| Titre |
Vigilance Efficiency and Behaviour of Bohor Reedbuck Redunca redunca (Pallas 1767) in a Savanna Environment of Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (Northern Benin). |
| Auteurs |
Djagoun Chabi A.M.S. [1],
DJOSSA AGOSSA BRUNO [2],
MENSAH GUY APOLLINAIRE [3],
SINSIN Brice A. [4],
|
| Journal: |
Mammal Study |
| Catégorie Journal: |
Internationale |
| Impact factor: |
0.661 |
| Volume Journal: |
38 |
| DOI: |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3106/041.038.0203 |
| Resume |
This study was performed to gain more knowledge about the Bohor reedbuck time budget
and vigilance in a savanna habitat. Detailed data on the time-budget were collected through focal
animal observation technique to determine whether the time budget activities of Bohor reedbuck was
affected by vegetation cover and to test if herd size, position in herd, the age and sex affect vigilance
efficiency. We fit generalized linear mixed-effect models to assess how herd size, sex, animal
position in the herd and age affected individual time allocation to vigilance behaviour. The most
parsimonious model averaging clearly showed how vigilance behaviour among Bohor reedbuck was
strongly affected by age, sex, the total herd size and animal position in the herd accounting for the
lowest Δ value of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Vigilance and feeding behaviour occupied the
largest percent of Bohor reedbuck daylight time budget. Herd size effects were significant on
different behaviour categories only when the Bohor reedbuck was observed in sympatric association.
Our findings support the herd size effect hypothesis only in sympatric grouping system. However,
further study is needed to investigate the possible sex-specific functions and targets of vigilance
behaviour with respect to the herd direction in the field. |
| Mots clés |
behaviour, herd effect, sympatric ungulate, time budget, vigilance. |
| Pages |
81 - 89 |
| Fichier |
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