摘要
Grazing behaviour was recorded in sambar deer and red deer for 24-h continuous periods, at 2-monthly intervals, over 12 months from March 1990 to March 1991. Scan-sampling was used, with observations made every 12 min. Both groups of deer grazed separate but adjoining areas of the same pasture for the duration of the study. Sambar deer grazed most actively during the night (0100–0500 h), late afternoon, and evening (1700–2100 h), whereas red deer grazed most intensely during early morning (0500–0700 h), afternoon, and early evening (1500–2000 h). This species difference in grazing pattern was not altered by season or month. Total grazing time was similar for sambar and red deer (9.1 versus 9.4 h/24 h), but sambar deer spent more time grazing during the night (6.2 versus 4.9 h/24 h; P < 0.01) and less time grazing during the day (2.9 versus 4.5 h/24 h; P < 0.01) than red deer. The ratio night grazing:daytime grazing was much greater for sambar deer (2.3:1.0) than for red deer (1.1:1.0; P < 0.001). During the day, sambar deer spent more time resting than red deer (6.4 versus 5.1 h P < 0.001), but time spent ruminating was similar (2.1 versus 1.9 h) for the two species. Rate of prehending biting was greater for sambar deer than for red deer (65 versus 48 bites/min; P < 0.001). It is suggested that longer night grazing by sambar deer may have evolved to reduce thermoregulatory stress in tropical environments and as a defensive strategy against attack by predators. Pasture mass/ha and surface height changed with season of the year, but areas grazed by both species of deer were always of similar height and mass, indicating that grazing pressures were similar. However, herbage in areas grazed by sambar deer had higher total N content and organic matter digestibility during winter, the period of lowest pasture mass/height, indicating that relative to areas grazed by red deer, grazing by sambar deer had modified forage nutritive value at this time.
摘要译文
从1990年3月至1991年3月，水鹿和马鹿连续24小时记录放牧行为，间隔2个月，超过12个月。采用扫描采样，每12分钟进行一次观察。在研究期间，两组鹿在同一牧场上分开但相邻的地区放牧。在夜间（0100-0500 h），傍晚和傍晚（1700-2100 h），鹿鹿最为活跃，而清晨（0500 - 0700 h）和傍晚（1500-2000小时）。放牧方式的这种差异没有季节或月份改变。水鹿和马鹿的总放牧时间相似（9.1与9.4小时/ 24小时），但白鹿在夜间放牧时间较长（6.2小时/4.9小时/ 24小时，P 0.01），白天放牧的时间少于马鹿（2.9小时/ 4.5小时/ 24小时; P 0.01）。夜间放牧比例：水鹿的昼间放牧（2.3：1.0）比马鹿（1.1：1.0; P 0.001）大得多。白天，水鹿比白鹿花更多的时间休息（6。4对5.1 h P 0.001），但反刍时间花费相似（2.1对1.9 h）两个物种。预防咬的比率对于水鹿来说比马鹿的要大（65对48咬/分钟;P 0.001）。有人建议，鹿水鹿的夜间放牧可能已经演变，以减少热带环境中的体温调节压力，并作为防御掠食者攻击的防御策略。牧草质量/公顷和地表高度随季节变化而变化，但两个品种鹿面积总是相似的高度和质量，表明放牧压力相似。而在水鹿牧区，草地冬季总氮含量和有机质消化率较高，牧草质量/高度最低，表明相对于马鹿吃草的地区，鹿鹿吃草对此时的饲草营养价值有一定的调整作用。
G. Semiadi[a][b]; P. D. Muir[b]; T. N. Barry[a]; C. J. Veltman[c] ; J. Hodgson[d]. Grazing patterns of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in captivity[J]. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1993,36(2): 253-260