Defensive response to humans in farm-bred sables (Martes zibellina)

• Main Author: E. G. Sergeev
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Vavilov Society of Geneticists and Breeders 2015
• Subjects: martes zibellina; sable; behavior of sables; domestication; Genetics; QH426-470; Kamchatka
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.18699/VJ15.029; https://doaj.org/article/f283b782b67249f3bdbd9399bcabfa32

The formation of behavior type in the postnatal development of sables is studied insufficiently. Studies of this hot topic showed that the anthropogenic factor has a great influence on behavior formation in sables. Identification of other components that can influence the formation of sable behavior of sables in relation to a human is of obvious interest. The objectives of our work were: (1) variation of behavior type in pups with age and (2) correlation of behavior with pup sex and coloration, litter size, and origin of parents. A total of 262 pups were tested. Part of their parents belonged to animals, thoroughbred for coloration («black sable» breed), whose selection had been conducted in farms for 40 years. Other parents originated from sables caught in 1990s in Kamchatka and the Urals (mongrels). The type of behavior was determined by the standard hand test. Animals avoiding contact were scored zero. Animals communicating with the experimenter and demonstrating calm behavior (friendly response) were scored +1 to +5. Animals that demonstrated aggressive behavior (fearful response) were scored –1 to –4. Tests of the same animals were repeated at ages of 4, 5, and 6 months. In the final test at 6 months, 78,6 % of pups of both sexes showed the avoidance response, 20,2 % were attributed to the calm type, and 1,2 % to aggressive. The experi- ment proved that the formation of behavioral reactions in young sables was influenced by the sex of animals. The calm response was more frequently demonstrated by males than by females (p > 0,99–0,999). Behavior type in young sables showed no association with age, but the proportion of calm animals increased in each successive test (differences statistically insignificant, p < 0,90). No statistically significant correlation could be found between coloration and tame behavior of pups because of small numbers of such animals. Litter size or parent breed did not affect the formation of behavior type in pups.