性特征的效应,以及交配季节与非交配季节之间个性特征的差异,同时分析了马麝个性特征与泌香量的相互关系。结果表明:年龄增加对活跃性具有降低的效应(P0.05),并对非交配季节领域性具有降低效应(P0.05);非交配季节里雌性活跃性高于雄性(P0.05);不同季节间个性特征存在差异,交配季节活跃性与领域性均有高于非交配季节的趋势,并且活跃性与领域性在两季节间呈正相关关系(P0.05);雄麝泌香量与活跃性存在正相关关系(交配季节:r=0.518,P0.05;非交配季节:r=0.397,P0.05),与交配季节领域性同样具有正相关关系(r=0.406,P0.05)。本研究通过行为取样方法首次对马麝个性特征进行定量分析,探讨了将个性特征,特别是活跃性和领域性,作为泌香量预测指标的方法,对圈养动物个性研究的理论创新具有指导作用,同时对麝香及麝类资源的发展具有实践意义。

Personality traits and their relationships with musk secretion by captive alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus)

The alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus) is an endangered ungulate for which captive breeding is being promoted as the best way to conserve the species. Studies of animal personality could be an important path to facilitate captive breeding practices, yet only a few studies have been carried out in this field for musk deer. Focal sampling and scan sampling were used to quantify personality traits (measured by activity, territoriality, stereotypy, exploration, and behavioral redundancy) of alpine musk deer at the Breeding Center for Alpine Musk Deer, Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve, Gansu Province, and to investigate the effects of the captive musk deer''s personality traits on musk secretion. We also assessed the relationships between personality traits and both gender and age during both mating and non-mating seasons. We found that older individuals were less active during both mating and non-mating seasons, and were less territorial during non-mating season (all P < 0.05). Females were more active than males (P < 0.05). Alpine musk deer were more active and territorial during mating season than during non-mating season, and activity and territoriality were positively correlated in both seasons (P < 0.05). Males with higher activity and territoriality had more musk secretion (P < 0.05). Our results showed that personality traits of musk deer varied between age and gender, but there was consistency across mating and non-mating seasons. Personality traits, especially activity and territoriality, can predict the musk secretion by males. Quantitative analysis of musk deer personality is an appropriate approach for the development of musk resources.