ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA >

2025 , Vol. 45 >Issue 1: 128 - 136

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16829/j.slxb.150874

ORIGINAL PAPERS

Changes in body weight of hand-reared chimpanzee infants (Pan troglodytes verus)

  • YANG Xinyi ,
  • FAN Baodan ,
  • LI Ruizi ,
  • SHI Jian ,
  • HAN Jingjing ,
  • LI Jing ,
  • ZHANG Yuanyuan ,
  • ZHANG Shu ,
  • CAO Yue ,
  • YAO Lin ,
  • ZHOU Na ,
  • LIU Xuefeng ,
  • LIU Dingzhen
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  • 1 Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;
    2 Beijing Zoo Management Office, Beijing Key Laboratory of Captive Wildlife Technology, Beijing 100044, China;
    3 Dalian Forest Zoo Limited Company, Dalian 116013, China

Received date: 2023-11-02

  Revised date: 2024-06-21

  Online published: 2025-01-23

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Abstract

Post-parturition infant rejection is common in captive chimpanzee. When this occurs, an immediate hand-rearing is required. Monitoring and observing the infant’s development and health status are essential for successful handrearing. Body weight serves as an important index of an individual’s growth and development and has been widely used in several mammalian species. However, there is currently no literature available on the changes in daily body weight gain in newborn chimpanzee infants. This study aimed to address this gap by monitoring and recording the changes in body weight during the first 12 months of life of six mother-rejected captive-born chimpanzee infants (2 females and 4 males) between 1999 and 2015 at Beijing Zoo and Dalian Forest Zoo. A linear regression model of weight-age was established based on the body weight data. A generalized linear model was then used to analyze the relationship between daily body weight gain and relative daily body weight gain and age by day, as well as to compare the two variables between two genders. The results showed that the body weight of chimpanzee infants increased linearly with age by day (y = 0.015 x + 2.139, R2 = 0.830, P = 0.000 1), with females being significantly heavier than males of the same age by day (F = 10. 175, P < 0. 001). Both daily body weight gain and relative body weight gain decreased significantly with age by day (r = -0. 667, P = 0.035 and r = -0. 224, P = 0.042, respectively). The daily body weight gain and relative daily body weight gain in female infants were remarkably larger than those of males until they reached the ages of 235 and 184 days, respectively. Afterward, these two variables in female infants became smaller than those in male infants. Our results demonstrate sexual dimorphism in body weight, daily body weight gain and relative daily body weight gain of chimpanzees aged 0-12 months. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for increasing the survival rate of infants and enlarging the population size of chimpanzees in captivity.

Key words： Chimpanzee; Cubs; Body weight; Age in days; Gender difference

Cite this article

YANG Xinyi , FAN Baodan , LI Ruizi , SHI Jian , HAN Jingjing , LI Jing , ZHANG Yuanyuan , ZHANG Shu , CAO Yue , YAO Lin , ZHOU Na , LIU Xuefeng , LIU Dingzhen . Changes in body weight of hand-reared chimpanzee infants (Pan troglodytes verus)[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2025 , 45(1) : 128 -136 . DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150874

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