圈養環境下台灣鼬獾（Melogale moschata subaurantiaca）的全日活動時間分配

Daily Activity Budgets of the Taiwan Ferret Badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) in Captivity

Daily activities of the Taiwan ferret badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) were studied by using a time-lapse recorder to record the individual behaviors of five animals in captivity from January to March 1993 in southern Taiwan. The activity level was low during emergence at dusk, increased gradually to the highest level right before sunrise, and then decreased sharply. Sunrise is the most obvious determinant for the cessation of the daily activity, while, hunger is also likely to be an important factor in entraining the activity in this species. Traveling was the most frequent behavior that comprised 60.2% of the total active time. Other major behaviors included playing (14.9%), remaining alert (13.8%),feeding (7.1%) and drinking (4.0%). Both feeding and drinking activities took place in very short bouts and occurred intermittently throughout the night, but only the drinking intensity was significantly correlated with the activity level. Continual searching for small and scattered food items and the requirement for reducing heat stress from the search were possible explanations for the feeding and drinking patterns. Therefore, besides for avoiding predation, the nocturnal active pattern is in favor for avoiding hyperthermal condition. 由1993年1月到3月間，在臺灣南部以長時間錄影的方式對5隻圈養的台灣鼬獾（Melogalemoschata subaurantiaca）進行夜行性活動的分析。結果顯示本種在日落剛開始活動時的活動程度較低，然後逐漸的增加直到日出前達到其最高的活動程度，之後，活動程度就快速地下降並停止活動。日出是最明顯使鼬獾結束夜間活動的決定因子；而除了日落外，飢餓也可能是另一個決定進入夜間活動的因子。在所有的行為當中，以位移出現的頻率最高，約占總活動時間的60.2%。其他主要的行為還包括：玩耍（14.9%）、警戒（13.8%）、進食（7.1%）和飲水（4.0%）。鼬獾每次進食或飲水約持續2-3秒就結束，而且這兩種行為整夜均會斷續的出現；不過，只有飲水的次數與活動程度有顯著的正相關。如此的行為模式應與此種動物在野外尋覓小型且分散出現的食物，以及以頻繁飲水來降低體熱有關。因此，除了可以減少被天敵獵捕的機會外，鼬獾的夜行性活動模式也可能可以避免熱緊迫的發生。