| Musk secreted from musk pods of adult male musk deer is a kind of precious medical material. And as an excellent perfume fixative, it is extensively used in perfume industries. Due to loss of habitat and overuse, musk deer ahave been extremely endangered and listed as wildlife under state first class protection. Domestication of musk deer is an important way of ex-situ conservation, while understanding of its behavior patterns is the prerequisite and basis of successful domestication.This research was carried out in Ma’erkang Musk Deer Farm in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan during October 2013 to July 2014. Using the method of combination of focus sampling and continuous record, the research carried out focus sampling in all behavior patterns of domesticated forest musk deer (6 males,32 female) in the farm and used continuous record method to record behaviors like movements of musk deer and recorded deliveries in 2014. Basis on the records of behavior, analyzing the difference of behavioral diversity between rutting and parturient period, and the influence factors of reproduction expectation in captive musk deer. The main research results are as follows:1. During the rutting period (from October to January in the following year), the index of behavioral diversity among different age groups in females differed remarkably (P=0.031<0.05). Multiple tests showed that the behavioral diversity of age 2 was remarkably higher than that of age 4 (P=0.022<0.05) and age 6 (P=0.020<0.05). The behavioral diversity of age 5 was remarkably higher than that of age 7 (P=0.012<0.05) and extremely higher than that of age 8 (P=0.002<0.01). By and large, the behavioral diversity in female musk deer during the rutting period had a tendency to reduce as they grew older. During rutting period, the behavioral diversity among different age groups of male musk deer did not differ remarkably (P=0.748>0.05). That is to say, the behavioral diversity in males had no remarkable change as the domestication time increased. Tests on behavioral diversity between two sexes respectively showed that during the rutting period, the index of behavioral diversity in male musk deer was remarkably higher than that of females (P=0.031<0.05).2. During the parturient period (from April to July), the index of behavioral diversity among different age groups in females are significant different (P=0.045<0.05). Multiple tests showed that the behavioral diversity in female musk deer of age 2 was remarkably higher than that of age 3 (P=0.026<0.05). The behavioral diversity of age 6 was remarkably higher than that of age 5 (P=0.035<0.05) and extremely higher than that of age 8 (P=0.003<0.01). The behavioral diversity in female musk deer during the parturient period decreased as they grew older. The behavioral diversity in female musk deer during the rutting period differed from parturient period. The behavioral diversity of female musk deer during rutting period had a tendency that higher than parturient period, but the difference did not reach the remarkable level (P=0.061).3. The behavioral frequency between the rutting period and parturient period were compared as follows:the behavioral frequency of resting in female musk deer during the parturient period (42.31±5.12, n=32) was remarkably higher than rutting period (31.21±4.22, n=29) (P=0.016<0.05). Environmental sniffing during the rutting period (35.09±4.78, n=29) was extremely higher than the parturient period (26.21±5.32, n=32) (P=0.003<0.01). The behavioral frequency of moving during the rutting period (18.42±2.41, n=29) was higher than the parturient period (12.59±6.21, n=32) but the difference was not remarkable (P=0.096>0.05). Besides, distribution frequency of standing-gazing, ingesting, ruminating and eliminate in female musk deer between the rutting period and parturient period were all not remarkable (P=0.115>0.05; P=0.136 >0.05; P=0.093>0.05; P=0.189>0.05). Frequency of stereotypic behavior during the rutting period (8.71±2.61, n=29) was remarkably higher than parturient period (4.21±3.22, n=32) (P=0.045<0.05).4. Average delivery time in Ma’erkang Musk Deer Farm in 2014 was on June 1st (±15.79). The earliest delivery was on April 28th and the latest delivery was on July 12th. The delivery season lasted for 50 days. The death rate of male babies was higher than female babies. The age of female musk deer had an effect on the death rate of offspring. The female musk deer of 2 years old who gave birth at first time, had an extreme higher death rate of offspring than females of 3 to 9 years old (P=0.007<0.01).5. The behavioral diversity during the rutting and parturient period in Ma’erkang captive musk deer both can affect the reproduction expectation. The higher of the index of behavioral diversity in female musk deer during the rutting period was, the lower the death rate of their babies was. But the relevance between the two was not remarkable (r=0.34±0.11; P=0.089>0.05). The behavioral diversity of female musk deer during the parturient period was remarkably positively related to the death rate of their babies (r=0.29±0.06; P=0.037<0.05). That is to say, the higher of behavioral diversity in female musk deer was, the larger the death rate of their babies was. The behavioral diversity in fathers during rutting period had an effect on the death rate of offspring, which the rate had a decreasing tendency as the rise of the diversity (P=0.041<0.05). |
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