Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal behavioral patterns of captive alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus): Rut and pre-rut comparisons

  • Full Paper
  • Published:
Biologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus), well-known for their musk production, are endemic to western China. Due to historical unrestricted illegal hunting and habitat loss, captive farming has been employed as a means of conserving this endangered species and developing sustainable musk harvesting techniques. For captive animals, an understanding of behavioral characteristics is vital to improve management practices. This study addressed a lack of information regarding the behavioral characteristics of alpine musk deer; specifically daily activity patterns in respect to gender and reproductive season. From August 2002 to January 2003, focal sampling was employed to observe 32 adult captive alpine musk deer (13 females and 19 males), at Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm (XMDF), located at Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve, Gansu Province, China. Results indicated that the general behavioral patterns were similar between female and male captive alpine musk deer throughout both reproductive and non-reproductive seasons (rut and pre-rut season). Both male and female alpine musk deer demonstrated tail-pasting behavior during rut season, a previously male-only behavior trait. Female musk deer also rested comparatively more than males during pre-rut season.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

  • Dimond S. & Lazarus J. 1974. The problem of vigilance in animal life. Brain. Behav. Evol. 9: 60–79. DOI 10.1159/000123655

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Du W. & Sheng H. 1996. The research on the relationship of mother-young in captive forest musk deer. Acta Theriol. Sin. 16: 89–94. [in Chinese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Green M.J.B. 1987. Scent-marking in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster). J. Zool. 1: 721–737.

    Google Scholar 

  • Homes V. 1999. On the Scent: Conserving Musk Deer, the Uses of Musk and Europe’s Role in its Trade, TRAFFIC Network, 57 pp.

  • Jiang Y. 1998. The reproduction of the captive alpine musk deer. Chin. J. Zool. 21(4): 23–25. [in Chinese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng X., Yang Q. & Feng Z. 2003a. Timing and synchrony of parturition in alpine musk deer. Folia Zool. 52: 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng X., Yang Q. & Feng Z. 2003b. The temporal estrous patterns of female alpine musk deer in captivity. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 82: 75–85. DOI 10.1016/S0168-1591(03)00013-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng X., Zhou C., Hu J., Li C., Meng Z., Feng J., Zhou Y. & Zhu J. 2006. The musk deer farming in China. Anim. Sci. 82: 1–6. DOI 10.1079/ASC200516

    Google Scholar 

  • Parry-Jones R. & Wu J.Y. 2001. Musk Deer Farming as Conservation Tool in China. TRAFFIC Network, 36 pp.

  • Relyea R.A. & Demarais S. 1994. Desert mule deer activity of during the breeding season. J. Mammal. 75: 940–949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruckstuhl K.E., Festa-Bianchet M. & Jorgenson J.T. 2003. Bite rates in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) effects of season, age, sex and reproductive status. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 54: 167–173. DOI 10.1007/s00265-003-0615-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Schütz K.E., Forkman B. & Jensen P. 2001. Domestication effects on foraging strategy, social behavior and different fear responses: a comparison between the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) and a modern layer strain. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 74: 1–14. DOI 10.1016/S0168-159(01)00156-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheng H. & Ohtaishi N. 1993. The status of deer in China, pp. 1–11. In: Ohtaishi N. & Sheng H. (eds), Deer of China: Biology and Management, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi J., Dunbar R.I.M., Buckland D. & Millar D. 2003. Daytime activity budgets of feral goats (Capra hircus) on the Isle of Rum: influence of season, age, and sex. Can. J. Zool. 81: 803–815. DOI 10.1139/z03-055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokolov V.E. 1984. Chemical communication of some species of rodents, ungulates and carnivores. Acta Zool. Fenn. 171: 67–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang B. 1979. The taming and raising of musk deer. Agriculture Press, Beijing, China, pp. 43–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Y., Meng X., Feng J., Yang Q., Feng Z., Xia L. & Bartoš L. 2004. Review of the distribution, status and conservation of musk deer in China. Folia Zool. 53: 129–140.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Life and Environment Sciences, Central University for Nationalities, Beijing, 100081, China

    Xiuxiang Meng, Genevieve C. Perkins, Jinchao Feng & Dongjing Zhang

  2. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, China

    Xiuxiang Meng, Qisen Yang & Zuojian Feng

  3. College of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China

    Xiuxiang Meng & Hongfa Xu

Authors
  1. Xiuxiang Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qisen Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zuojian Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hongfa Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Genevieve C. Perkins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jinchao Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Dongjing Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiuxiang Meng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Meng, X., Yang, Q., Feng, Z. et al. Seasonal behavioral patterns of captive alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus): Rut and pre-rut comparisons. Biologia 63, 594–598 (2008). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-008-0085-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-008-0085-0

Key words

Search

Navigation