| Syrmaticus ellioti was the class I animal protected in China.As an endemic pheasants that had been successfully fed and bred in captivity,its behaviors were of great significance to the conservation of feeding and breeding of other endangered pheasants.To promote the scientific feeding and breeding of the S.ellioti in captivity,the surveillance videos from September 2021 to August 2022 were observed to collect data,which to gain insight into seasonal behavioral rhythms and behavioral time allocation and their relationship to environmental factors in this paper.The main research results were as followed:1.The descriptive ethogram and PAE ethogram of the S.ellioti in captivity were constructed by observing the behaviors.The behaviors of the S.ellioti in captivity that included seven postures and fourty-five actions were divided into seven categories in descriptive ethogram,which were locomotion,rest,feeding,clearing up,vigilance,breeding and socialization,respectively.2.The results that analyzing the behavioral rhythms and behavioral time allocation of the S.ellioti in captivity showed:(1)There were significantly sex differences in the behavioral time allocation of some behaviors of the S.ellioti in captivity.In spring,there was a significantly sexual difference in locomotion(t=-6.153,n=129,P<0.001),rest(Z=-8.537,n=129,P<0.001),feeding(Z=-11.124,n=129,P<0.001),breeding(Z=-14.19,n=129,P<0.001)and socialization(Z=-5.752,n=129,P<0.001);in summer,there was a significantly sexual difference in feeding(Z=-3.996,n=58,P<0.001);in autunm,there was a significantly sexual difference in feeding(Z=-2.666,n=18,P=0.008);in winter,there was a significantly sexual difference in rest(Z=-4.172,n=46,P<0.001),feeding(t=-6.058,n=46,P<0.001)and socialization(Z=-4.093,n=46,P<0.001).(2)There were significantly seasonal differences in time allocation with every behavior of the S.ellioti in captivity.There were significantly seasonal differences in the time allocation of all behaviors of the males in locomotion(F=2.653,P=0.049),rest(χ~2=16.352,df=3,P=0.001),feeding(F=18.302,P<0.001),clearing up(F=22.062,P<0.001),vigilance(χ~2=36.609,df=3,P<0.001),breeding(χ~2=20.473,df=1,P<0.001)and socialization(χ~2=53.070,df=3,P<0.001);there were significantly seasonal differences in the time allocation of all behaviors of the females in locomotion(χ~2=58.247,df=3,P<0.001),rest(χ~2=88.650,df=3,P<0.001),feeding(χ~2=20.880,df=3,P<0.001),clearing up(χ~2=75.861,df=3,P<0.001),vigilance(χ~2=76.216,df=3,P=0.014),breeding(χ~2=6.057,df=1,P=0.014)and socialization(χ~2=93.314,df=3,P<0.001).(3)Environmental factors had significant effect on the activity time of the S.ellioti in captivity.Model I showed: daily average temperature(β=0.031,df=1003,P<0.001),daily average humidity(β=0.317,df=1003,P=0.031),precipitation(β=0.004,df=1003,P=0.003)positively influenced activity time;and sunrise time(β=-0.018,df=1003,P<0.001)was negatively influenced activity time.Model Ⅱ showed: the level of sunny(β=0.081,df=1003,P<0.001),sunset(β=0.016,df=1003,P=0.002),daily average temperature(β=0.044,df=1003,P<0.001)and precipitation(β=0.005,df=1003,P<0.001)positively influenced activity time.3.The results that observing breeding behaviors of the S.ellioti in captivity found:(1)There were three forms of courtship display,which were initial and oestrous display,deep and oestrous display and post-copulatory display respectively;(2)The process of copulating was long and the success rate was extremely low due to the females adopted the breeding pattern which only once copulation occurred during a breeding cycle;(3)The rhythm of laying eggs was once in two days or twice in three days,and the time of laying eggs was mainly concentrated at 15:01-19:00 and the peak period of laying eggs was at 18:01-18:30. |
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