L’influence de l’épiqénitique sur l’ontogénie du comportement chez la perdrix gambra alectoris barbara

Abstract

The behavior of the Partridge gambra (Alectorisbarbara), a nidifuge species, wasmonitored on chicks bred in captivity (120 × 80 × 60cm) and agedfrom 2 to 49 days. Behavioralsequences of 5 minutes wererecorded by video 3 times a day for the differentage groups. An ethogramwasestablished and the behavioralsequenceswereanalyzedusing the software. The resultsobtained show a change in the frequencies of the variousbehavioral items as a function of age; the time allotted to social interactions increaseswithagefrom 7 ± 1.9% at age 2-4 days to 23 ± 6.8% at the age of 32-40 days and thendecreasesthereafter. The predominant social behaviorisgrouping. The partridgespresentfrom the age of 11 days, aggressivebehavior but at a lowfrequency. The majority of reportedbehaviors are observed in the first daysafterhatching, whichmeansthatpartridges do not needany parental learning to developsuchbehaviors. Behaviorsthatrequire a certain degree of maturitysuch as dust bath and flight appearonly at the age of 7 days. Warming (by exposure to aheat source), less and lessfrequentaccording to age, suggestsimperfecthomeothermy in youngpartridges and consequently a certain dependence on parents in terms of thermoregulation up to at 4 weeks of age.