Abstract
Although allosuckling, the lactation of non-filial offspring, can be a costly behavior, it has been reported in several species across a wide range of mammalian orders. Monotocous species such as ungulates exhibit this behavior less frequently than polytocous species, and most cases have been reported among captive specimens. A case of allosuckling of a free-ranging guanaco (Lama guanicoe) calf is reported. Allosuckling observed in this species may represent opportunistic behavior by the calf, supporting the “milk theft” hypothesis.
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Acknowledgments
This study was part of a PhD dissertation entitled “Parental care in guanacos (L. guanicoe): the role of allonursing”. We appreciate the help and collaboration by park rangers of the Chilean National Forestry and Park Service (CONAF) at Torres del Paine National Park and of CONAF itself for providing permits and facilities to carry out our field study. During the writing of this article, Luis Ebesperger was supported by FONDECYT grant 1060499 and the Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (FONDAP 1501–001). This article was prepared during the PhD studies of Beatriz Zapata, Benito A. González, and Loreto Correa in the Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias of the Universidad de Chile and Programa de Doctorado Ciencias mención Sistemática y Ecología of the Universidad Austral de Chile, under the support of National Commission of Science and Technology (CONICYT) scholarship.
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Zapata, B., Gaete, G., Correa, L.A. et al. A case of allosuckling in wild guanacos (Lama guanicoe). J Ethol 27, 295–297 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0127-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0127-7