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Observation Days (observation + day)
Selected AbstractsSeasonal and sex differences in area preference and behavior of young cattle just after long distance transportANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008Toshie ISHIWATA ABSTRACT To determine seasonal and sex differences in behavioral motivation of cattle just after long transport, 54 Japanese Black × Holstein cattle were observed at 5 min intervals for 2 h just after 25-h transport by road and ferry. The stocking pen (12.0 × 9.5 m) consisted of an eating area (near a feeding alley), a drinking area (near water bowls) and a resting area (all areas except for other two areas). First, the effect of season was determined with heifers in summer (n = 12: 7.9 ± 0.6 months of age; 292.0 ± 18.5 kg) and autumn (n = 19: 8.2 ± 0.6 months of age; 295.8 ± 15.5 kg). The mean temperature on the observation day was 28.5 (max: 34.5, min: 24.5)°C in summer and 20.3 (max: 26.5, min: 16.4)°C in autumn. Percentage of cattle staying in each area was different by season (,2 = 22.0; P < 0.01). In summer, the percentage of cattle staying in the drinking area (26.7%) was greater than the expected percentage (16.7%). Percentage of cattle staying in the eating area was greater in both seasons (31.3% in summer and 53.6% in autumn) than the expected percentage (16.7%). However, the mean percentage of cattle performing each behavior was not significantly different by season. Secondly, the effect of sex was determined with steers (n = 23: 7.6 ± 0.6 months of age; 301.9 ± 20.7 kg) and heifers (n = 19: same as above) in autumn. Although the percentage of cattle staying in each area was different by sex (,2 = 20.2; P < 0.01), the percentages of steers (25.5%) and heifers (53.6%) staying in the eating area were both greater than the expected percentage (16.7%). However, percentage of animals performing each behavior was not different by sex. These results recommend to stockpersons that they should install additional troughs for hay and water into a pen just after long distance transport, since the number of cattle that can eat and drink at the same time was limited. [source] Evidence for non-genomic transmission of ecological information via maternal behavior in female ratsGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2007J. McLeod Maternal behavior is flexible and programs offspring development. Using a novel manipulation, we demonstrate that rat maternal behavior is sensitive to ecologically relevant stimuli. Long-Evans hooded rat dams (F0) and pups were exposed to a predator condition (cat odor) or a control condition (no odor) for 1 h on the day of parturition. Predator-exposed F0 dams displayed significantly more maternal behavior (licking/grooming, arched-back nursing) relative to control-exposed dams across five subsequent observation days. Female offspring (F1) were raised to adulthood, bred and maternal behavior was observed. F1 dams reared by a predator-exposed F0 dam displayed significantly higher maternal behavior relative to F1 dams reared by a control-exposed F0 dam across 5 days of observation. Increased levels of maternal behavior in predator-reared (PR) F1 dams were evident even in F1 females that had been cross-fostered (CF) from a control-exposed F0 dam, suggesting a non-genomic transmission of increased levels of maternal behavior. Lactating PR F1 dams had significantly elevated estrogen receptor , and , mRNA in the medial preoptic area relative to control-reared (CR) F1 dams. Furthermore, among CR F1 dams, there was no significant difference between those dams that had been CF from predator-exposed F0 dams and those that had been sham CF. These results support the hypothesis that flexible rat maternal behavior can shape offspring development according to current environmental conditions. The results also suggest that estrogen signaling may be part of an epigenetic mechanism by which changes in maternal behavior are passed from F0 to F1 dams. [source] Nest groups of wild bonobos at Wamba: selection of vegetation and tree species and relationships between nest group size and party sizeAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2010Mbangi N. Mulavwa Abstract We examined the location of nest groups, spatial distribution of nests within a nest group, and attributes of individual nests of wild bonobos at Wamba, Democratic Republic of Congo. We also examined the seasonal factors influencing nesting behavior and compared the nest group size with the 1,hr party size during daytime. We defined a nest group to be a cluster of nests that were built in the same evening and found within 30,m from the other nearest nest. Examination of the largest gap within a nest group suggested that 30,m was an acceptable cutoff value. Monthly rainfall or fruit abundance did not significantly influence the monthly mean nest group size. Nests were built in the swamp forest for as many as 13% observation days, suggesting the need for reevaluation of the use of swamp forest by bonobos. The use of swamp forest was influenced not by seasonal rainfall or fruit abundance, but by the fruiting of specific species. Preferred tree species for building nests accounted for 19.8% of standing trees, which suggested that the selection of sleeping sites was not largely restricted by the distribution of specific species. The mean 1,hr party size was almost identical through the day and was similar to the mean nest group size. Parties of bonobos sometimes split into smaller nest groups, especially when feeding on non-preferred fruits during fruit scarcity. By contrast, when feeding on preferred fruits while ranging in large parties, they often aggregated to form even larger nest groups. When sleeping in small- or middle-sized nest groups, they tended to aggregate the next morning. These tendencies may reflect the gregarious nature of bonobos who prefer to range or sleep together as far as circumstances allow. Am. J. Primatol. 72:575,586, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Food choices and habitat use by the Tana River yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus): a preliminary report on five years of dataAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Vicki K. Bentley-Condit Abstract The Tana River Primate National Reserve, Kenya (TRPNR) yellow baboons' (Papio cynocephalus) long-term habitat usage and food preferences are relatively under-reported. The author presents a preliminary food catalog and analyses of 5 years of data (January 88,October 92; n=55 mo; 875 observation days; 4,893 hourly scans) for the Mchelelo troop (x,=75 individuals). The author predicted that the TRPNR baboons would spend more time on the much larger savanna, show a seasonal preference for fruits/seeds, and show rainfall-influenced food preferences. Although more time was spent on the proportionately larger savanna than in the forests, more than 42% of the observations occurred in forests that accounted for only 8.7% of the area regularly used by the baboons. Fruits/seeds consumption was high throughout the period and a significantly higher proportion of each month's observations reflected fruits/seeds rather than grasses/herbs/corms consumption. Two forest species' (Phoenix reclinata and Hyphaene compressa) were particularly important. Regression analysis showed fruits/seeds consumption predicted most of the grasses/herbs/corms consumption variance. There was no statistical difference in rainy vs. non-rainy season fruits/seeds or grasses/herbs/corms consumption. One implication of these data is the baboons' potential impact on the critically endangered Tana River mangabeys (Cercocebus galeritus), which also rely heavily on P. reclinata and H. compressa. Another is what the "savanna" designation may or may not tell us about baboons. Am. J. Primatol. 71:432,436, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||