Dynamics of grouping patterns and social segregation in feral goats (<i>Capra hircus</i>) on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland

Shi, Jing; Dunbar, Robin; Buckland, David; Miller, David M.

doi:10.1515/mamm.2005.016

Cited by 35 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In this study, feral goats showed variations in herd size across the year, as reported previously by Shi et al (2005) and Suances (2010), being greater in summer and winter. Gregariousness is a condition that allows information to be transmitted within herds (Wilson et al, 1975), a condition quite frequently reported in feral goats.…”

Section: Structure Of Herdssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…The structure of herds observed in both goat ecotypes in the Serra de Tramuntana of Majorca follows the pattern reported for other feral goat populations (Parkes, 1984;Shi et al, 2005), as well as the one usually observed in other wild goat populations (Shaller, 1977). The basic social unit is generally an adult female and her offspring, which associate with similar groups in a given area (O'Brien, 1988).…”

Section: Structure Of Herdssupporting

confidence: 83%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Comparative study of trophic behaviour and herd structure in wild and feral goats living in a Mediterranean island: Management implications

Rivera-Sánchez

Jorge

Baraza

et al. 2015

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tThe aim of this study was to compare the trophic behaviour and the social structure of Majorcan wild goats and feral goats present in the island of Majorca. The former are descendants of an ancestral goat ecotype introduced in the island in the late Neolithic, whereas feral goats come from domestic forms introduced recently from the Iberian Peninsula. The study was conducted in four localities of the Serra de Tramuntana, a mountain range located in the northwest of the island of Majorca. Behavioural data were collected in three seasons, summer, winter and spring of 2011-2013, and when goat activity is at its peak, i.e., 3 h after dawn and before dusk. The following variables were recorded: group composition (males, females, and kids) and activity (feeding, walking, resting, and watching). The proportion of time spent on each activity and their frequency were obtained from focal samples. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were used to simultaneously analyse the activity variables. A total of 155 observations of 85 herds were registered throughout the study. A similar behaviour pattern has been observed in this study for the two goat ecotypes, feral and wild, apart from some seasonal variations in feeding and resting activities. In summer, feral goats showed higher feeding efforts (duration and frequency) than wild goats; this might be related to a lower efficiency obtaining feeding resources by the former, whereas wild goats, that have inhabited the island for millennia, coexisting with vegetation in periods of lower forage abundance and quality, would be more efficient herbivores during restrictive periods. Average herd size for both ecotypes is smaller than that recorded for domestic goat herds, suggesting a relatively low browsing damage compared to the latter. Also, feral goats apparently have a higher gregarious behaviour than wild ones, which might relate to their domestic origin. Currently, the management of goats on the island is based on maintaining the wild ecotype and eradicate the feral one, whose impact on vegetation is supposedly worse. However, our results show a similar trophic behaviour by both ecotypes, so that their impact on vegetation should also be expected to be similar, indicating that this argument has not enough scientific basis.

show abstract

Section: Structure Of Herdssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Structure Of Herdssupporting

confidence: 83%

Comparative study of trophic behaviour and herd structure in wild and feral goats living in a Mediterranean island: Management implications

Rivera-Sánchez

Jorge

Baraza

et al. 2015

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The feral goats sometimes feed alone but more usually do so in loosely associated groups whose sizes range from 2-51 (with two to three being the modal group size) (Shi et al 2005). The composition and membership of the groups are very changeable, with individuals joining or leaving frequently as the animals forage across the landscape.…”

Section: Study Area and Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While feral goats (Capra hircus) are no exception, the level of segregation in the population inhabiting the Isle of Rum is modest and rather unstable (Shi et al 2005), with adult males and females forming mixed groups even outside of breeding season. However, mixed-sex foraging groups are especially common during and after the rut (August through the autumn months) when individual males may spend days at a time with a group of females.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Feeding competition within a feral goat population on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland

Shi

Dunbar

2005

J Ethol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study investigated feeding competition within and between different age-sex classes of feral goats (Capra hircus) on the Isle of Rum (northwest Scotland) from August to November 2000 (inclusive). Although contests in a feeding context were common, most were relatively passive: little overt agonistic behaviour was observed between opponents and the distance between feeding animals involved did not change significantly after an interaction. Month (but not sex or habitat type) had a significant effect on feeding interaction rates, and the proportion of interactions involving more intense forms of conflict was highest in November when forage availability was beginning to decline. The results show that the initiator won most feeding encounters, with adult males being dominant over females. The ability to win conflicts increased with age for both males and females. However, it decreased sharply for adult males older than 5 years, which may, in part, explain the reduced overwinter survival of these individuals.

show abstract

Age-related multi-year associations in female humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Ramp

Hagen

Palsbøll

et al. 2010

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dynamics of grouping patterns and social segregation in feral goats (Capra hircus) on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland

Abstract: Miller D. 2005. -Dynamics of grouping patterns and social segregation in feral goats ( Capra hircus) on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland. Mammalia 69 (2) : 185-199. ABSTRACTWe investigated group size, grouping patterns and sexual segregation in feral goats on the Isle of Rum (NW Scotland)

Cited by 35 publications

References 53 publications

Comparative study of trophic behaviour and herd structure in wild and feral goats living in a Mediterranean island: Management implications

Comparative study of trophic behaviour and herd structure in wild and feral goats living in a Mediterranean island: Management implications

Feeding competition within a feral goat population on the Isle of Rum, NW Scotland

Age-related multi-year associations in female humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About