Maternal behavior and early development of pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) fawns in a semi-captive environment

Abstract

Maternal–infant interaction and behaviors are adapted to reduce the risk of predation and increase the probability of survival of the species. We determined how mother–young encounters and communication change by the development of the fawn (locomotion and feeding) throughout lactation in pampas deer (Ozotocerus bezoarticus). We registered the behavior of mother–fawn dyads for the first 60 postnatal days. Our results revealed three main developmental stages in the fawn, hiding (~0–19 days), active (~20–39 days), and adult-like (~40–60 days). In the hiding stage, the fawn stayed hidden, closer to the mother, and spent less time active, the mothers vocalized more often than the fawn, licked the fawns intensively while nursing, and were responsible for initiating nursing. In the active stage, licking behavior and vocalizations of the mother decreased while the fawns ate solid food, initiated nursing bouts, and displayed bursts of running activity. Finally, in the adult-like stage, the fawn showed many signs of nutritional weaning, and similar patterns of activity to their mothers. However, the duration and frequency of nursing bouts were unchanged during the study. We described mother–fawn interaction in pampas deer for the first time, and found that increased running activity in fawns anticipates nutritional weaning. Our results also suggest that to adapt to the development of the fawn, mothers only modify the dynamics of interaction and encounters rather than the time invested in nursing, an activity that also plays a role in maintaining mother–young affiliation.