Abstract: The behavior of alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus) has been poorly documented, and the captive breeding management of the deer has been primarily based on trial and error. The main aim of this study was to record and compare the behavioral patterns of wild-caught and captive-born adult male alpine musk deer to explore their potential differences. During August 2004 to January 2005, the behavioral patterns of the deer were recorded at the Musk Deer Breed Center in Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve, Gansu Province of China. Focal sampling and alloccurrence recording were used to observe the behaviors of 17 wild-caught (WC) and 6 captive-born (CB) adult males, The frequencies of 12 behaviors such as resting and standing-alert were recorded, and the behavioral frequencies in mating and non-mating seasons were compared. The results showed that most of the behavioral patterns between WC and CB male musk deer were not significantly different, because of the same enclosure environment and management model. However, due to the effects of artificial lactation on their behavioral development in infancy, the WC males expressed significantly more frequent conflict interactions than the CB males (P<0.05) in both non-mating and mating seasons, while the CB males exhibited more frequent amicable interactions than the WC males (P<0.01) in mating season. Furthermore, the males expressed significantly less frequent resting behavior but more standing-alert, locomotion, environment sniffing, and conflict interaction in mating season than in non-mating season (P<0.01).

Key words: Phytoplankton, Chlorophyll a, Primary productivity, Meiliang Bay