A herd is a group of animals , united by behavioral mechanisms. The herd [approx. 1] for the most part animals of one species are included, it is possible to combine representatives of different species into a herd.
The herd is characterized by the presence of a general rhythm of life, which manifests itself in the fact that animals in the herd feed, rest, move and protect themselves from predators in concert. The individuals forming the herd are heterogeneous in age, genotype, sex, and other characteristics, although seasonal herds are often found united by one characteristic, for example, unisex herds in reindeer. Herds can consist of smaller groups - families formed by a female with cubs, groups of young males and so on. Individual individuals and their groups can join the herd or leave it.
Depending on the species, the group of animals can be called a herd of cows, a herd of horses, a flock of sheep, a pack of wolves, a pride of lions, etc.
Content
Types of Studs
In nomadic animals, three main types of herds are distinguished - herds of equipotential type, herds with a leader and herds with a leader. Often there are transitional forms between these types.
Equipotential type
Small birds and fish are characterized by herds of equipotential type, in which individual animals are equivalent and, when moving, are guided by their closest neighbors. Nevertheless, in such herds “temporary different quality” is possible, when one or several individuals under the influence of environmental factors change their behavior, and the remaining individuals follow them [1] .
Herds with a Leader
In herds, there may be a leader — an individual that determines at every moment the activity of the whole herd, as well as the direction and duration of the movements. Such herds are called "herds with a leader." Usually experienced animals play the role of leader. In herds with a leader, there may not be a strict hierarchy between individuals, and if there is a hierarchy, the leader is not always dominant. For example, in many ungulates, the role of leader is played by females, while males occupy a dominant position in the herd.
Herds with a Leader
In herds with a leader, the coordination of the behavior of individual individuals is ensured mainly by imitation. In more complex herds with a leader, the dominant individual — the leader — is directly involved in controlling the herd with a signal system. Such herds are characteristic of primates , large predators, some chicken, cetaceans , as well as some ungulates.
Advantages and disadvantages of the herd lifestyle
Herd lifestyle has several advantages. In the general case, it allows all members of the herd to use the resource efficiently, especially if the latter is placed closely in space. A flocking lifestyle and the associated social organization among predators allow them to prey on larger prey than they could individually. It is the need for hunting a large beast that appears among wolves as the basis for the emergence of flocks [2] .
Disadvantages of herd animals :
- Rapid depletion of feed.
- The danger of mass diseases (epizootics).
- Loss of self-preservation instinct, caution in individual animals of herd animals when separated from the herd.
The advantages of the herd lifestyle of animals:
- High level of security.
- Collective protection from adverse weather and other environmental factors.
- Protection of young and pregnant / lactating females from predators by other individuals.
- The collective nature of young learning.
Herds in agriculture
(artist Mikhail Erassi )
In agriculture, a herd refers to an artificially selected group of farm animals that are similar in a number of ways. Herds are formed for grazing, taking into account the prevailing traditional technologies and methods of modern animal husbandry. Usually the term herd is used in relation to dairy cattle and pigs, in relation to industrial cattle, the term "herd" is used, in relation to sheep and goats - "flock".
In the narrow sense, the word "herd" is applied to a significant batch of horses, including several schools, that is, individual families, at least 10-15 heads in each school. Herd or kosyachny breeding of horses is still in full swing in the southern and Central Asian steppes, where the expanse of pasture allows you to farm in a similar primitive way.
See also
- Flock
- Pride
Notes
- ↑ The terms "herd" and "flock" in biological literature are used as synonyms
Sources
- ↑ Yu.K. Roshchevsky . Features of the group behavior of animals. - tutorial. - Kuibyshev: reg. printing house to them. Myagi, 1978. - P. 53. - 1,000 copies.
- ↑ Wolf. Origin, systematics, morphology, ecology / under. ed. Doctor of Biological Sciences DI. Bibikova. - M .: Nauka, 1985 .-- S. 307.
Literature
- Yu.K. Roshchevsky . Features of the group behavior of animals. - tutorial. - Kuibyshev: reg. printing house to them. Meats, 1978. - 1,000 copies. The manual is devoted to a deep theoretical analysis of group behavior, from proto-integration to rational cooperation. An original classification of types of integration based on the level of individualization of behavior and the constructive level of integration is proposed. Designed for a trained reader.