圈养大熊猫发情期间行为变化和活动节律研究

Behavioral Changes and Activity Rhythms of Captive Giant Pandas during the Breeding Season

在发情期,对动物行为时间分配和活动节律的认识将有助于濒危动物繁育质量的提高。大熊猫为季节性单次发情动物,雄性发情期可持续30 d左右,而雌性大熊猫为几天至十几天,高峰期仅为1--3 d,且有与雄性不同步发情的现象。因此,进行发情期行为学方面的研究则显得尤为重要。采用瞬时扫描取样法和全事件记录法,于2013年3月1日—4月30日对成都大熊猫繁育研究基地的8只发情期大熊猫进行行为时间变化和活动节律研究,每只每周记录2 d数据。结果表明：休息行为是发情期最主要的行为方式（雄性约46%,雌性约53%）,其次是摄食和运动行为,而探究、求适和发情行为则较少,发情行为主要出现在00∶00—03∶00、09∶00—11∶00和15∶00—17∶00等3个时段,可配对交配;发情期雌雄个体在休息、求适、运动和发情行为上的差异有高度统计学意义（P〈0.01）,在探究行为上的差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,而在摄食行为上的差异则无统计学意义;且发情、探究行为与运动行为呈显著正相关（P〈0.01）。对发情期圈养大熊猫昼夜活动行为的研究将为大熊猫的人工繁育及其配种提供行为学方面的理论依据。

Understanding the time budget and activity rhythms of animal behavior during the breeding season is critical to the success of captive breeding efforts. Giant panda, a highly endangered animal throughout their diminished wild range, exhibiting a seasonal estrus, and the peak period will last only 1 - 3 days per year. Thus, the study of giant panda behavior during the breeding season is especially important for the implement of ex situ conservation efforts and the maintain of captive population. Time budgets and activity rhythms of eight adult giant pandas （ two males and six females） at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding were studied over a two-month period from March to April of 2013, using instantaneous scan sampling and a/l-occurrence recording methods. We found that resting was the primary activity of the giant panda during the breeding season, followed by feeding and moving. Exploring, grooming, and breeding behaviors made up only a small proportion of the time budget. Breeding behavior occurred more frequently on 00：00 -03：00, 09：00- 11：00 and 15：00 - 17：00, indicating that these time periods may be important to the success of ex situ breeding techniques. Significant differences were observed between the proportion of time spent on resting, moving, exploring, grooming, and breeding behavior during these periods. We also found that exploring and breeding were correlated positively with moving （ P 〈 0. 01 ）. The results provided baseline information on the behaviors of giant pandas during the breeding season, and can be used to further improve the artificial breeding and mating programs.