Maternal strategies in sable antelope, Hippotragus niger: Factors affecting variability in maternal retrieval of hiding calves
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1996 |
Authors: |
Katerina V. Thompson |
Publication/Journal: |
Zoo Biology |
Publisher: |
A Wiley Company, Inc., Wiley Subscription Services |
Keywords: |
behavioral development, mother-infant interactions, ungulate behavior |
ISBN: |
1098-2361 |
Abstract:
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1996)15:6<555::AID-ZOO2>3.3.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 Front Royal, Virginia. When a calf moved away from its mother to hide, the mother tended to be 10 or more body lengths away and facing away from the calf. The presence of maternal vocalizations and the mother’s ability to orient to the calf’s resting site prior to calf activity periods were dependent on the age of the calf and whether the calf was lying alone or with other calves. The presence of maternal vocalizations and the ability of a mother to orient toward her calf were negatively related, with the mother vocalizing only when her calf could not be located visually. Variability in maternal behavior when searching for hidden calves was best explained by differences in calf conspicuousness. A mother apparently remembered only the general area in which her calf was lying, and not the precise location. Comparison of this study with previous studies of captive sable antelope suggests that mother-infant interactions are strongly influenced by enclosure size and the availability of tall vegetation; therefore, behaviors of individuals observed in small captive enclosures lacking tall vegetation may not be representative of those in the wild. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.