{"title":"Alloparenting and family behaviours in leopards (Panthera pardus fusca)","authors":"Swapnil Kumbhojkar, Bablu Gurjar, Reuven Yosef","doi":"10.1007/s10211-024-00446-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We documented alloparenting and social group behavior within a leopard (<i>Panthera pardus fusca</i>) population in the Jhalana Reserve Forest (JRF), northwest India. Our observations revealed subadult offspring assisting their mothers in raising their newborn litters, exhibiting previously undocumented alloparenting behaviors. We propose that the familial intra-specific interactions and inter-specific competition collectively influence the social structure of the leopard population. Specifically we suggest that the inter-specific competition and predation, particularly with striped hyenas (<i>Hyaena hyaena</i>), may encourage alloparenting in leopards. Aditionally, we hypothesize that alloparenting, combined with natal philopatry, serves as an alternative strategy for leopards to enhance the survival chances of their progeny.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"acta ethologica","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10211-024-00446-8","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We documented alloparenting and social group behavior within a leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) population in the Jhalana Reserve Forest (JRF), northwest India. Our observations revealed subadult offspring assisting their mothers in raising their newborn litters, exhibiting previously undocumented alloparenting behaviors. We propose that the familial intra-specific interactions and inter-specific competition collectively influence the social structure of the leopard population. Specifically we suggest that the inter-specific competition and predation, particularly with striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena), may encourage alloparenting in leopards. Aditionally, we hypothesize that alloparenting, combined with natal philopatry, serves as an alternative strategy for leopards to enhance the survival chances of their progeny.
期刊介绍:
acta ethologica publishes empirical and theoretical research papers, short communications, commentaries, reviews and book reviews as well as methods papers in the field of ethology and related disciplines, with a strong concentration on the behavior biology of humans and other animals.
The journal places special emphasis on studies integrating proximate (mechanisms, development) and ultimate (function, evolution) levels in the analysis of behavior. Aspects of particular interest include: adaptive plasticity of behavior, inter-individual and geographic variations in behavior, mechanisms underlying behavior, evolutionary processes and functions of behavior, and many other topics.
acta ethologica is an official journal of ISPA, CRL and the Portuguese Ethological Society (SPE)