Not just for males: Flehmen as a tool for detection of reproductive status and individual recognition across sexes in four African equid species.
Abstract: Flehmen is frequently explained as part of male sexual behaviour, but it can also be associated with overmarking behaviour and thus individual recognition. We tested three explanatory hypotheses of flehmen behaviour: to detect sexual status of a female, to decide whether to overmark an individual, and to improve individual recognition. Additionally, we examined interspecific flehmen differences in the African equids. We observed 130 individuals of all 4 species among 15 groups in 5 zoos. We recorded 4445 eliminations: 142 were accompanied by flehmen and 1648 were inspected by another animal and followed by flehmen (n = 147 cases). As males of all age categories flehmened more often than females we conclude that flehmen serves to detect reproductive status of a female. However, this is not an exclusive explanation as animals of all sex and age categories flehmened when inspecting an elimination. Flehmen was not the predictor of overmarking. Nevertheless, we suggest that foals could use it for individual recognition. We found large interspecific differences with the highest rate of flehmen in African wild ass and least in mountain zebra. Thus, while the main function of flehmen is to detect female reproductive status, inter-individual and inter-species differences also play a role.
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Publication Date: 2022-10-26 PubMed ID: 36309221DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104773Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study examines the use of flehmen behavior, often attributed to male animals, across different sexes in four African equid species. The study considers its potential application in detecting reproduction status, facilitating overmarking and improving individual recognition. It found that while flehmen is mainly used to understand female reproductive status, the behavior also varies between individuals and species.
Understanding Flehmen Behavior
- Flehmen is a well-known behavior in male animals, typically associated with the act of sniffing and analyzing pheromones of female counterparts to comprehend their reproductive status.
- The study posits that this behavior might also be linked to overmarking or territorial marking, which could facilitate individual recognition.
Exploring Hypotheses
- The research investigated three hypotheses: use of flehmen to determine a female’s sexual status, to decide on overmarking an individual, and to enhance individual recognition.
- Additionally, the study analyzed the differences in flehmen behavior across various African equid species.
Study Observations and Findings
- The study observed 130 individuals spanning all four species in 15 groups across five zoos.
- A total of 4445 eliminations were recorded, of which 142 were accompanied by flehmen. Another 1648 eliminations were inspected by another animal, resulting in flehmen in 147 cases.
Results and Implications
- The highest rate of flehmen was noted in males across different age categories, leading to the conclusion that flehmen primarily serves to detect the reproductive status of females.
- However, all sex and age categories demonstrated flehmen behavior while inspecting eliminations, suggesting that this is not the only purpose of such conduct.
- Flehmen was not identified as a predictor of overmarking. But, it was suggested that foals might employ this behavior for individual recognition.
- Significant interspecies differences were found, with the highest rate of flehmen in the African wild ass and the lowest in the mountain zebra.
- This suggests that while the principal use of flehmen is to comprehend female reproductive condition, inter-individual and inter-species differences may also play a crucial role.
Cite This Article
APA
Pluháček J, Tučková V, King SRB.
(2022).
Not just for males: Flehmen as a tool for detection of reproductive status and individual recognition across sexes in four African equid species.
Behav Processes, 203, 104773.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104773 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Praha, Uhříněves, Czechia; Ostrava Zoo, Michálkovická 197/2081, 710 00 Ostrava, Czechia; Departement of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czechia. Electronic address: janpluhacek@seznam.cz.
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 00 České Budějovice, Czechia.
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Female
- Male
- Animals
- Equidae
- Sexual Behavior, Animal
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