Characterization of the reproductive behaviour of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus)

Journal of Ethology - Tập 39 - Trang 165-177 - 2021
Vanessa W. Kamgang1, Tanja E. Wolf1, Nigel C. Bennett1, Annemieke C. van der Goot2,3, Andre Ganswindt1
1Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
2Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve, Vaalwater, South Africa
3Melkrivier Wildlife Veterinary Services, Melkrivier, South Africa

Tóm tắt

Little information exists on the sexual behaviours of the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus; É. 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.

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