Behaviour features of the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) during different stages of the estrous cycle

Abstract

The implementation of the programme for the reintroduction of the Persian leopard in the Caucasus in Russia allowed carrying out a detailed video monitoring of various aspects of this subspecies' life under captive conditions in the «Center of the leopard recovery in the Caucasus». The most important stage of this programme was the formation of couples and the progeny getting of adult individuals caught in their natural environment and placed into a closed aviary. A complex sexual behaviour of leopards, while having different stages of the estrous cycle, could be identified by manifestation of characteristic features in various stages. There is an increase in both the motion behaviour as well as in the marking activity during proestrus; the cozying that helps to maintain the sexual activity of the male and the adopting of the receptive pose of the female during the estrus; avoidance of mating by the female during the proestrus stage; transition of the mating initiative to the male as well as passive behaviour of the female during the metaestrus stage. A large number of matings is caused by the species' biology. The leopard belongs to the animals with an «instigated» ovulation. Therefore the multiple coituses stimulate the maintaining of a high concentration of estrogens in the blood and promote the ovulation of follicles. As a result, we have concluded that the form of female sexual behaviour (with permissible error) can indicate the functional activity of the ovaries and the corpora lutea, as well as it allows determining the beginning and duration of the stages of the estrous cycle.

Some behavior features of a female Panthera pardus tulliana during pregnancy and at first parturitions

“…During the estrous cycle, the male made 233 matings, but not all of them were successful. In total, 153 successful matings were recorded (Ertuev and Semenov 2016).…”

Understanding the Role of Semiochemicals on the Reproductive Behaviour of Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)—A Review

“…Since the presence/odour of a male cheetah has been noted to trigger the oestrous cycle in the females [ 22 , 73 ] and the scent is known to play an important role in reproduction with cheetahs as well as other felids [ 7 , 21 , 39 , 62 , 63 , 73 , 88 , 93 ], if one were to analyse the chemical compounds in the marking fluid of male cheetahs (with a specific focus on high impact odorants), it could lead to the identification of a single compound (or a limited number of compounds in a mixture) that would be able to increase the frequency of reproductive behaviour displayed by the females in the hopes that intercourse and pregnancy would occur at a higher rate.…”

“…Cheetahs are induced ovulators [ 9 ], meaning that frequent copulation contributes in maintaining high levels of oestrogen, and, in combination with the low levels of progesterone, stimulates the anterior pituitary to release luteinizing hormone (LH) and trigger ovulation [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”

“…With regards to cheetahs, since the presence/odour of a male cheetah has been noted to trigger the oestrous cycle in the females [ 22 , 73 ] and the scent is known to play an important role in reproduction with cheetahs as well as other felids [ 21 , 39 , 62 , 63 , 70 , 73 , 88 , 93 ], there is an opportunity to further investigate the role of semiochemicals in cheetahs and their possible use to improve oestrus behaviours for successful mating. For instance, it could be possible to use a synthetic or natural scent in cheetahs as well in order to increase the frequency of oestrus behaviours displayed in younger females to ensure successful mating when the females are introduced to the males.…”