Research On Reproductive Behavior And Fecal Steroid In Captive Red-crowned Crane (Grus Japonensis)

From March 2005 to February 2006 the behavior of Red-crowned Crane were studied inHarbin North Forestry Zoo. Scan sampling and Focal sampling methods were utilized todetermine the behavior mode, and the fecal steroid concentrations were analyzed with theradioimmunoassay method including Testosterone, Progesterone and Estradiol. Pourpose of thisstudy is to find out the relationship between reproductive behavior and fecal steroid.The results are as followed:Six types of captive Red-crowned Crane behavior were observed in breeding season.Feeding, walking and body care are the most frequent behaviors during the breeding seasonwhich take up over 70%; One-way ANOVA was carried out to analyze the differences betweenthe male and female on behaviors and the result is that there is no significant differences(P＞0.05). Behaviors in non-breeding season is mainly constituted by feeding (46.60.05),watching (18.92%), body care (14.72%), walking (12.30%) and resting (7.40%).Time budged of the reproductive behavior is that antiphonal song 6.09%, jumping 5.10.05,mating 4.84%, nesting 4.60.05, precaution 10.44% and hatching 68.83%.There is significantdifference on nesting and precaution between male and female. The differences betweenmonths during breeding season are significant on antiphonal song, jumping, nesting and mating(P＜0.05).The time-active budget of captive Red-crowned Crane behavior shows circadian rhythmgenerally. During a whole day most of the behaviors in breeding or non-breeding season are ata significant difference level (P＜0.05, P＜0.01)The mean levels of testosterone, progesterone and estradiol are (259.59±149.70)ng/dl, (9.65±7.15) ng/ml and (30.50±61.77) pg/ml in breeding season,and The meanlevels of testosterone, progesterone and estradiol are (84.81±27.35) ng/dl, (2.76±0.97) ng/ml and (8.17±3.72) pg/ml in non-breeding season.It is found that the male antiphonal song, jumping, mating, nesting, precaution andhatching behavior, is correlated with the change of the concentration of the testosterone. Thisindicates that it's feasible to monitor the reproductive condition of the male Red-crownedCrane by analyzing the testosterone level. There is significant difference of the female hatchingbehavior correlated with the change of the progesterone's concentration (P＜0.05).And theresult shows that the correlation of the estradiol's level and reproductive behaviors is notsignificant.