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Behavior and body mass changes of a mother and calf Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) during the suckling period

2014; Wiley; Volume: 34; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/zoo.21189

1098-2361

Ronald A. Kastelein, Ivanka van den Belt, Nancy Jennings, Richard de Kruijf,

Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics

Zoo BiologyVolume 34, Issue 1 p. 9-19 Research Article Behavior and body mass changes of a mother and calf Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) during the suckling period Ronald A. Kastelein, Corresponding Author Ronald A. Kastelein Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan, Harderwijk, The Netherlands Correspondence to: R. A. Kastelein, Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan 46, 3843 CC Harderwijk, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorIvanka van den Belt, Ivanka van den Belt Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan, Harderwijk, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorNancy Jennings, Nancy Jennings Dotmoth, 1 Mendip Villas, Crabtree Lane, Dundry, United KingdomSearch for more papers by this authorRichard de Kruijf, Richard de Kruijf Meester van Ekartstraat 22, 's-Hertogenbosch, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author Ronald A. Kastelein, Corresponding Author Ronald A. Kastelein Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan, Harderwijk, The Netherlands Correspondence to: R. A. Kastelein, Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan 46, 3843 CC Harderwijk, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorIvanka van den Belt, Ivanka van den Belt Sea Mammal Research Company (SEAMARCO), Julianalaan, Harderwijk, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this authorNancy Jennings, Nancy Jennings Dotmoth, 1 Mendip Villas, Crabtree Lane, Dundry, United KingdomSearch for more papers by this authorRichard de Kruijf, Richard de Kruijf Meester van Ekartstraat 22, 's-Hertogenbosch, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: 15 December 2014 https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21189Citations: 3Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Abstract The behavior of a 13-year-old female Pacific walrus and her first calf is described during the first 7 months of the 19-month suckling period. The calf vocalized before 62% of suckling sessions. The mother immediately responded after 84% of vocalizations; after 44% she allowed a suckling session. The number of suckling sessions per 24-h period decreased from on average nine in the second week after birth to two by the thirteenth week. Thereafter, the number of suckling sessions fluctuated between 3 and 5/day. The average suckling session duration increased from 4 min/day to around 17 min/day. The average effective suckling time per session increased from on average 2 to 10 min. The number of breaks decreased during the study period from around 40 to 20 per session. The mother spent on average 47% of her time resting, the calf 44%. The remaining time was spent in locomotion, and suckling, playing, investigating, and looking. Mother and calf spent on average 51% of time indoors. The mother spent 43% of her time in the water, the calf 39%. The calf's body mass at birth was 55 kg; it increased to 178 kg at 27 weeks. The mother did not eat for the first 5 days after delivery, and she ate less than usual during the next 6 days. The mother's mass eventually stabilized at 1024 kg (>before gestation). The calf was not given formula and was weaned onto fish. This is the first detailed description of a captive Pacific walrus's suckling period. It could benefit the husbandry of future captive-born walruses, and may elucidate the behavior of wild walruses during suckling. Zoo Biol. 34:9–19, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc. References Alving T. 1939. Aufzucht und Pflege von Walrossen. Der Zool Garten 10: 215– 218. Angel J. 1935. How "Pee-uk" came to the zoological park. New York Zool Soc 38: 173– 177. Atz JW. 1961. Raising Ookie. Anim Kingdom 64: 13– 22. Auldist DE, Carlson D, Morrish L, Wakeford CM, King RH. 2000. 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