Rut-induced changes in the activity budgets of male tropical ungulates： Eld＇s deer on Hainan Island  

作　　者：Jianhua DING Zhitao LIU Yanling SONG Zhigao ZENG Qiong ZHANG Benjamin D.BRAVERY 

机构地区：[1]Anhui Key Laboratory of Resource and Plant Biology,School of Life Sciences,Huaibei Normal University,Huaibei 235000,ER.China [2]Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology,Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China [3]School of Life Sciences,Harbin Normal University,Harbin 150025,China

出　　处：《Current Zoology》2012年第4期536-540,共5页动物学报（英文版）

基　　金：Funding for this study was provided by National Nature Science Foundation of China （30430120）. We followed guidelines for the use of animals in research as pub-lished by the journal Animal Behaviour. We thank staff at Hainan Datian National Nature Reserve for assistance during our field research with special thanks to Li Shanyuan and Xing Yichang who graciously contributed their time and effort during this study.

摘　　要：Aspects of time budgets, activity patterns and rut-related changes in behavior are well documented in temperate un-gulates; however, the application of this understanding to tropical and sub-tropical ungulate species has attracted less attention and remains an area that may re-shape our knowledge of ungulate behavior. Eld＇s deer Cervus eldi hainanus has a tropical and sub-tropical distribution on Hainan Island, China, and males have an extended rut exceeding five months during which they do not maintain harems or defend resources. We studied males from the only remaining population on Hainan Island, and describe rut-related changes in behavior by collecting data on time budgets and activity patterns. We show that male Eld＇s deer do not fol- low a strict crepuscular activity pattern, do not spend the majority of their time foraging and do not increase foraging nor display rut-induced hypophagia during rut, in obvious contrast to temperate ungulates. These results are discussed in light of current hy- potheses explaining the proximate mechanisms governing feeding time in ungulates, while appreciating the need for further re-search .

关 键 词：Activity Cervus eldi hainanus Eld＇s deer RUT Time budget Tropical ungulate 

分 类 号：S718.54[农业科学—林学] X-4[环境科学与工程]