Allo-suckling occurrence and its effect on lactation and nursing duration in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) in Orkney, Scotland

• Published in: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
• Main Authors: Arso Civil, Mònica, Hague, Emily, Langley, Izzy, Scott-Hayward, Lindesay
• Other Authors: Scottish Government
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Allo; Phoca vitulina
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03051-y; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00265-021-03051-y.pdf; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-021-03051-y/fulltext.html

Abstract Fostering and allo-suckling are widespread among pinnipeds, and several hypotheses have been formulated to explain their occurrence. Here, we describe the occurrence of allo-suckling in harbour seals from photo-identification data of females and pups in Orkney (Scotland) during the pupping...