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Animal Behaviour Lab
Biology I (Biol1050)
University of Guelph
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Lab Report #
Monitoring Behaviors of Herbivores using Ethograms
Rudy Boxer 1193069 BIOL*1050, Section 105 November 2, 2022
ABSTRACT
Two different herbivore species, the Grant’s zebra and the wildebeest were observed in a mixed habitat at the African Lion Safari in Cambridge, Ontario. While both animals are herbivores, both species have very different digestive physiology respectively. The Grant's zebra is ahind-gut fermenter while a wildebeest is a ruminant. While these species were observed in their habitats, activity budgets and ethograms were created that allow comparison and relation between their different digestive physiologies. To relate these animals and their digestive systems, multiple 4 minute videos were watched, analyzed and instantaneously scanned. Each video was paused every 20 seconds to record the activity of the selected animal. From theseresults, ethograms were created for each selected animal. Understanding the results of this experiment is crucial in the understanding of the different behaviors of herbivores based on their digestive systems. With this information, we can determine which activities are considered normal or abnormal as well as monitor the health and stability of the species.
INTRODUCTION The term ungulate is used to describe an animal with hooves with many of these animals being herbivores. The Grant's zebra (Equus quagga boehmi) and the wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) fall under this category. The ungulates are split into two main orders, artiodactyla, which consists of animals with even-toed hooves, and perissodactyla which consists of animals with odd-toed hooves. Both of these orders have adapted different digestive systems based on their evolution. Artiodactyls have adapted a fore-gut fermenter digestive system, while perissodactyls have adapted hind-gut fermenter digestive systems as these animals are more likely to stay in one place and eat (Janis 1976). Mammals' digestive systems are not equipped to properly break down cellulose. Certain animals such as cows and horses have adapted symbiotic relationships with bacteria in their guts that allow the digestion of cellulose (Alexander 1993). Fore-gut fermenters have modified stomach structures that consist of four compartments: the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. These animals have fermentation that occurs in the rumen. These animals will eat and find somewhere to rest, where they will regurgitate their food and chew it again in order to allow it to pass through the rest of their digestive tract. Hind-gut fermenters have adapted enlarged cecums where the microbial digestion occurs. In these animals the food is digested and
where the selected animal was out of view are neglected as it is impossible to determine what the animal was doing at these times.
RESULTS The figures below were created using the data from lab section 105’s activity budgets and compiled together to determine the differences in behaviors between the two species of animals recorded through instantaneous scan sampling.
Figure 1. The average time spent performing each activity: wildebeest Figure 1 shows the activity budget of the wildebeest at the African Lion Safari. The wildebeest spends nearly 50% of its time lying down and 30% grazing. The wildebeest spends just under 20% of its time standing and spends below 10% for both walking and other activities.
Figure 2. The average time spent performing each activity: Grant's zebra Figure 2 shows the activity budget of the Grant's zebra. By observing the graph, we can see that the zebra spends nearly 90% of its time grazing, leaving very little time for other activities. The Grant’s zebra spends less than 10% of its time performing all the other activities.
DISCUSSION The differences in these two animals' activity budgets can be related to the differences in their digestive systems. Hind-gut fermenters spend significantly more time grazing than fore-gut fermenters. This is because hind-gut fermenters are significantly less equipped to handle the digestion of cellulose from plant material, meaning they must ingest more to obtain the proper nutrients needed (Duncan et al. 1990). Fore-gut fermenters ruminate, so by rechewing their food they are able to absorb many more nutrients compared to hind-gut fermenters leaving more time for the performance of other activities.
REFERENCES
Janis, C. 1976. The Evolutionary Strategy of the Equidae and the Origins of Rumen and Cecal Digestion. Evolution. 30: 757-774. Duncan, P, Foose, T. J., Gordon I. J., Gakahu C. G., Lloyd, M. 1990. Comparative nutrient extraction from forages by grazing bovids and equids: a test of the nutritional model of equid/bovid competition and coexistence. Oecologia. 84: 411-418. Owaga, M. L. 1975. The feeding ecology of wildebeest and zebra in At hi-Kaputei plains. E. Afr. Wildl. J.. 13: 375-383.
APPENDIX
Table 1. Ethogram of Video #1, observing a zebra
Scan Interval Grazing Walking Standing Lying Down Other Out of Sight 1 X 2 X 3 X 4 X 5 X 6 X 7 X 8 X 9 X 10 X 11 X 12 X Total # Intervals
12
Percentage 100%
Figure 2. Ethogram of video #3, observing a wildebeest
ScanInterval Grazing Walking Standing LyingDown Other Out ofSight 1 X 2 X 3 X
11 X
12 X
Total # Intervals
12
Percentage 100%
Animal Behaviour Lab
Course: Biology I (Biol1050)
University: University of Guelph
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