Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The role of the senses in mare—foal recognition

1980; Elsevier BV; Volume: 6; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0304-3762(80)90064-4

1878-0741

Thomas R. Wolski, Katherine A. Houpt, Ruth Aronson,

Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock

The relative roles of auditory, visual and olfactory cues in the mutual recognition of mares and their suckling foals were studied. Foals were tested for their ability to differentiate between their own mother and a similar lactating mare after cues emanating from the mares had been modified. Visual cues were either altered or eliminated, and olfactory cues altered: auditory cues were not modified, but the frequency of calls was measured during the various trials. Similar trials were conducted in which the ability of mares to differentiate between foals was examined. Both mares and foals were severely hindered in their attempts to locate one another when visual cues were eliminated and olfactory cues were modified; the effects of either visual cue elimination or olfactory cue modification alone were similar, and neither one alone affected relocation attempts by either mares or foals to the same degree as the combination of both. Merely altering visual appearance did not affect the rate at which one partner identified the other. Play-back trials of the recorded neighs of foals and mares indicated that a mare shows some discrimination in foals' calls by responding more often to the call of its own foal, but that a foal is not able to identify the neighs of its mother. During the relocation trials, however, both mares and foals non-selectively approached the most vocal of the test pair. A foal seemed to use the initial reaction of a mare to its approach as a final acceptance cue. Snapping and clicking of the teeth by the foal while retracting the lips ("champing") were observed as the foal approached or was approached by the mare, and these were interpreted as being submissive gestures. Nickers were heard on the close approach of mare and foal, and mutual sniffing occurred; these behaviors appear to be the means of final identification between the pair.