Effect of ecological adaptation on suckling behaviour in three zebra species

PLUHÁČEK, J., OLLÉOVÁ, M., BARTOŠOVÁ, J. & BARTOŠ, L. Effect of ecological adaptation on suckling behaviour in three zebra species. Behaviour, 2012, roč. 149, s. 1395-1411. {INTLINK}
PLUHÁČEK, Jan, OLLÉOVÁ, Michaela,, BARTOŠOVÁ, Jitka and BARTOŠ, Luděk. Effect of ecological adaptation on suckling behaviour in three zebra species. Behaviour, 2012, 149, 1395-1411. ISSN 0005-7959.
Year2012
CathegoryScientific publication in impacted journals
Internal link12207.pdf
Abstract

The three existing zebra species differ in their ecology: in the wild, mountain (Equus zebra) and Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) live in an arid environment while plains zebra (Equus quagga) inhabit savannah. Interspecific differences in maternal care in terms of suckling bout duration and frequency are thought to be based on the ecological adaptations of equid species. However, other studies showed that suckling bout duration and frequency cannot reflect maternal investment. The aim of this study was to re-evaluate the suggestion of previous studies that suckling behaviour is influenced by environmental adaptations in equids using rejection and termination of suckling bouts in three captive zebra species kept in the same facility. Suckling behaviour of all three zebra species was observed over a period of 31 months at the Dvur Kralove Zoo, Czech Republic. We found that Grevy’s and mountain zebra showed a lower rate of rejection and termination of suckling bouts by the mother than plains zebra. Therefore, mothers of species that evolved in a more arid habitat were more tolerant towards their offspring than those of species that evolved in a mesic habitat. Thus, our results confirmed that parent-offspring conflict in terms of suckling bout termination and rejection seems to be affected by ecological adaptation.