GRAZING ACTIVITY OF BREEDING AND NON-BREEDING FEMALE CANTABRIAN CHAMOIS (RUPICAPRA-PYRENAICA PARVA)

We studied year-round grazing activity in female Cantabrian chamois (R upicapra pyrenaica parva, Cantabrian mountains, Spain), in relation to reproductive status: breeding and non-breeding. We considered three p eriods based on maternal care: pre-birth, from November to March; earl y post-birth, May; late post-birth, from June to October. Grazing acti vity did not differ between reproductive states (P > 0.05), but differ ences were found between pre-birth and late post-birth periods (P < 0. 001). The percentage of time spent grazing was greater in the pre-birt h period than in the late post-birth period (breeding females: 52% vs 37%; non-breeding females: 57% vs 33%; P < 0.05). In breeding females pre birth grazing activity was also higher than early post-birth (52% vs 27%, P < 0.05), but no information was available for non-breeding f emales in the early post-birth period. Breeding females shed their win ter coat later than non-breeding females (P = 0.035), a likely indicat ion of poor body condition. Breeding females appeared not to compensat e for reproduction cost by increasing their grazing activity, and ther efore they might exhibit a poorer condition than nonbreeding females a s suggested by the timing of moult.