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Infanticide in captive collared peccaries ( Tayassu tajacu )
Author(s) -
Packard Jane M.,
Babbitt Kimberly J.,
Han Patricia G.,
Grant William E.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430090106
Subject(s) - biology , animal husbandry , zoology , captivity , demography , ecology , agriculture , sociology
Housing animals in groups that are typical of the normal social system can be very important to the success of captive husbandry. Collared peccaries normally live in mixed‐sex territorial groups of 13–40 individuals with little evidence for movement between groups. We recorded 21–30 cases of infanticide in a captive group composed of animals from several wild groups. In five observed cases, the attacker was a female unrelated to the mother, but related females helped defend neonates. Victims did not differ in sex ratio or size from individuals that survived. We recommend that peccaries be housed as related female lineages.