| For the purpose of researching the reproductive behavior regularity of Chinese water deer(Hydropotes inermis) and approaching the impact to the5main daily behaviors of the appearance of reproductive behavior,the relation between the behaviors and the change of steroid hormone level, twenty reproductive behaviors of10(4(?),6(?)) and six territory behaviors of6male captive Hydropotes inermis were observed from May2011to August2012by means of focal sampling, instantaneous scan sampling and all-occurrence recoding method in the Huaxia Park of Pudong New District in Shanghai. The methods were combined to record the frequency and the duration of reproductive behavior and other behaviors. Besides, fresh fecal samples were collected from focal animals and stored in the refrigerators at-20℃. The testosterone (T), estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) concentrations were measured by Radioimmunoassay (RIA) after extracted the hormone from fecal samples. We investigated the behavior ethogram and regularity of20reproductive behaviors and5main daily behaviors among10captive female and male individuals, the behavior ethogram and regularity of territory behavior among6male individuals in estrus, the change of fecal steroid concentrations and the relation between the reproductive behavior and the change of steroid hormone level. The consequence of the observation and analysis were as followes:In estrus of the reproductive cycle of Hydropotes inermis, there were significant differences of the frequency and duration of many estrus behaviors among months (P<0.05), such as defecating-marking, latrine sniffing, frequent urinating and singing of the males, and mount refusing of the females. In nursing period of2011, the frequency and duration of females showed significant differences among month (P<0.05). Between estrus and non-estrus, as to males, there were significant differences of the frequency and duration of many estrus behaviors (P<0.05), such as defecating-marking, anogenital sniffing, frequent urinating, self penis-licking, forhead scrap-marking and singing. The frequency and duration of all reproductive behaviors were higher in estrus than non-estrus. As to females, the frequency of mount permitting showed significant difference (P<0.05), both frequency and duration of mount refusing had no significant differences (P>0.05). However, the frequency and duration of both estrous behaviors were higher in estrus than non-estrus. In the nursing period and non-nursing period, only the frequency and duration of nursing, sniffing fawn and licking fawn showed significant differences (P<0.05).As to the time budget of frequency of5main daily behaviors between breeding season and non-breeding season, to males, standing showed more significant differences in estrus and non-estrus (P<0.01). And there were no significant differences of resting, feeding, ruminating and moving (P<0.05). In addition to ruminating and estrous behavior, the time budget of frequency of rest main daily behaviors were lower in estrus than those of non-estrus. To females, standing also showed significant difference in estrus and non-estrus (P<0.05), and resting, feeding, ruminating and moving showed no significant differences (P>0.05). Except for ruminating, moving and estrous behavior, the time budget of frequency of rest main daily behaviors were lower in estrus than those of non-estrus. Between nursing season and non-nursing season, all of the5main daily behaviors showed no significant differences (P>0.05). In addition to feeding, ruminating and nursing behavior, the time budget of frequency of rest behaviors were lower in nursing season than those in non-nursing season.As males, there were more significant differences of the level of testosterone among months (P<0.01), and there were significant differences of the level of testosterone between estrus and non-estrus (P <0.05). The concentrations of testosterone were higher in estrus than non-estrus. As females, there were more significant differences of the level of progesterone among months (P<0.01), but significant differences of the level of estradiol (P<0.05). However, during the reproductive cycle of Hydropotes inermis, there were no significant differences in estradiol and progesterone levels neither estrus and non-estrus nor nursing period and non-nursing period (P>0.05). The frequency of many reproductive behaviors had more significant positive correlation with testosterone levels (P<0.01), such as forhead scrap-marking, defecating-marking, forehead-marking sniffing and self penis-licking, and there were significant positive correlation between the frequency of chasing, mounting and singing and testosterone levels (P<0.05), illustrating that the reproductive behavior of males were regulated by testosterone. Seasonal fluctuations of testosterone were the physiological basis of seasonal changes of reproductive behavior in males. To females, only calling fawn was significantly correlated with progesterone (P<0.05) and nursing and sniffing fawn was significantly correlated with estradiol (P<0.05), suggesting that estrogen and progesterone regulated the breeding cycle of females, but the regulation was weak. The occurrence of reproductive behavior might be related to other factors which need to be do further research.Around the nursing season, to the frequency of main daily behaviors of females, only a few were correlated with estradiol and progesterone, such as standing and estradiol was more significantly positive correlated (P<0.01), and moving was significantly correlated with estradiol (P<0.05). Standing and feeding were significantly correlated with progesterone(P<0.05). Around the Estrus, to the frequency of main daily behaviors of males, feeding and ruminating were more significantly correlated with testosterone (P<0.01), resting and testosterone showed significant positive correlation (P<0.05). To females, moving and estradiol were more positively correlated (P<0.01), resting and standing showed significant positive correlation with estradiol (P<0.05), and there were positively correlation between resting and moving and progesterone (P<0.05).Of the territory behaviors of males, the frequency of fighting and threatening showed significant differences among month(P<0.05) and displacing, chasing and defecating-marking had more significant differences among month (P<0.01). All of the frequency of6territory behaviors were higher in November than other months. There were more significant differences of fighting, threatening and defecating-marking (P <0.01) and significant differences of forehead scrap-marking (P<0.05) between estrus and non-estrus. All of the frequency of6territory behaviors were higher in estrus than non-estrus. As the concentrations of testosterone, there were no significant differences among months (P>0.05), but it had significant differences between estrus and non-estrus (P <0.05). Of the frequency of6territory behaviors, the frequency of forehead scrap-marking, defecating-marking and threatening were more significantly correlated with testosterone levels (P<0.01), the frequency of fighting had significant correlation with the levels of testosterone (P<0.05). However, the frequency of displacing and chasing had no significant correlation with the levels of testosterone (P>0.05). |
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