Skip to main content
Log in

Organizational systems and dominance in feral horses in the Grand Canyon

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

  1. 1.

    Several aspects of the behavioral ecology of feral horses (Equus caballus) were studied in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Most bands contained three to five horses that included one stallion and his harem. Males that did not obtain a harem remained solitary. Throughout the study bands remained stable in composition.

  2. 2.

    Home ranges for all bands decreased in size in successive warm months, probably due to increased ambient temperature and drought. This resulted in greater utilization of spring areas that led to increased interband confrontation and agonistic display.

  3. 3.

    Territoriality was not observed in individual horses or bands, but bands hierarchial in both inter- and intraband structures. Interband stallion dominance was reinforced through posturing and fighting. Intraband hierarchies, as determined by dominance coefficients, were independent of individual size in three of four bands.

  4. 4.

    Indexes of nervousness (NER), calculated while horses were drinking, showed that stallions were less nervous than mares. A low NER was correlated with individuals leading toward drinking areas, whereas a high NER existed in individuals initiating flight although no single horse acted consistently as a leader.

  5. 5.

    Diurnal activity patterns were correlated with ambient temperatures.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berger, J.: Behavioral ecology of feral horses in the Grand Canyon. Unpubl. thesis, Calif. State Univ., Northridge 1975

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, J.: Sympatric and allopatric relationships between desert bighorn sheep and feral equids in the Grand Canyon. Southwest Nat. 22 (in press) (1977)

  • Burt, W.H.: Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J. Mammal. 24, 346–352 (1943)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock, T.H., Greenwood, P.J., Powell, R.P.: Ranks and relationships in Highland ponies and Highland cows. Z. Tierpsychol. 41, 202–216 (1976)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, J.F.: The social organization of mammals. In: Handbuch der Zoologie VIII, Vol. 10(7) (eds. W. Kükenthal, T. Krumbach), pp. 1–92. Berlin: de Gruyter 1966

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewer, R.F.: The ethology of mammals. New York: Plenum Press 1968

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Feist, J.D., McCullough, D.R.: Reproduction in feral horses. J. Reprod. Fert. Suppl. 23, 13–18 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Feist, J.D., McCullough, D.R.: Behavior and communication patterns in feral horses. Z. Tierpsychol. 41, 337–371 (1976)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fisler, G.F.: Mammalian organizational system. Contrib. Sci., Los Angeles Co. Mus. 167, 1–32 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • Geist, V.: The evolution of horn-like organs. Behaviour 20, 377–416 (1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hafez, E.S.E.: The behavior of domestic animals. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co. 1969

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmeister, D.: Mammals of the Grand Canyon. Urbana: Univ. Illinois Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, J.H.: Ecology and social behavior of the coati, Nausua narica, on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 60, 95–222 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, J.H.: Is territory definable? In: Behavior and environment, (ed. A.H. Esser), p. 36–40. New York: Plenum Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsey, K.P.: Social organization in a laboratory colony of wood rats, Neotoma fuscipes. In: Behavior and environment (ed. A.H. Esser), p. 45–45. New York: Plenum Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H.: Zur Sozialstruktur des Steppenzebras (Equus quagga boehmi Matschie). Naturwissenschaften 51, 347 (1964)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H.: Notes on the biology of the plains zebra (Equus quagga boehmi Matschie). E. Afr. Wildl. J. 3, 86–88 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H.: Social organization and behavior of Hartmann and Mountain zebras (E. zebra hartmannae and E. z. zebra). Z. Tierpsychol. 25, 76–88 (1968)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H.: Social behavior of African Equdae. Zoologie African 7, 175–186 (1972)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H.: A comparison of the social behaviour of the Equidae. In: The behaviour of ungulates and its relation to management (eds. V. Geist, F. Walther), p. 124–132. Morges, Switzerland: IUCN 24, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Klingel, H., Klingel, U.: Die Geburt eines Zebras (Equus quagga boehmi Matschie). Z. Tierpsychol. 24, 580–624 (1967)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leyhausen, P.: Dominance and territoriality as complemented in mammalian social structure. In: Behavior and environment (ed. A.H. Esser), p. 22–33. New York: Plenum Press 1971

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McCullough, D.R.: The tule elk, its history, behavior, and ecology. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 88, 1–209 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  • McHugh, T.: Social behavior in the American buffalo (Bison bison bison). Zoologia 43, 1–37 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • McKnight, T.L.: The feral horses in Anglo-America. Geog. Rev. 49, 506–525 (1959)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKnight, T.L.: Feral livestock in Anglo-America. Univ. Calif. Publ. Geog. 16, 1–81 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Moehlman, P.D.: Behavior and ecology of feral asses (Equus asinus). Unpubl. dissertation, Univ. Wisconsin, Madison 1974

    Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, G.G.: Some aspects of the sociality of the domestic horse. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 60, 419–424 (1957)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelligrini, S.: Home range, territoriality, and movement patterns of wild horses in the Wassuk Range of western Nevada. Unpublished thesis, Univ. Nevada, Reno 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryden, H.: On the track of the West's wild horses. Nat. Geog. 1971, 94–109 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryden, H.: America's last wild horses. New York: Ballantine Books 1972

    Google Scholar 

  • Tembrock, G.: Land mammals. In: Animal communication (ed. T. Sebeok), p. 338–404. Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press 1968

    Google Scholar 

  • Trumler, E.: Das “Rossigkeitsgesicht” und ähnliches Ausdrucksverhalten bei Einhufern. Z. Tierpsychol. 16, 478–488 (1959)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, S.: The behaviour and social organization of the New Forest ponies. Anim. Behav. Monog. 5, 1–196 (1972)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Berger, J. Organizational systems and dominance in feral horses in the Grand Canyon. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2, 131–146 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361898

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361898

Keywords

Navigation