Age‐based variation in calf independence, social behavior and play in a captive population of African elephant calves
African elephant calves are highly social and their behavioral development depends heavily on interactions with other elephants. Evaluating early social behaviors offers important information that can inform management decisions and maximize individual- and population-level welfare. We use data collected from the population of elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, CA to […]
The effect of early environment on neophobia in orange-winged Amazon parrots (Amazona amazonica)
Early experience is often a significant factor in shaping animals’ later behavior. Early maternal separation is associated with negative behavioral outcomes, such as increased fearfulness in rats, while higher levels of maternal grooming during the neonatal period are associated with decreased fearfulness and increased exploratory behavior. This finding may have implications for the welfare of […]
The development of feeding behaviour in wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Before being weaned, young primates must learn which plant species are suitable to eat, and how to process and combine them to meet their nutritional needs. This study provides a detailed investigation of the development of feeding behaviour in a wild population of western lowland gorillas observed in a bai habitat. The behaviour of 56 […]
Ontogeny of chick behavior: a tool for monitoring the growth and development of lesser adjutant storks
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20156.abs We studied the behavioral development of seven lesser adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus) chicks from hatching to fledging over three breeding seasons at the Bronx Zoo. We developed an ethogram and compared the rate at which behaviors appeared in relation to brood size, sex, and the conditions in which the chicks were raised by […]
Ontogeny of behavior of hand-reared and hen-reared captive houbara bustards
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1998)17:33.3.CO;2-# The ontogeny of behavior of hand-reared and hen-reared captive houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata) was recorded between hatching and fledging and compared to determine ways to improve the behavioral and physiological health of individuals destined for release into the wild. Chicks from both groups were able to walk and run on the first day […]
Maternal strategies in sable antelope, Hippotragus niger: Factors affecting variability in maternal retrieval of hiding calves
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1996)15:63.3.CO;2-3 Maternal behavior of wild ungulates has long been considered relatively invariant, yet recent reports from both wild and captive populations indicate considerable variability. Maternal behavioral tactics associated with the “hider” developmental strategy were investigated in six mother-infant pairs of sable antelope, Hippotragus niger, at the National Zoological Park’s Conservation and Research Center near […]
Unpredictable mild stressors on laying females influence the composition of Japanese quail eggs and offspring’s phenotype
Maternal stress effects on offspring development have been studied largely in rodents and primates, and to a lesser extent in farm animals. Potential lack of knowledge concerning prenatal stress on farm animals is regrettable because they are frequently subjected to a variety of husbandry stressors. Above all, effects of maternal stress on poultry offspring have […]
Behavioral and developmental consequences of early rearing experience for captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Mother-reared (MR) and peer-reared (PR) captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) cubs were compared to evaluate the effects of early removal from mother on behavioral development. Males and females and twins and singletons were compared to assess the effects of social setting on behavioral development. Subjects included 2 PR females, 3 MR females, 3 MR males, […]
Behavioral development and parental investment in captive Bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus)
The bongo is one of the least-studied of the Tragelaphini. In a study of five captive bongo calves, two males and three females, we measured several behaviors important to parental investment theory (Clutton-Brock et al., 1982), in order to describe their pattern in a rare species, and add to the database pertaining to sex allocation […]
The development of behaviour- trends since Tinbergen (1963)
Niko Tinbergen (1963) put behavioural development on the map as one of the four main problems in behavioural biology. Developmental research at the time was still in the grip of the nature/nurture debate. In his discussion, Tinbergen advocated an interactionist approach to development, which has been the main point of view in developmental research since […]