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Home / Equine Research Bank / Biol Lett / An infanticide attempt by a free-roaming feral stallion (Equ...
Biology letters2008; 5(1); 23-25; doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0571

An infanticide attempt by a free-roaming feral stallion (Equus caballus).

Abstract: Infanticide by adult males occurs in a variety of species. While infanticidal attacks have been documented in several equid species in captivity, it has never been witnessed in free-roaming feral horses. I report an infanticide attempt by a free-living feral stallion on a recently born female foal. The stallion picked up the foal by the shoulders, tossed it around twice and bit in on the neck several times. The dam of the foal charged the stallion and successfully protected her foal from additional attacks. The foal survived the attack and later weaned successfully. The stallion recently took over the band and was excluded as the sire through genetic analysis. While this type of attack is rare, this case lends support to the sexual selection hypothesis and further demonstrates that equids have evolved with the risk of infanticide. Furthermore, it shows that maternal protectiveness can be successful against attacks by infanticidal males.
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Publication Date: 2008-11-21 PubMed ID: 19019779PubMed Central: PMC2657763DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0571Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support
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  • Non-P.H.S.

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research records the first observed case of attempted infanticide by a wild, feral stallion, who was not the biological father of the attacked foal. This behavior, while rare, supports theories about sexual selection and the risk of infanticide in equids.

Introduction and Background

  • The article begins by noting that infanticide by adult males is a behavior that is present in several species. This behavior, frequently associated with sexual selection theory, tends to occur when male adults kill offsprings that are not their own to increase their own breeding chances.
  • While this behavior has been documented in several equine species in captivity, it has not been previously observed in wild, free-roaming horses. This study reports the first observed instance, therefore contributing new information to current knowledge of equine behavior.

Study Observations

  • The study records an instance of attempted infanticide by a wild stallion on a newborn female foal. The stallion attacked the foal by picking her up by the shoulders, tossing her about, and biting her neck multiple times. The aggressive behavior suggests a direct attempt to kill the foal.
  • The mare, or mother of the foal, charged at the stallion and prevented further attacks, demonstrating protective maternal instincts in this species.
  • The foal survived the attack and was later successfully weaned, showing resilience in the face of initial endangerment.

Genetic Analysis and Conclusions

  • A genetic analysis was conducted to ascertain the parentage of the foal and it was confirmed that the attacking stallion was not the sire, supporting the theory that the attack was driven by sexual selection instincts.
  • The case lends support to the sexual selection hypothesis, highlighting that stallions may kill offspring not their own to boost their reproductive success.
  • The study establishes that infanticidal risks are a part of equine evolution, even though the instances are rare. It also highlights the protective instincts of the mother mare, showcasing successful maternal defenses against infanticidal males.

Cite This Article

APA
Gray ME. (2008). An infanticide attempt by a free-roaming feral stallion (Equus caballus). Biol Lett, 5(1), 23-25. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0571

Publication

Biology letters
ISSN: 1744-9561
NlmUniqueID: 101247722
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 5
Issue: 1
Pages: 23-25

Researcher Affiliations

Gray, Meeghan E
  • Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA. meeghang@unr.nevada.edu

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Female
  • Horses / physiology
  • Male
  • Maternal Behavior
  • Social Behavior
  • Social Dominance

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworska J, Stanley CR. The Social and Reproductive Challenges Faced by Free-Roaming Horse (Equus caballus) Stallions. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 24;13(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13071151pubmed: 37048406google scholar: lookup
  2. Maeda T, Ochi S, Ringhofer M, Sosa S, Sueur C, Hirata S, Yamamoto S. Aerial drone observations identified a multilevel society in feral horses. Sci Rep 2021 Jan 8;11(1):71.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-79790-1pubmed: 33420148google scholar: lookup
  3. Palombit RA. Infanticide as sexual conflict: coevolution of male strategies and female counterstrategies. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015 May 18;7(6).
    doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a017640pubmed: 25986557google scholar: lookup
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  6. Smit N. Strategies, costs and counter-strategies to sexual coercion. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2025 Aug;100(4):1557-1577.
    doi: 10.1111/brv.70013pubmed: 40302432google scholar: lookup
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