Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Life Sciences

Major Professor

J. Gittleman

Committee Members

Richard Saudargas, Gordon Burghardt

Abstract

This thesis includes an ethological analysis of growth, behavioral development, and maternal care of a fast-growing mammal, the ermine. One litter of six ermine (Mustela erminea) was studied at the Minnesota Zoo. Observations began at around 30 days old and continued until around 80 days old. Duration and frequency of behaviors were recorded for each animal each day, concentrating on movement, non-movement, sleep, and play behaviors. Generally, activity increased with age, while inactivity remained the same or decreased. Additionally, there was an increase in duration and frequency of activity when the young were separated from the mother in week 12, and an unexplained increase in activity at week 10. Few differences were found between or within sexes for any behaviors before separation from the mother; after separation, ermine housed individually were more active than those housed together. The behaviors of the mother were also noted. Maternal care was restricted to maintenance and protection, though this may be related to captive conditions. Changes in proximity to young over ontogeny were inconclusive. Young and mother were mated with adult males when the young were 41 days old. The adult males mated readily with the young and they did not discriminate between sexes in mating attempts. Adult males mated longest with the adult female and shortest with juvenile males.

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