Foraging behavior of the northernmost ungulate, Ovibos moschatus

Abstract

Social behavior patterns were noted during a project on growth and development in Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx). Special attention was given to mating behavior, mother-offspring relations and agonistic behavior. Observations were compared with findings by Walther for other types of oryx. Courtship follows a similar plan, with Laufschlag and mating-whirl-around being prominent features and shared with the male-male inventory. As in other oryx, the young lie out. At first they bed alone. Later they may seek to bed with other calves; captivity may accentuate this tendency. The defecation in deep squat indicative of dominance in a high ranking bull can (rarely) be seen already from a ( male ) Arabian oryx calf with his fellows. A herd bull exhibits the deep squat predictably in response to intrusion (including that by a human observer). With the security of a fence in between, bulls may even show it as a mutual display. This has also been observed for the related addax (Addax nasomaculatus) where bulls were separated by a pasture fence (Manski, personal communication, 1988). Following the pattern for other oryx, whirl-around fights are common and elaborate, and fighting partners often swing side by side. In vigorous fights, Arabian oryx share with South African oryx ( Orvx gazella) a pronounced tendency to fall to the knees and use stab over the shoulder, techniques less common among East African oryx (Oryx beisa). Initial impressions are that scimitarhorned oryx (Oryx dammah ) emphasize stab over the shoulder most of all, this attack mode being particularly suited to their long curving horns.