Bernátková Anna, Oyunsaikhan Ganbaatar, Šimek Jaroslav, Komárková Martina, Bobek Miroslav, Ceacero Francisco
Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area, Takhin Tal, Mongolia.
BMC Zool. 2022 Jun 9;7(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s40850-022-00130-z.
Reintroduction is a common technique for re-establishing threatened species. However, the adaptation to novel habitats with distinct conditions poses a risk of failure. Weather conditions affect the behaviour of animals, and thus, their adaptation to new conditions and survival. Reintroduced Przewalski's horses living in Mongolia's continental arid climate with extreme temperature and precipitation variability, serve as an ideal model species for studying the behavioural response of selected groups to these harsh conditions.
The research was conducted in The Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area, Mongolia. In summer 2018, three groups were recorded (Azaa, Tsetsen and Mares18) involving 29 individuals. In Spring 2019, 4 groups were recorded (Azaa, Tsetsen, Hustai1 and Mares19) involving 34 individuals. In Autumn 2019, 4 groups were recorded (Azaa, Tsetsen, Hustai2 and Tanan) involving 35 individuals. Thirteen weather variables were recorded in 10-min intervals, together with the percentage representation of selected behavioural categories (feeding, locomotion, resting, and social). The effect of weather on behaviour was analysed through GLMM. Influence of the group-history factors (recently reintroduced, long-term reintroduced and wild-born) was also analysed.
Feeding significantly increased with cloudy and windy conditions and was more frequent in autumn than spring and summer. Locomotion was positively explained by temperature and cloudiness and was higher in summer than spring and autumn. Resting behaviour decreased with altitude and cloudiness, and the dispersion of the group was lower when resting. Increased social interactions were observed with higher temperatures and were more frequent in summer compared to spring and autumn. Differences were found in the display of the behaviours among the selected harems, showing interesting patterns when grouping them according to their origin and experience.
Weather patterns seem to influence the behaviour of Przewalski's horse. These results might assist in further management plans for the species, especially in the view of intensifying climate change and alteration of weather patterns. As previously suggested, after approximately 1 year, horses adapt to novel conditions and display the typical behavioural pattern of wild-born Przewalski's horses.
重新引入是恢复濒危物种的常用技术。然而，适应具有不同条件的新栖息地存在失败的风险。天气条件会影响动物的行为，进而影响它们对新环境的适应和生存。生活在蒙古大陆干旱气候中、温度和降水变化极端的重新引入的普氏野马，是研究特定群体对这些恶劣条件行为反应的理想模式物种。
研究在蒙古大戈壁B严格保护区进行。2018年夏季，记录了3个群体（阿扎、策森和母马18），共29只个体。2019年春季，记录了4个群体（阿扎、策森、胡斯塔伊1和母马19），共34只个体。2019年秋季，记录了4个群体（阿扎、策森、胡斯塔伊2和塔纳），共35只个体。以10分钟为间隔记录13个天气变量，以及选定行为类别（进食、移动、休息和社交）的占比。通过广义线性混合模型分析天气对行为的影响。还分析了群体历史因素（最近重新引入、长期重新引入和野生出生）的影响。
进食在多云和有风的条件下显著增加，且秋季比春季和夏季更频繁。移动与温度和云量呈正相关，夏季高于春季和秋季。休息行为随海拔和云量的增加而减少，休息时群体的分散程度较低。随着温度升高，社交互动增加，夏季比春季和秋季更频繁。在选定的种群中观察到行为表现存在差异，根据它们的来源和经历进行分组时呈现出有趣的模式。
天气模式似乎会影响普氏野马的行为。这些结果可能有助于该物种的进一步管理计划，特别是考虑到气候变化加剧和天气模式改变的情况。如先前所述，大约1年后，马匹适应了新环境，并表现出野生普氏野马的典型行为模式。
