Courtship and behavioral maturation of male mouflons

Abstract

This study fails to find qualitative differences in courtship (ie intra- and intersexual interactions), according to male age in mouflon Ouis gmelini musimon (Pallas, 1811). Conversely, clear age differences arose concerning the proportion of time males dedicated to reproductive and non-reproductive activities. During the rut, males spent less time feeding, and more time scanning and in male-male interactions as age increased. Young males ( 7 years old). So male behavioral maturation does not only depend on age but could also be influenced by demographic constraints, ie presence of old dominant males. The male reproductive effort, however, seemed independent of the presence of old dominant males, which could reflect a developmental constraint. Young males would not have enough energy reserves because of growth to dedicate as much time as mature males to reproduction, even in the absence of these latter.