Does meteorological modifiers influence time activity budget in captive guanacos (Lama glama guanicoe)?

B.Sc. Mohammed Sulaiman Iliyasu, BA (Hons)

Master's thesis

Abstract:

AbstractWeather has been one of the major determinants of the survival and distribution of animals. The problems related to weather and climate on animal production is beyond the knowledge of variation in the atmospheric boundary layer and topography but also understanding how the environmental stressors can affect the behaviours and performance of the animal. Guanacos (Lama glama guanicoe) can adapt to harsh and variable climates throughout their distribution and environmental conditions. The main aim of this study was to determine the influence of meteorological modifiers on the time activity budget of captive guanacos. Twenty guanacos of different sex (eight males and 12 females) were used in this research. Different observations were made on the activities of the animals to compare their behaviours with meteorological modifiers. The observations were done with the use of binoculars to differentiate the behaviours of the guanacos while Kestrel 4500 was used to record meteorological modifiers readings. The meteorological modifiers, which include temperature, relative humidity, heat index, barometric pressure, wet bulb, wind speed and wind chill, were analysed using the dimension reduction model through principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation to see their level of relationship with each other. This lead to the formation of three factors representing the meteorological modifiers which were used to compare their effect on the time activity budget in captive guanacos. A set of generalized linear models using the software SPSS were designed to test the influence of meteorological modifiers on the time activity budget in captive guanacos. The influence of meteorological modifiers on the behaviours and locations of captive guanacos shows that wind chill, temperature, heat index and wet bulb show a positive influence on resting behaviour, open space and under shade with negative influence on feeding behaviour, bedding behaviour and under tree while relative humidity is having a positive effect on feeding behaviour, bedding behaviour and to stay under tree with a negative influence on resting behaviour, open space and under shade at p<0.001. The result also indicates that both dew point and barometric pressure show a positive influence on browsing behaviour and to stay under tree with a negative effect on grazing behaviour and to stay in an open space at p<0.001. It has been concluded that captive guanacos respond behaviorally to different meteorological conditions on different farm situations.

Keywords

Behaviour, Grazing, Observations, Temperature, Locations

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 28. 8. 2018

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Ing. Radim Kotrba, Ph.D.

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences

Master programme / field:
Tropical Agriculture / Animal and Food Sciences in Tropics and Subtropics