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›› 2012, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (04): 607-614.

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Diurnal time budgets and activity rhythm of the Khulan

LIU Wei1,2,YANG Weikang2,HUANG Yi4,XU Wenxuan2,3,LIN Jie2,3,XIA Canjun2,3,XU Feng2,David BLANK2   

  1. 1College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 6100064, China;2Key laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China;3Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;4Basic Science department,Xinjiang Petroleum Institute,Urumqi 830000,China
  • Received:2011-09-11 Revised:2011-11-24 Online:2012-07-25
  • Contact: LIU Wei E-mail:liuwei19831108@163.com

Abstract: The diurnal behaviors (including foraging, moving, vigilance, resting, and “others”)of Khulan ([WTBX]Equus hemionus[WTBZ]) were observed in the Kalamaili Mountain Nature Reserve in 2007 and 2010. The diurnal behavioral time budgets and activity rhythm were studied by focalsampling method. A total of 460 hours worth of data was collected. The paper used Chisquare tests to evaluate differences in the diurnal behaviors of in each season. The results indicated that all behaviors differed (χ2=79.06,df=12,P<0.01) across the four seasons. The proportion of feeding time of Khulan was highest in spring (66.77%) and lowest (46.26%) in summer, because of the food availability. In the Kalamaili Mountain Basin, plants started to grow in late spring because of low temperatures, and the wild animals and livestock grazed in autumn and winter of last year, consequently, food availability decreased during spring. In summer, the forage is abundant with good quality, and Stipa glareosa and Haloxylon ammondendron which are the primary food resources of Khulan are growing and nourishing. On the other hand, to avoid thermal stress, Khulan increased the proportion of resting time and decreased feeding time in summer and autumn. Additionally, it was observed that in summer Khulan reduced insect harassment in the field by “others” (including swinging tail, rolling in the mud, and scratching the skin). Further, summer is the rutting season of Khulan. Courtship, suckling and agonistic behaviors increase the time proportion of “others” activities. In addition, 2 000 herdsmen and 200 000 head of livestock stay in the reserve during winter. As a result of disturbance of cars and livestock, vigilance and moving were highest in winter. ANOVA was used to compare the difference of time budgets among seasons respectively. In spring moving and vigilance, moving and others, vigilance and others were not significantly different(P>0.05), the rest combinations were extremely significant(P<0.05). In summer moving and vigilance was not significantly different(P>0.05), the rest combinations were significant(P<0.05). Vigilance and others was not significantly different(P>0.05) in autumn and winter, the rest combinations were significant(P<0.05). Feeding spent the amount of time(>50%), except at 14:00-15:00 when it was the peak of resting in spring. There was a peak of feeding at dawn and dusk when temperatures are cooler, and a peak of resting in midday when the temperature is highest in summer and autumn. The feeding peak was at 13:00-14:00 in winter. The moving peak was generally at dawn and dusk in all seasons. The Khulan adapted to seasonal change or to changes in physiological conditions with different behavior time budget patterns, for example: the weather, the food, the human disturbance, the life cycle, the temperature, the daylength, the predation risk and so on.

Key words: Khulan (Equus hemionus), season, diurnal behaviors, time budget, activity rhythm

CLC Number: 

  • Q959.843