Suckling behaviour and allonursing in the Apennine chamois

Scornavacca, Davide; Cotza, Antonella; Lovari, Sandro; Ferretti, Francesco

doi:10.1080/03949370.2017.1423115

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…In lac-tating females, glucocorticoid secretion is associated with higher frequency and intensity of suckling stimuli (Walker et al 1992;Pavitt et al 2016). Accordingly, frequency of suckling events decreased from July to October, in our study population (Scornavacca et al 2016(Scornavacca et al , 2018. Romero (2002) reported that Bthe seasonal variation of basal glucocorticoid concentration is species/sex-specific and depends on the relative energetic costs of the different seasons for each species and on life-history patterns^.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

“…The best food resources for Apennine chamois include snowbed vegetation dominated by Trifolium thalii and other nutritious forbs, which grow in patches, on slightly acidic terrain with prolonged snow cover (Ferrari et al 1988). Lactation peaks in summer (Scornavacca et al 2016(Scornavacca et al , 2018, which imposes heavy energetic demands upon fe-males (Gross et al 1995;Ruckstuhl et al 2003;Froy et al 2016;Pavitt et al 2016). In summer, females select high-quality foraging sites (Ferrari et al 1988), which may in-crease the probability of having to challenge a lactating conspecific over a rich food resource (Boness et al 1982;McDonough 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mixed group of chamois with adult females, yearlings, and juveniles graze on alpine meadows from late spring-early summer (af-ter parturition and snowmelt) to late autumn-early winter (Lovari and Cosentino 1986;Bruno and Lovari 1989). Nursing lasts until October, at least (Scornavacca et al 2016(Scornavacca et al , 2018. Male chamois are solitary outside the rut, mainly living in forests, at lower altitudes (Lovari and Cosentino 1986).…”

Section: Study Area and Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The phenology of forbs in the high grasslands of the Apennines shows the typical seasonal trend of vegetation growth in temperate habitats: pasture qual-ity increases from the green-up after snow melt, in late May-early June, to a peak in July, and then decreases from late August to autumn/early winter (Ferrari et al 1988;Primi et al 2016). Accordingly, maternal care by female chamois peaks in early summer and decreases with approaching au-tumn (Scornavacca et al 2016(Scornavacca et al , 2018; see also Ruckstuhl and Ingold 1994, for Northern chamois R. rupicapra).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Age, seasonality, and correlates of aggression in female Apennine chamois

Fattorini

Lovari

Brunetti

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Intrinsic and environmental stressors, such as age and seasonality, may influence social behavior and endocrine levels in gregarious foragers, but little is known about how season and age affect both behavioral and physiological responses. We evaluated seasonal/age variation of aggression and vigilance, and seasonal/age variation of endocrine levels (fecal cortisol and testosterone metabolites), in a gregarious herbivore, the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata. We examined a period of decreasing resource abundance and maternal care from July to October, a key period for nursing, weaning, and early growth of offspring. Aggression rate, vigilance, and cortisol levels decreased throughout July-October, while aggression intensity showed the reverse. Aggression intensity peaked when chamois were on the most nutritious vegetation patches. Dominance increased with age, and prime-aged females (4-8 years old) showed higher cortisol and testosterone levels and were involved in aggressive interactions more often than subadult or older females. Our findings suggest that, in early summer, when nursing effort is the greatest, selection of nutritious food patches leads to frequent encounters between female chamois, enhancing aggression rate, vigilance, and endogenous stress response. The progressive decrease in food abundance throughout July-October triggers competition for scarce resources and increased intensity of aggression. Most likely, the energetic demands of lactation and offspring guarding were key determinants of behavioral and physiological stress of female chamois. Our results suggest a multi-factorial compromise between reproductive state and stress levels, in a group-living species. Significance statementThe cost of motherhood: in female chamois, aggression, vigilance, and stress peak during lactation, despite abundant food resources. In females, aggression and dominance increase with age. A multi-factorial compromise between reproductive stage and stress may be necessary in a group-living animal. We suggest that motherhood is a stressful event for female chamois.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Area and Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Age, seasonality, and correlates of aggression in female Apennine chamois

Fattorini

Lovari

Brunetti

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…Female Apennine chamois give birth on cliffs between May and June; herds with adult females, immatures, and kids graze on upper meadows from summer (i.e., after snowmelt and births) to early winter ( Lovari and Cosentino 1986 ; Bruno and Lovari 1989 ). Nursing peaks up to August ( Scornavacca et al 2018 ; cf. Ruckstuhl and Ingold 1994 , for R. rupicapra ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Joint effects of weather and interspecific competition on foraging behavior and survival of a mountain herbivore

2018

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Weather variations have the potential to influence species interactions, although effects on competitive interactions between species are poorly known. Both weather and competition can influence foraging behavior and survival of herbivores during nursing/weaning, a critical period in the herbivore life cycle. We evaluated the joint effects of weather and competition with red deer Cervus elaphus on the foraging behavior of adult female Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata in summer, and on winter survival of chamois kids. High temperature and low rainfall during the growing season of vegetation had negative effects on bite rate. Effects of weather were greater in forb patches, including cold-adapted, nutritious plants of key importance to chamois, than in graminoid ones. Our results confirm previous indications of a negative effect of competition on bite rate of female chamois and on kid survival. Furthermore, harsh weather conditions and competition with deer had additive, negative roles on foraging behavior and survival of chamois. Growing temperatures are expected to influence distribution, growth, and/or nutritional quality of plants; competition would reduce pasture quality and food availability through resource depletion. Both factors would limit food/energy intake rates during summer, reducing survival of the youngest cohorts in winter. We suggest that interspecific competition can be an important additive factor to the effects of weather changes on behavior and demography.

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