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, Monica, Hague, Emily, Langley, Izzy, Scott-Hayward, Lindesay
• Other Authors: University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews. School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Allo-suckling; Lactation duration; Nursing period; Phocids; Harbour seal; Non-filial; QH301 Biology; DAS; Scottish Government; QH301; Allo; harbour seal; Phoca vitulina
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/23793; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03051-y

This study was funded by Scottish Government (grant number MMSS/002/15). 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 d...