Decision making in plant selection during the faecal-marking behaviour of wild wolves
The function of wolf, Canis lupus, faeces in chemical communication and the selection of raised and conspicuous substrates to increase their effectiveness as visual scent marks are well documented. Therefore, I hypothesized that faecal marks are not placed randomly on plants, and that wolves will select specific plants according to characteristics that enhance faeces as […]
Pregnancy diagnosis in wild canids using a commercially available relaxin assay
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20196.abs Accurate detection of pregnancy is a useful tool in zoo management and husbandry, conservation breeding programs and research settings. Our study evaluated the ability of a commercial relaxin hormone assay used in domestic dogs (ReproCHEKTM) to accurately detect pregnancy through plasma analysis in two wolf and two fox species. The relaxin assay detected […]
Activity patterns of predator and prey: a simultaneous study of GPS-collared wolves and moose
We studied the simultaneous activity patterns of a breeding wolf, Canis lupus, pair and five adult moose, Alces alces, cows from April to November 2004 in a wolf territory in southeastern Norway. All study animals were GPS collared, and we used a total of 8297 fixes to analyse their temporal activity patterns. We examined the […]
Differences in winter activity, courtship, and social behavior of two captive family groups of Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi)
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:53.3.CO;2-W The purpose of this study was to determine differences in activity patterns and social behavior of two groups of endangered Mexican wolves maintained at two quite different facilities and to determine some of the variables that should be considered when making specific behavioral comparisons among wolves in this binational captive breeding program. Quantitative […]
Ontogeny and phylogeny: both are essential to human-sensitive behaviour in the genus Canis
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A Proposed Ethogram of Large-Carnivore Predatory Behavior, Exemplified by the Wolf
Although predatory behavior is traditionally described by a basic ethogram composed of 3 phases (search, pursue, and capture), behavioral studies of large terrestrial carnivores generally use the concept of a “hunt” to classify and measure foraging. This approach is problematic because there is no consensus on what behaviors constitute a hunt. We therefore examined how […]
Predator and Heterospecific Stimuli Alter Behaviour in Cattle
Wild and domestic ungulates modify their behaviour in the presence of olfactory and visual cues of predators but investigations have not exposed a domestic species to a series of cues representing various predators and other ungulate herbivores.We used wolf (Canis lupus), mountain lion (Puma concolor), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) stimuli (olfactory and visual), and […]
Wolf socialization- A study of temperament in a wild social species
A detailed analysis was made of the process by which the wolf comes from a state of unfamiliarity and fear of humans to a state of familiarity and friendliness. The nature of the process was found to depend on the age of the animal as well as the technique employed by the experimenter. Although young […]
A method to assess relative preference for training and environmental enrichment in captive wolves (Canis lupus and Canis lupus arctos)
It is currently debated as to whether or not positive reinforcement training is enriching to captive animals. Although both husbandry training and environmental enrichment (EE) have been found to benefit animal welfare in captivity, to date, no systematic investigation has compared an animal’s preference for performing a trained behavior to engaging freely with a stimuli […]
Intranasal oxytocin and a polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor gene are associated with human-directed social behavior in golden retriever dogs
The oxytocin system may play an important role in dog domestication from the wolf. Dogs have evolved unique human analogue social skills enabling them to communicate and cooperate efficiently with people. Genomic differences in the region surrounding the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene have previously been associated with variation in dogs’ communicative skills. Here we have […]