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Morphometrical features of the corneal epithelium in mammals.

The study has been conducted on 40 species of mammals included in different taxonomic orders: 10 carnivores (felines and canides), 13 primates and 17 herbivores (artiodactyles, perisodactyles and proboscideans). Domestic, experimental and wild animals have been included in the sample. The purpose of the study is to offer new data regarding morphometric aspects of the epithelium of the cornea of mammals. We also aim to establish the relationships and differences between the different epithelia studied and to determine the morphometric characteristics which best define the epithelium of the different species under study. The results obtained have demonstrated the existence of correlations between thicknesses, number of cellular layers and number of the epithelial cells in the different groups. It has also been established that the variants in thickness and number of layers define and characterize the epithelia. Finally, the study reveals that morphometric characteristics of the epithelium of primates and carnivores have more similarities than those of herbivores.

Animals↗

Angiotensin converting enzyme in the testis and epididymis of mammals.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity has been reported in testis and epididymis of seven different animal species. Among all the species, the mouse testis and epididymis showed the highest converting enzyme activity followed by rat testis and epididymis. The lowest activity was detected in buffalo testis and rabbit epididymis. Most of the testicular enzyme was found concentrated in the 107,00 X g sediment while the epididymal enzyme was equally distributed between sediment and supernatant. ACE levels of different regions of the rat testis and epididymis was analyzed. The gradient of ACE was found increasing from caput to cauda. A major fraction of testicular and epididymal ACE activity was found in their respective fluid. ACE appeared only in mature rats, rabbits and mice testis and epididymis. Sexually stimulated rabbits showed significant ACE increase in the testis. In vitro characterization studies were conducted.

Animals↗

Behavior of captive mouse deer, Tragulus napu.

1. The behavior of a breeding colony of larger Malayan mouse deer was observed for seven months. 2. Mouse deer produce a noise by stamping with one or both hind feet when slightly alarmed. Other individuals may or may not stamp in response. 3. Both males and females mark objects with the inter-mandibular gland. Males mark much more frequently than females. 4. Males often lick the urine of females; less frequently, females lick the urine of males. Mouse deer do not "flehmen" in response to urine. 5. Males court both receptive and unreceptive females. Courting males mark the female on the back or rump with the inter-mandibular gland and emit a series of squeaks. The behavior of both unreceptive and receptive females and copulation are described. 6. Females have a post-partum estrus and return to estrus at approximately 14 day intervals unless they become pregnant. 7. Mothers spend little time with infants. Mothers emit a vocalization which sounds like the squeak of courting males. Both mothers and infants emit a higher pitched vocalization. If her infant emitted this vocalization the mother answered and approached and stood by it. The mother nurses in a standing position and raises the hind leg on the side towards the infant. 8. Intense agonistic behavior was seen only when strange individuals were introduced into established groups. Males fight by facing each other and biting each other on the ears, neck, and shoulders with their large upper canines. Fighting males usually hold the tail in a vertical position, exposing the white ventral surface, and may emit loud growls. If one male flees, the other pursues and attempts to bite him on the neck and body. 9. Mouse deer are morphologically primitive and many of their motor patterns are also thought to be primitive. 10. The behavior of all four living tragulid species appears to be quite similar, both with respect to motor patterns and social behavior.

Agonistic Behavior↗

Spatial associations and social interactions in a "solitary" ungulate: the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus (Pallas).

The bushbuck population in a study area of 0.7 km2 in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, was observed between June 22 and July 30, 1971. The animals (4 male male, 10 female female, 4 immat.) were individually recognizable. Observations consisted of census sightings and longitudinal observations; during the latter location, neighbours, social encounters and other behaviour of focal animals were recorded continuously. 71% of the census sightings were of single animals. Hardly any aggression was observed, nor did the bushbuck actively avoid oneanother. The definition of the term "solitary" and possible advantages of a dispersed social system for the bushbuck are discussed.

Aggression↗

The mating behaviour of the tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) in the Kruger National Park.

The mating behaviour of tsessebe was observed in the Kruger National Park. A description of the typical sequences in the mating behaviour is given which includes the "nose and neck stretch" posture of the courtship display of the bull when approaching a cow, the role of olfactory stimuli which are derived from either smelling at the base of a cow's tail or from the ground where a cow had been laying down or urinated, the spontaneous ejaculation of the bull in response to such stimuli and mounting. Distinction is drawn between the dominance display ("nose forward-upward posture") and the courtship display of the tsessebe bull. Comparative notes on the mating behaviour of congeneric species, i.e. the blesbok (D. dorcas phillipsi), bontebok (D. d. dorcas) and topi (D. lunatus korrigum) are given. Many similarities are evident despite a number of dissimilarities. Attention is also paid to confliction interpretations of the courtship displays in the different species.

Animal Communication↗

Obervations on a population of Bohor Reedbuck, Redunca redunca (Pallas 1767).

From 1967 to 1969 the age and sex composition of Bohor Reedbuck groups encountered randomly in the Serengeti region had been recorded. In September and October 1972 the composition of the complete population in an area of about 2,5 km2 and the behaviour of the animals relevant to their social and spatial organization was recorded. 1. Of the 41 animals representing a density of 16 animals/km2, 56% were female female, 49% adult, 29% subadult and 22% immature animals. 2. Adult female female lived on their own -- together with their immature offspring, at most one fawn of either sex and one female of up to subadult age, the previous fawn -- inoverlapping home ranges of 15 to 40 ha. The subadult female female started to develop a home range in parts different from that of their mothers. 3. The ranges of 1 to 5 mature (subadult + adult) female female were defended by the same adult buck, their common ranges thus becoming a territorial area of 25 to 60 ha. The animals of one such area sometimes moved together for some hours, rarely days. 4. The territorial buck defended the territorial area only if female female were near. 5. The home ranges of female female who were defended by different bucks overlapped but much less than those of the female female of the same buck. 6. The territorial bucks chased male fawns off before they reached maturity (before the tips of their spike-like horns started to bend forward). The female fawns stayed in the territorial area. 7. 56% of the adult male male were territorial (26% of all male male), no subadult male was territorial. 8. Immature, subadult and the nonterritorial adult male male lived between the territorial areas in bachelor areas, in one case 6 bucks on 48 ha. Although the bachelor bucks did not defend their range its boundary line was set by the neighbouring territorial areas. The social and spatial organization of the Bohor Reedbuck is compared with that of the Southern Reedbuck (Jungius 1970, 1971). The social and spatial organization of the 3 Redunca species is compared with that of the other Reduncinae species.

Africa, Eastern↗

Changes in a population of dikdik, Madoqua (Rhynchotragus) kirki (Günther 1880).

In 1968/69 a small local population (deme)--11 to 17 animals on 42 ha--of Kirk's Dikdik was studied in the Serengeti area, East Africa. All animals were known individually and all territorial boundaries mapped. The population was revisited in 1972 and all animals and boundaries were recorded anew. 6 animals of 1968 were still present in 1972, 6 had disappeared and 4 were new. 2 territories were still the same, 1 had been divided up between 2 neighbouring ones, 1 had gained 1 ha. In the following summary of the results the generally formulated statements like "Dikdik do" always are short and stand for the specific statements like "the observed Kirk's Dikdik of the Soit ol Modison deme did". 1. Dikdik live in pairs in territories.--2. The young are expelled from the parental territory at the age of 6 to 9 months.--3. They then are able--nearly fully grown, but the horns of the male male only half of their final size--to establish their own pairbond and territory.--4. The female can produce her first young at the age of 15 to 18 months and is reproductive up to at least 6 years.--5. While the reproductive potential is 2/female/year (gestation period 25 weeks), the realized rate of raised animals in 1968/69 was 1/female/year.--6. Average population age lies around 5 years.--7. Maximum physiological age is 10 or more years.--8. The pair bond is independent of the territorial bond and lasts for life.--9. The territorial bond is independent of the pairbond but does not last for life.--10. Strategical lines of the territorial boundaries are marked by dung areas. The families of both territories each use their own places on these areas. The whole family urinates and defaecates together (one after the other) in a ritualized way.--11. The territorial boundaries can shift. The number of dungplaces along a disputed and/or shifting boundary is higher than along an undisputed stable one.--12. Only the male defends the territory and chases off the grown up male young.--13. The female who does not defend the territory is nevertheless bound to it directly, not only by her bond to the male.--14. The most important open question with respect to the social organization is: How is the grown up female young induced to leave the territory? Can there be circumstances when she can stay?

Africa, Eastern↗

On social organization and behaviour of the gerenuk Litocranius walleri (Brooke 1878).

The social organization of the gerenuk in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, is characterized by single adult male on territories encompassing their entire home ranges, small female-groups of variable composition, often associated with territorial male, and small groups of subadult male. There appear to be no non-territorial adult male ("bachelors"). Subadult male wander about considerably, often alone, before they succeed in taking over a territory. Territorial male perform linked urination/defecation and mark dry twigs with the antorbital gland secretion. Agonistic and courtship behaviour resemble those of other gazelles. Mother-young relations conform to the "hider type" among bovids.

Age Factors↗

The birth and survival of wildebeest calves.

This paper describes social organization, parturition, post partum behavior of wildebeest mothers and offspring, and calf predation during the annual birth peak in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. The wildebeest's "follower-calf" system, unique among the Bovidae, is remarkably effective in protecting neonates. Even during hte one-month peak, the major predator on calves, the spotted hyena, is unable to feed to satiation. Calf survival is consistently high, despite large fluctuations in the numbers of wildebeest, with consequent effects on the size of the yearly calf crop.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Digestion studies in captive Hippopotamidae: a group of large ungulates with an unusually low metabolic rate.

We performed intake and digestibility studies in four common (Hippopotamus amphibius) and four pygmy (Hexaprotodon liberiensis) hippos from two zoological institutions, using acid detergent lignin as an internal marker for the quantification of faecal output. In the case of one pygmy hippo, where total faecal collection was also possible, there was no distinct difference between the two methods of faecal output quantification. Two animals from each species were tested on a conventional zoo diet of hay and concentrates (diet HC) and on hay only (diet H). The other two animals received fresh grass at two different levels of intake (diets G1 and G2). Dry matter (DM) intake was higher on HC than on H or G diets, and averaged 37 +/- 11 for common and 35 +/- 14 g/kg(0.75) for pygmy hippos. There were no species differences in the average digestibility (aD) coefficients. Non-dietary faecal nitrogen averaged 65 +/- 4% of total faecal nitrogen, aD of crude protein (CP) averaged 67 +/- 9% and true protein digestibility 89 +/- 3%. Average digestibility of DM and crude fibre averaged 54 +/- 11% and 45 +/- 17%, respectively. In comparison with ruminants, hippos generally achieve lower aD for DM, organic matter and fibre parameters, but equal or higher aD CP coefficients. This is most likely due to the absence of significant fermentative activity in the hindgut and the corresponding low metabolic faecal nitrogen losses. Digestible energy intake was higher on HC than on H or G diets and averaged 0.30 +/- 0.11 MJ/kg(0.75) metabolic body mass. This value is extremely low for ungulates, supporting earlier suspicions that hippos have particularly low metabolic rates, and explains the proneness of this species to obesity in captivity when fed energy-dense pelleted feeds.

Animal Feed↗