Research On Vigilance Behavior And Grouping Of Mongolian Gazelle(Procapra Gutturosa) During Lambing Around Dalai Lake,Inner Mongolia

With the methods of line transect, group scan sampling and focal animal sampling we carried out the research on the grouping behavior and the relationship between the vigilance and group size of Mongolian gazelle(Procapra gutturosa) from2012to2013around Lake Dalai, Inner Mongolia, China. The results are as follows:1. From June to August2012, we recorded348Mongolian gazelle groups, total number was2004. At the same time, we observed4male individual. The largest group size was25, the average group size was5.76, and the typical group size (TGS) was7.32,59.77%of the group were composed of4-7individual. According to the characteristics, the group can be divided into:1) male group a total of54, the average group size was2.98±0.19, accounting for15.52%;2) mixed group a total of107, the average group size was8.15±0.75, accounting for30.75%;3) female with juveniles group a total of187, the average group size was5.29±0.48, accounting for53.74%.2. From June to August2013, we recorded565Mongolian gazelle groups, total number was3382. At the same time, we observed34male individual and13male individual. The largest group size was29, the average group size was5.53, and the typical group size (TGS) was7.82,51.7%of the group were composed of4-7individuals. According to the characteristics, the group could be divided into:1) male group a total of27. the average group size was2.67±0.23, accounting for4.78%;2) female group a total of17, the average group size was2.65±0.17, accounting for3.01%;3) mixed group a total of229, the average group size was7.94±0.68, accounting for40.53%;4) female with juveniles group a total of292. the average group size was4.79±0.26. accounting for51.68%.3. The variation of group size changed little during lambing period, the group size mostly was the range from4to7, reached59.77%and51.7%respectively, there was no large group size of Mongolian gazelle during lambing period. The group size more than10was rare and account for small proportion, reached7.18%and12.74%respectively. The optimal number of the gazelle size was4-7.4. Mongolian gazelle appeared sexual segregation phenomenon. The proportion of sexual segregation of Mongolian gazelle during lambing period was relatively small, and the scale was small. In the year of2012, male group a total of54, the average group size was2.98±0.19. accounting for15.52%, and there was no female group. In the year of2013. male group a total of27, the average group size was2.67±0.23, accounting for4.78%; female group a total of17, the average group size was2.65±0.17, accounting for3.01%.5. Mongolian gazelles’grouping has great fluctuation; we found that a larger group would be dispersed into several small groups subjected to external disturbance, sometimes a few small groups gathered together, forming a larger group. The group types of Mongolian gazelle during lambing period were basically similar, which are composed of male group, female with juveniles group and mixed group. The main group type of Mongolian gazelle is female with juveniles group and mixed group, and the male group and female group were little.6. Vigilance distance decreased significantly with increase in group size up to10individuals then the vigilance distance decrease is not so obviously.7. When the group size was10to19, the vigilance distance decrease was not so obviously. When the group size continued to increase, the vigilance distance sharply decreased with increasing of the group size.8. The vigilance time sharply decreased with increase of group size, when the group size below10. The vigilance time decrease was not so obviously when the group size was up to10. Data indicated that the vigilance time changed in a certain range.