Gestation and lactation have high energetic requirements. Up to three-fourths of the gestation period in moose (Alces alces) overlaps with the food-scarce period in winter. During this period, moose deal with the limited forage resources available through hypometabolism with decreased heart rate and body temperature (T b ). Body temperature is also an indicator of oestrus, pregnancy and parturition, which is well documented in several domestic species. In this study, we sought to determine if moose displayed a similar T b pattern during pregnancy and parturition to domesticated ruminants, and if we could detect parturition by combining T b and activity data. We studied the T b pattern of 30 free-ranging adult female moose (≥1.5 years old), equipped with ruminal temperature loggers and GPS collars. We documented a 0.13-0.19°C higher T b in pregnant compared to non-pregnant moose, depending on the study area with the T b difference increasing along a south-north gradient, and a drop in T b and in activity when parturition was imminent. Detection of parturition was highly successful when combining T b and activity data with an accuracy of 91.5%. Our findings demonstrate that T b responses to pregnancy and parturition in a wild capital-breeding ruminant are similar to those of domesticated ruminants.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts of interest.
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