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Mating Behaviors of Wild Giant Pandas in Foping Natural Reserve

YONG Yange WEI Fuwen YE Xinping ZHANG Zejun LI Yu   

  • Online:2005-07-12 Published:2008-07-07

佛坪自然保护区野生大熊猫交配行为的观察

雍严格  魏辅文  叶新平  张泽钧  李宇   

  1. 中国科学院动物研究所,佛坪国家级自然保护区秦岭大熊猫野外研究基地

Abstract: On March 26 and 27 , 2003 , we observed six and five giant pandas assembled together respectively in Huodiba and Lijiagou districts of Sanguanmiao , Foping Nature Reserve , Shaanxi Province , China. The mating sites were located in the coniferous forest and mixed coniferous and deciduous forest , with steep slope and sparse shrubs and bamboos. Wind power was estimated over 3rd category in those two days. The competition and fighting among male pandas were observed , and the mating right with the female panda was mainly based on the hierarchical ordering. However , not all the winners during competition can be access to mating with the female panda. For wild giant panda , its mating system is maybe plastic , which perhaps is affected by environment , time and panda population itself . Cubs or sub-adults are observed occurring at the mating site , which is considered to be linked with the learning of the reproductive behavior. Our results maybe provide a useful guideline to the management and breeding of giant pandas in the captivity.

Key words: Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), Mating behavior, Foping Nature Reserve

关键词: 大熊猫, 交配行为, 佛坪自然保护区