Inherent seasonality in the breeding seasons of African mammals: evidence from captive breeding

Abstract

Breeding records from zoos provide a virtually untapped source of information for determining reproductive patterns of species unconstrained by nutritional variables and may be important in planning conservation strategies for rare species for which little “wild” data exist. In this study, we have analysed records of births in the National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, from 1917 to 2001 for two species of zebras, 20 species of bovids, seven species of carnivores, the white rhinoceros and the hippopotamus. The zebras and pachyderms are aseasonal breeders, whilst the bovids show some variation. The African buffalo breeds throughout the year as do sable antelope in captivity, mountain reedbuck and all the arid-adapted species. The grazers tend to be seasonal, while browsers, with the exception of the kudu, tend to be aseasonal. Four species of felids and the spotted hyaena have an aseasonal breeding pattern but the African wild cat and wild dog are more seasonal. Possible reasons for the different patterns are discussed, with particular reference to the role of environmental cues.