Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-09T13:24:03.962Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Importance of Age/Sex Class Relationships for Captive-Breeding - A Review of Macropodoidea (Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-Kangaroos) as a Case Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

U Gansloßer
U Gansloßer*
Affiliation:
Zoological Institute I, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this paper social relationships (as defined by Hinde) between age/sex classes of kangaroos, wallabies and rat-kangaroos are reviewed and characterized by frequencies, direction and, where possible, intensity of behavioural interactions, by their patterning in sequences and by distance regulation. Male social organization in the wild for larger non-solitary species is organized in an age/size-related hierarchy. Frequent interactions among equal-sized males stabilize this hierarchy and large males by their simple presence deter younger ones from courting.

Depending on social organization in the wild, the presence of one or more males, sometimes males from different age classes, is desirable from the animal welfare standpoint.

The structure of breeding groups can be greatly improved in terms of welfare and breeding optimization, when a diversity of social relationships are as close to natural conditions as possible.

Keywords

aggressionanimal welfarecourtshipethologyMacropodidaemating systemPotoroidaesocial behavioursocial organization.
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , August 1995 , pp. 239 - 249
Copyright
© 1995 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bleistein, S, Horsup, A and Gansloßer, U 1994 Border conflicts among territorial rock wallabies (Petrogale assimilis). Aggressive Behaviour 20: 325–3333.0.CO;2-V>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clancy, T F 1983 Behaviour of the Red-Bellied Pademelon Thylogale billardierii. Honours Thesis, University of Tasmania, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Clutton-Brock, T H 1989 Mammalian mating systems. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 236: 339–372Google ScholarPubMed
Collins, L R 1973 Monotremes and Marsupials - A Reference for Zoological Institutions. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington DC, USAGoogle Scholar
Coulson, G 1989 Repertoires of social behaviour in the Macropodoidea. In: Grigg, G C, Jarman, P J and Hume, I D (eds) Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-kangaroos Volume 2 pp 457–473. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Croft, D B 1981a Behaviour of red-kangaroos, Macropus rufus (Desmarest, 1822) in northwestern New South Wales, Australia. Australian Mammalogy 4: 5–58CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Croft, D B 1981b Social behaviour of the euro, Macropus robustus (Gould), in the Australian arid zone. Australian Wildlife Research 8: 13–49CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Croft, D B 1989 Social organization of the Macropodoidea. In: Grigg, G C, Jarman, P J and Hume, I D (eds) Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-kangaroos Volume 2 pp 505–525. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Dörsam, K 1983 Verhaltensbeobachtungen am Bennettkänguruh, Macropus rufogriseus fruticus (Ogilby 1838). Bachelor Thesis, Universität of Heidelberg, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Evans, D D (ed) 1982 The Management of Australian Mammals in Captivity. Zoological Board of Victoria: Melbourne, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U 1979 Soziale Interaktionen des Doria-Baumkänguruhs, Dendrolagus dorianus Ramsey, 1833 (Marsupialia Macropodidae). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 44: 1–18Google Scholar
Gansloßer, U 1989 Agonistic behaviour in Macropodoidea. In: Grigg, G C, Jarman, P J and Hume, I D (eds) Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-kangaroos Volume 2 pp 475–503. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U 1992 Behavioural data support the currently proposed phylogeny of the Macropodoidea (Marsupialia). Australian Mammalogy 15: 89–104Google Scholar
Gansloßer, U 1993a Stages in formation of social relationships - an experimental investigation in kangaroos (Macropodoidea Mammalia). Ethology 94: 221–247CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U 1993b Behavioural competence in breeding programs. In: European Endangered Species Program (EEP) Yearbook 1992/1993 pp 297–300. European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)/EEP: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U In press. Courtship behaviour in Macropodoidea. Mammal ReviewGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U and Jarman, P J 1984 Mating systems in Macropodoidea. Abstracts Ethologentreffen Göttingen p 23. Zoological Institute: Göttingen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U and Schappert, I In press. Social relationships in Dorcopsis muelleri. Zoologischer GartenGoogle Scholar
Gansloßer, U and Wilhelm, P 1986 Sex- and age-dependant differences in frequencies of social interactions between captive red-kangaroos, Macropus rufus (Desmarest, 1822). Zoologischer Anzeiger 216: 58–71Google Scholar
Green, R 1986 Large macropods and their husbandry. In: Partridge, J (ed) The Management of Marsupials in Captivity pp 15–21. The Association of British Wild Animal Keepers: Bristol, UKGoogle Scholar
Hendríchs, H 1978 Die soziale Organisation von Säugetierpopulationen. Säugetierkundliche Mitteilungen 28: 81–116Google Scholar
Hinde, R 1976 Interactions, relationships and social structure. Man (NS) 11: 1–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinde, R (ed) 1983 Primate Social Relationships. Blackwell: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Horsup, A 1986 The Behaviour of the Allied Rock-Wallaby Petrogale assimilis (Macropodidae). Honours Thesis, James Cook University, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Immelmann, K 1965 Verhaltensstudien an Känguruhs in Australien. Zoologischer Garten (NF) 31: 144–157Google Scholar
Jarman, P J 1983 Mating systems and sexual dimorphism in large, terrestrial, mammalian herbivores. Biological Review 58: 485–520CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarman, P J 1991 Social behaviour and organization in the Macropodoidea. Advances in the Study of Behaviour 20: 1–50CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarman, P J and Coulson, G 1989 Dynamics and adaptiveness of grouping in macropods. In: Grigg, G C, Jarman, P J and Hume, I D (eds) Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-kangaroos pp 527–547. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C N 1985 Ecology, Social Behaviour and Reproductive Success in a Population of Red-Necked Wallabies. PhD Thesis, University of New England, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Johnson, C N 1989 Social interactions and reproductive tactics in red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus banksianus). Journal of Zoology 217: 267–357CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, P M 1980 Observations of the behaviour of the Rufuous rat-kangaroo, Aepyprymnus rufescens (Gray) in captivity. Australian Wildlife Research 7: 347–357Google Scholar
Jones, B 1987 Zum Sozialverhalten zweier Zoopopulationen des Bennett-Wallaby. Diploma Thesis, University of Erlangen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Kaufmann, J 1974 Social ethology of the Whiptail wallaby, Macropus parryi, in Northeastern New South Wales. Animal Behaviour 23: 281–369CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufmann, J 1975 Field observations of the social behaviour of the Eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteas. Animal Behaviour 23: 214–221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krettinger, B 1990 Öko-ethologische Untersuchungen an männlichen Bergkänguruhs (Macropus robustus robustus) im New England Tableland. Diploma Thesis, University of Erlangen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Krönert, P 1991 Öko-ethologische Untersuchungen an weiblichen Roten Riesenkänguruhs (Macropus rufus) und ihren Folgejungen in Zentralaustralien. Diploma Thesis, Universität of Erlangen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Kummer, J 1975 Schwerpunkte soziobiologischer Freilandforschung an Primaten. Verhandlungen der Dt. Zoologischen Gesellschaft: 59–70Google Scholar
Kummer, H 1978 On the value of social relationships to nonhuman primates: A heuristic scheme. Social Sciences Information 17: 687–705Google Scholar
Mason, W 1976 Primate social behaviour: pattern and process. In: Masterton, R B (ed) Evolution of Brain and Intelligence pp 425–455. Lawrence Erlbaum: Hillsdale, USAGoogle Scholar
Mason, W 1978 Ontogeny of social systems. In: Chivers, D J and Herbert, J (ed) Recent Advances in Primatology Volume 1 pp 5–14. Academic Press: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Mason, W 1986 Can primate political traits be identified ? In: Else J G and Lee P C (eds) Primate Ontogeny, Cognition and Social Behaviour pp 3–11. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKGoogle Scholar
Murböck, T 1977 Komment-und Beschädigungskampf beim Benett-Wallaby, Macropus rufogriseus fruticus. Verhandlungen der Deutschen Zoologischen. Gesellschaft 70: 337Google Scholar
Nicholls, C 1972 A Study of the Behaviour and Social Organization of the Yellow-Footed Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus). Honours Thesis, University of Adelaide, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Osazuwa, J E 1978 Activity and Behaviour of the Wallaroo Macropus robustas Gould (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Masters Thesis, University of New England, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Rasa O, A E 1981 Aggression. In: McFarland, D (ed) The Oxford Companion to Animal Behaviour pp 5–13. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Robinson, M H 1993 Enriching the lives of zoo animals: Where research can be fundamental. Proceedings of the International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens (IUDZG) Congress pp 1-24. Copenhagen, DenmarkGoogle Scholar
Schappert, I 1985 Sozialbeziehungen beim Streifenbuschkänguruh Dorcopsis muelleri (Lesson, 1827). Diploma Thesis, University of Heidelberg, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Southwell, C J 1981 Sociobiology of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteas. PhD Thesis, University of New England, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Walther, F R 1974 Some reflections on expressive behaviour in ungulates. In: Geist, V and Walther, F R (eds) The Behaviour of Ungulates in Relation to Management Volume 1 pp 56–106. International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN): Morges, SwitzerlandGoogle Scholar
Wilhelm, P 1984 Ethogrammerstellung beim Roten Riesenkänguruh (Macropus rufus, Desmarest 1822) in Gefangenschaft. Diploma Thesis, University of Erlangen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Wilhelm, P and Gansloßer, U 1989 Sequential organization of social behaviour in captive adult and juvenile Macropus rufus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Mammalogy 12: 5–13CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R 1990 Kangaroos in captivity. In: Hand, S J (ed) Care and Handling of Australian Native Animals pp 109–122. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton, AustraliaCrossRefGoogle Scholar