Linking alternative reproductive tactics and habitat selection in Northern chamois

In polygynous ungulates, males may achieve fertilization through the use of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), discrete phenotypic variations evolved to maximize fitness. ARTs are often associated with different male spatial strategies during the rut, from territoriality to female-following. Although variation in space use patterns of rutting male ungulates is known to be largely affected by the spatial distribution of females, information on the year-round habitat selection of alternative reproductive types is scant. Here, we investigate the seasonal variation in habitat choice of a large mammal with ARTs (territoriality and nonterritoriality), the Northern chamois Rupicapra rupicapra. Global Positioning System (GPS) data on 28 adult males were collected between February 2010 and December 2013 in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy) and used to fit resource selection functions to explore the ART-specific use of key topographic features, such as elevation, aspect, and slope, and vegetation phenology expressed as NDVI values. Territorial and nonterritorial chamois profoundly differed in their habitat selection not only during the rutting season. Compared to nonterritorial males, territorial males used lower elevations in summer and autumn, preferred southern slopes in spring and summer, and used steeper areas in summer but not in winter. We found no difference in seasonal selection of NDVI values between males adopting ARTs. Our results suggest that territorial males tend to occupy warmer, lower-food-quality habitats in late spring and summer, whereas nonterritorial males are free to follow and exploit vegetation phenology and more favorable temperatures. Different patterns of habitat selection may reflect different trade-offs between the optimization of energy balances throughout the year and the increase of mating opportunities during the rut in males adopting alternative reproductive tactics

Suckling behaviour and allonursing in the Apennine chamois

Maternal cares and, in particular, suckling behaviour, are fundamental for early growth and survival of offspring ungulates. In turn, factors influencing maternal cares can have important effects at individual and population levels, with consequences at both short and long temporal scales. We assessed monthly variation of behavioural indices of suckling and nursing, as well as occurrence of allosuckling, in a mountain-dwelling ungulate, the Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata, on summer-early autumn 2013â\u80\u932014. Not surprisingly, duration of suckling events and frequency of suckling solicitations by kids, decreased throughout months, whereas the proportion of grazing kids increased from July to October, indicating a growing reliance on pasture. Conversely, the probability of suckling success kept stable from July to October, suggesting a constant willingness of females to allow kids to suckle. Of all suckling events, 63% involved more than one kid, indicating allosuckling. On average, multiple suckles were shorter than those involving one kid and occurred in all months with the same proportion. Our results suggest the occurrence of high levels of maternal cares in a gregarious herbivore, with frequent allosuckling and apparent willingness of females to nurse offspring throughout summer-autumn. These results suggest that the motherâ\u80\u99s role does not terminate with weaning

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

Abstract: 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 statement: The 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

Qualità del pascolo e comportamento sociale nel camoscio appenninico

I cambiamenti climatici in atto agiscono con maggiore intensità negli ambienti estremi o caratterizzati da una forte stagionalità, per es. gli ambienti di montagna. La diminuzione delle risorse causata dal cambiamento climatico può aumentare la competizione, sia a livello interspecifico che intraspecifico. Negli ultimi 30 anni, nel suo areale storico del Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (PNALM), il numero di camosci appenninici Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata è diminuito di circa il 50%. Condivide parzialmente il proprio habitat con una popolazione reintrodotta di cervo Cervus elaphus (oggi abbondante: 1972– 1985, 81 individui rilasciati; 2010, c. 2500 individui). Recenti studi condotti nel PNALM hanno mostrato come la presenza del cervo ad alte densità limiti indirettamente il camoscio, contribuendo a provocare (a) una minore sopravvivenza dei piccoli; (b) una ridotta qualità della dieta del camoscio a causa del sovrappascolo e del calpestio; (c) una minore efficienza di pascolo degli individui adulti. Le informazioni su possibili effetti della diminuzione di risorse sul comportamento sociale (per es. aumento della competizione intraspecifica) sono scarse. Mediante osservazioni comportamentali (luglio-ottobre 2014/2015) abbiamo esaminato il comportamento aggressivo e di vigilanza nelle femmine di camoscio, in tre aree con diversa qualità del pascolo, per verificare se la scarsità di risorse possa influire sullo “stress” sociale. Nelle due aree più povere, caratterizzate da temperature estive ed autunnali più alte e dalla presenza del cervo, abbiamo osservato (a) una significativa maggiore frequenza di manifestazioni di aggressività tra le femmine e verso i piccoli; (b) una significativa maggiore frequenza e durata del comportamento di vigilanza. Questi risultati suggeriscono una più elevata competizione intraspecifica ed un maggiore stress nelle aree in cui le risorse sono di scarsa qualità. Se l’attuale cambiamento climatico è all’origine dell’impoverimento della vegetazione pascolata dagli ungulati di montagna, in tempi medio-lunghi ci possiamo attendere una locale conseguente crescita di stress a livello intra-gruppo, soprattutto nelle aree frequentate anche da competitori ecologici come il cervo