The Main Behaviors Of Captive Forest Musk Deer During Mating And Non-mating Season

We studied behaviors of six adult male captive forest musk deers, with focal sampling andall-occurrences recording methods from May9to June28and November2to December5in2012and the experiment were conducted at breeding center of forest musk deer in Pien Tze Huangmusk deer industry Co., Ltd.of Shaanxi. The rhythm of outdoor activities and the time andfrequency of7main behaviors was recorded. And we carried attractive experiment of three malemusk deer from January16to February28,2013. Experiments using male and female forest muskdeer feces and urine in different periods to attract male musk deer, recorded the whole day andnight of the male musk deer sniffing time and frequency, the main findings are as follows:Calculating the diurnal activity rhythm of the activity as outdoor to day time percentage bycaptive forest musk deer. The diurnal activity time in non-mating season accounted for19.01%ofthe whole day. During non-mating season, activity peaks of forest musk deer were occurred atdawn (01:00-05:00) and dusk (19:00-20:00). The diurnal activity time in mating season accountedfor22.05%of the whole day. During mating season, activity peaks of forest musk deer wereoccurred at dawn (04:00-07:00) and dusk (17:00-21:00). They both appeared as bimodal peak andwere very significantly different (p<0.01).Compared the difference of the main behaviors between mating season and non-matingseason. Environmental sniffing, to-fro-walking, moving were expressed significantly morefrequent in the mating season than non-mating season(P<0.01). Urinating was expressedsignificantly more frequent in the mating season than non-mating season(P<0.05). Whilestanding-gazing and tail-rubbing were not significantly different (P>0.05). At the same time,compared with non-mating season, males expressed more environmental sniffing, standing, gazing,moving, urinating, and less bedding and tail-rubbing in the mating season. The activity frequencyof to-fro-walking was expressed significantly higher than in non-mating season (p<0.01);thefrequency of environmental sniffing and urinating was significantly higher than in non-matingseason (p<0.05).The frequency of moving was higher than in non-mating season, but thedifference was not significant (p>0.05).The frequency of bedding was expressed significantlylower than in non-mating season (p<0.01);the frequency of standing, gazing and tail-rubbing waslower than in non-mating season, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). Compared the changes of activity rhythm of male musk deer in mating season when collocating different attractive objects. Affected by the attractions, the activity rhythm of male musk deer was changing. It increased significantly higher than the control group from20:00to1:00, decreased significantly from06:00to10:00.Compared the difference of attractions between mating season and non-mating season Male musk deer sniffing time of mating season of female’s feces, female’s urine, and male’s urine was significantly higher than non-mating season, there was a significant difference (P<0.05). Male sniffing time of mating season of male’s feces was higher than non-mating season, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Male musk deer sniffing frequency of mating season of female’s feces, female’s urine, male’s feces and male’s urine was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05);Male musk deer sniffing frequency of mating season of female’s feces, female’s urine, male’s feces and male’s urine was higher than the non-mating season, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05).Male musk deer sniffing frequency of non-mating season of female’s feces, female’s urine, male’s feces and male’s urine was higher than the control group, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05).Compared the difference among four attractive objects. Sniffing time of male’s feces, female’s feces, male’s urine and female’s urine was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05)Sniffing time of male’s feces was significantly higher than the male’s urine (P<0.05), Sniffing time of male’s feces was significantly higher than that of female urine (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the time of male and female’s feces (P>0.05). there were no significant differences between the time of male and female’s urine (P>0.05) Sniffing time of male and female’s feces was significantly higher than male and female’s urine (P<0.05).Sniffing frequency of male’s feces, female’s feces and female’s urine was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05),Sniffing frequency of male’s urine was higher than the control group, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05);Sniffing frequency of male’s feces was higher than male’s urine, female’s feces and female’s urine, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05);Sniffing frequency of female’s feces was higher than male’s urine and female’s urine, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05);Sniffing frequency of female’s urines was higher than male’s urine, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05).The results showed that male musk deer has attracted by feces and urine, but the effect of attractiveness of feces was significantly better than urine. There was no significant differences between genders.