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Article Dans Une Revue Canadian Journal of Zoology Année : 2002

Grouping patterns, reproduction and dispersal in a population of sitatungas (Tragelaphus spekei gratus)

Résumé

A population of sitatungas (Tragelaphus spekei gratus) living in a forest swamp clearing, Maya Nord, in the Republic of Congo was studied over 3½ years and its grouping patterns and population dynamics were analysed. The sitatungas in this clearing formed a stable group, which remained in residence. The group (16–36 individuals) functioned like a harem. As a result of intrasexual competition, all the males and some of the females born at Maya left the group before reaching sexual maturity. We hypothesize that this large grouping resulted from the development of a tendency for females to be gregarious for reasons related to food availability. This tendency, combined with an aseasonal pattern of reproduction, favours direct monopolization of females by one male. Social and mating strategies observed at Maya fit the model of “female-defence polygyny” (Emlen and Oring). Our results provide an argument in favour of relating food availability and grouping patterns, and underline the plasticity of social organization and mating strategies in sitatungas.
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Dates et versions

hal-00138093 , version 1 (23-03-2007)

Identifiants

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Florence Magliocca, Sophie Quérouil, Annie Gautier-Hion. Grouping patterns, reproduction and dispersal in a population of sitatungas (Tragelaphus spekei gratus). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2002, 80, pp.245-250. ⟨10.1139/Z01-2⟩. ⟨hal-00138093⟩
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