FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN CAPTIVE AMMOTRAGUS-LERVIA (BOVIDAE, ARTIODACTYLA) - STUDY OF ITS COMPONENTS AND EFFECTS OF HIERARCHY AND INBREEDING

Four components of female reproductive success in captive Saharan arru i (Barbary sheep), Ammotragus lervia sahariensis (Rothschild, 1913), h ave been analysed: longevity, fecundity, offspring one-month survival rate and the age of first birth. Longevity accounts for 69.9% of the v ariance of reproductive success, fecundity for 54.2%, offspring one-mo nth survival rate for 29.8%, and the age at first birth for 10.4%. A d etailed study of these components leads to the following conclusions: (a) longevity is higher in those individuals in better physical condit ion; (b) fecundity is related to age and social rank; (c) heavier offs pring at birth have a higher probability of surviving during their fir st month of life; and (d) the age at first birth is delayed by high le vels of population density, inbreeding coefficients, and birth weights . On the other hand, high-ranking females are characterized by shorter inter-birth intervals and give birth to a higher proportion of twins.