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The communicatory significance of localised defecation sites in bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)

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Abstract

Like several other mammals, bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) deposit faeces in specific localised defecation sites (LDS). A previous study has ruled out a function of LDS in the context of parasite avoidance. In this study, we investigated the communicatory significance of LDS. In a free ranging population, we tested whether LDS serve to demarcate home ranges, and/or if LDS are used for communication in a non-territorial context. In both sexes, LDS increased significantly in number towards the periphery of individual home ranges. However, the distribution pattern of LDS, as revealed by a nearest-neighbour mapping technique (nearest distances between LDS), did not support the idea that LDS serve home range/territory-demarcation because LDS did not follow a pattern of minimal nearest-neighbour distances along the margins of home ranges. We found females to urinate more often in LDS than males. Notably, information transfer was most frequent between sending (urinating or defecating) females and receiving/responding males (urination or defecation at places where a female had previously signalled). Our results suggest that LDS mainly serve for inter-sexual communication in bushbuck.

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Acknowledgements

The Research Division of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kampala, Uganda, and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology gave permission to conduct this research in Queen Elizabeth National Park. All work conducted was in compliance with the Ugandan law. This study was carried out in affiliation with the Uganda Institute of Ecology, Mweya, Uganda and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. The study was supported by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). We are greatly indebted to Ludwig Siefert, Department of Wildlife and Animal Resource Management, Makerere University, Kampala for his veterinary assistance in the field. Our special thanks go to Jonathan Baranga (Mbarara University of Science and Technology), Harald Schlieman (University of Hamburg) and Hans Klingel (University of Braunschweig) for their continuous support to our project. The collection of a considerable number of data was carried out with the help of Solomon Kyabulima, the research assistant of the project, for which we owe him our gratitude. Lots of thanks to Enzama Modesta and the family of Mr. and Mrs. Opwonya, especially Joyce Atim. Rüdiger Riesch and Michael Tobler kindly read and helped to improve a previous draft of the manuscript. E. Korpimäki, H. Ylonen and an anonymous reviewer provided very helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behaviour, Biozentrum Grindel und Zoologisches Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, Hamburg, 20146, Germany

    Torsten Wronski

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science with Education, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda

    Ann Apio

  3. Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Systematic Zoology, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht Street 24-25, Potsdam, 14476, Germany

    Martin Plath

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Martin Plath

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  1. Torsten Wronski
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Correspondence to Martin Plath.

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Communicated by E. Korpimäki

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Wronski, T., Apio, A. & Plath, M. The communicatory significance of localised defecation sites in bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 60, 368–378 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0174-4

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