Musk Secretion And Reproductive Behavior Of Captive Forest Musk Deer In Fujian

From October 2013 to June 2014, we carried out a study about musk secretion and reproductive behavior of Fujian Shanghang captive forest musk deer. Focus sampling and continuous behavior recording method are used to observe and record the behavior of captive forest musk deer. Ultimately, this study analyzed the relationship among musk secretion pattern and musk production of males, delivery and breeding behavior of female musk deer and behavior of the diversity of captive musk deer.The earliest male musk deer begin to secret musk at May 4, total duration of musk secretion are 6.375±0.641 days, among which preliminary musk secretion last 1.000±0.756 days, peak musk secretion duration sustains 3.500±1.604 days, latter musk secretion continues 1.875±0.641 days. In musk secretory phase, Male musk deer’s sachet and testicular swelling sagging heavily, and appear a food intake decline or even indigestion phenomenon, especially in the peak musk secretion days. The musk secretion start date of middle-aged males (3 to 12-year-old) is earlier (May 5±0.837 days) than the sub-adult (year old) and older individuals ((?) years), which musk secretion start date is at May 16. Similarly, peak musk secretion duration of middle-aged (4.2±1.63 days) males is longer than sub-adult and older individuals (2 days). In peak musk secretion period, index of behavior diversity was significantly lower than the pre-musk secretion times (Z= -2.034, P= 0.042).Musk production had a non-significant correlation (r=0.220, P=0.000<0.05) with age of male musk deer,2.5 years to 8.5 years adult males’musk production increases with age, while the aged (age≥15 years) individuals’musk production decreased with increasing age. The musk secretion starting early individuals have a higher musk production(r=-0.859, P=0.013＜0.05). Musk production had a non-significant correlation (r=0.622, P=0.136>0.05) with peak musk secretion duration and a negative correlation (r=-0.167, P=0.075 ＞0.05) with individual’s behavior diversity index.Female musk deer breeding dates from May 3 through May 12 June. Older aged females giving birth at an earlier date(May 5±4.879 day), and have a high rate of twins rate (80%), while the younger aged females’delivery dates are relatively reliable, and the number of young musk deer is mostly single. In estrus, both female (r=0.408, P=0.363>0.05) and male (r=0.729,P=0.063>0.05) individual which have a lower behavior diversity index then its delivery date is earlier than the higher behavior diversity index ones.Musk secretion period of male musk deer is May 4 to May 23 and parturition of female musk deer is May 3 to June 12. We find it has a there are overlapping and synchronization of musk secretion and parturition phase in time. So we can make a conclusion that the musk secretion of male musk deer may have ecological functions that is to promote parturition of female musk deer.