Reproduction in Giant Pandas
Reproduction in Giant Pandas
Hormones and Behavior
This chapter investigates the behavioral factors linked with reproductive failure in a captive population housed at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu Zoo. It is found that changes in estrone conjugates correlated significantly with changes in behavioral values for nine of the behaviors measured. Feeding and olfactory investigation were significantly negatively correlated with estrone conjugates. The data also support the conclusion that vocalizations are essential for mediating encounters between males and females. The chapter observes three behaviors—scent marking, bleating, and locomoting—to be significantly positively correlated with changes in androgen concentrations in one of three males during the mating season. Additionally, contact with females encourages males to perform behaviors associated with sexual interest. Males and females both rely on behavioral cues and feedback from potential mates for reproduction to take place.
Keywords: giant panda, reproduction, estrone conjugates, scent marking, bleating, locomoting, feeding
California Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
