Daily rhythmicity of behavioral responses in donkeys of different age groups during the cold-dry (harmattan) and hot-dry season in a tropical savannah

The aim of the study was to evaluate the daily rhythms of behavioral activities of adult, yearling and foal donkeys during the cold-dry (harmattan) and hot-dry seasons in a tropical savannah. Thirty, clinically, healthy free-ranging donkeys, divided into three groups of 10 donkeys each according to their age, served as experimental subjects. Behavioral activities of donkeys were monitored bi-hourly from 06:00 to 06:00 h (GMT +1) during the cold-dry and hot-dry seasons. Application of single cosinor procedure showed that behavioral activities exhibited varying levels of daily rhythmicity in both seasons.
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research