Temporal ontogeny in the Wild boar (Sus scrofa L.): a systemic point of view

Abstract

Fifteen free-ranging wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) were studied by biotelemetry in Southern France. Five indicators of activity (circadian and ultradian rhythms, polyphasism, total duration of resting and of movements) were used and their comparison between different categories of animals permitted to describe some ontogenetical differences. Infants and juveniles were characterized by an ultradian and a circadian rhythmicity, adults (except bree-ding females) only by a circadian one. An important number of activity and resting phases (polyphasism) was observed in young animals and breeding females. Juveniles slept less, moved more and were more diurnal than other animals. The construction of the sleep-wake rhythm was explained by the combination between external (environmental)and internal perturbations in a self-organizing system.