Social Behaviour of Bush Dogs, <i>Speothos Venaticus (Lund, 1842)</i> in Captivity

Abstract

In the present study, we analysed the social behaviour of a family group of bush dogs, Speothos venaticus (Lund, 1842), at Moscow Zoo. A unique situation has developed at Moscow Zoo, which makes it possible to observe a family group of bush dogs, consisting of 23 individuals. The group consisted of the parent couple and five litters of cubs (10 males and 11 females). The study was carried out in the summer and autumn of 2022 by observing a focal group of animals of different sex and age, consisting of 12 individuals (5 females and 6 males). The hierarchical structure of a group of bush dogs, the ratio of various forms of social behaviour of animals, as well as the nature of their aggressive interactions were evaluated. It was shown that in the studied family group, the dominant parent couple and their off spring were distinguished, which corresponds to the data known from the literature. The predominant form of behavior in animals was group movement around the enclosure, which accounted for 47.3% of all social interactions between dogs. The level of aggression was low among older individuals. Probably, the hierarchical structure of the group of bush dogs is not based on the aggression of high-ranking individuals, but on the demonstration of submission by low-ranking ones. Other social interactions observed included play, communication, marking, parental, and sexual behaviour. There were sex differences in the way territory was marked with urine. Females marked territory by adopting a standing posture on their forelegs, while males sprayed urine. At the same time, sequential urinary marking prevailed (71.6%).