脇野沢村九艘泊におけるニホンカモシカのつがい関係と母子関係

抄録

Pair-bond and mother-offspring relationships of Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) were studied in Kusoudomari, Wakinosawa Village, Aomori Prefecture from March 1976 to December 1982. In most cases home ranges of a male, a female and its youngs were overlapped each other, and the pair-bond and family like group among them were clearly recognizable. Ten dispersals (male 4, female 6) of youngs to establish a new home range were observed during from twenty-four to fifty months after their births. Aggressive behaviour of mother to its offsprings to drive them out of its home range was not recorded. In some cases, severe chases of adult male to two-year-old male in the same family like group which seemed to expell young out the home range were observed. But on the other hand non-agonistic interactions between them were commonly seen in similar circumstances. Dispersals of offspring were thought to be young's voluntary preference primarily. Affinitive relation between a pair were maintained for years regardless of which rutting season (September-November) or non-rutting season (February-June) . Both male and female live a solitary life and they need not any others' help for territory defence, protection against enemies and nursing. Pair-bond and family like group of serows were thought to be a secondary social relationships rather than essential units in their social structure.