Breeding season

Breeding season

The breeding season is the most suitable season, usually with favorable conditions and abundant food and water, for breeding among some wild animals and birds (wildlife). Species with a breeding season have naturally evolved to have sexual intercourse during a certain time of year in order to achieve the best reproductive success. Different species of wild animal and birds have different breeding seasons according to their particular requirements and food availability etc.

Communal breeding

Many species breed in colonies or large communities which is known as communal breeding. It is common to see large congregations of these species in particular favorable locations in their breeding seasons. These breeding colonies and their location are generally protected by wildlife conservation laws to keep the species from going extinct. Some species have evolved for communal breeding in large breeding colonies and can not breed in smaller numbers or pairs alone. These species can be threatened by imminent extinction if they are hunted on their breeding grounds or if their breeding colonies are destroyed. The Passenger pigeon is a famous example of probably the most numerous land bird on the American continent which had evolved for communal breeding that went extinct due to large scale hunting in its communal breeding grounds during the breeding season and its inability to breed in smaller numbers.

Closed season in hunting

Breeding season of wildlife is usually what is called the closed season when hunting is not permitted and is enforced by law for the conservation of the species and wildlife management, any hunting during closed season is punishable by law and termed as illegal hunting or poaching.

ee also

* Hunting season
* Reproduction
* Mating system
* Habitat
* Ecology
* Ecosystem
* Habitat conservation
* Habitat fragmentation
* Endangered species

References

* [http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Breeding_Season.html “Breeding Season”; by Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye; www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds]
* Jerram L. Brown, "Helping and Communal Breeding" in "Birds" 70-75 (1987)
* Jerram L. Brown, "Avian Communal Breeding Systems", "Ann. Rev. Ecology & Systematics" 9:123 (1978)
* Stephen T. Emlen & Sandra L. Vehrencamp, "Cooperative Breeding Strategies among Birds", in "Perspectives in Ornithology", 93 (Alan H. Brush & George A. Clark, Jr. eds., 1983)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • breeding season — that period of a year in which fish are sexually active. Also called spawning season …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • Breeding — is the producing of offspring, usually animals or plants* Animal breeding, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rabbits * Plant breeding, through selected specimens such as treesBreeding may also refer to:in science: * Biobreeding …   Wikipedia

  • Breeding pair — is a pair of animals which cooperate over time to produce offspring. In contrast to any two copulating animals, the term breeding pair indicates some form of a bond between the individuals. For example, many birds mate for a breeding season or… …   Wikipedia

  • season — sea|son1 [ sizn ] noun *** ▸ 1 one of 4 periods of year ▸ 2 period sport is played ▸ 3 period for movies etc. ▸ 4 holiday/vacation period ▸ 5 period of wind/rain etc. ▸ 6 period plants grow etc. ▸ 7 period animals have sex ▸ 8 period event takes… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • season — I UK [ˈsiːz(ə)n] / US [ˈsɪz(ə)n] noun Word forms season : singular season plural seasons *** 1) [countable] one of the four periods into which the year is divided according to the weather She likes to paint the changing seasons in the garden. My… …   English dictionary

  • season — sea|son1 W1S3 [ˈsi:zən] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(time of year)¦ 2¦(usual time for something)¦ 3¦(holiday)¦ 4¦(fashion)¦ 5 be in/out of season 6¦(films, plays etc)¦ 7¦(animals)¦ 8 season s greetings 9 the season of goodwill ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • season — [[t]si͟ːz(ə)n[/t]] ♦ seasons, seasoning, seasoned 1) N COUNT: usu with supp The seasons are the main periods into which a year can be divided and which each have their own typical weather conditions. Autumn s my favourite season. ...the only… …   English dictionary

  • season — 1 / si:zFn/ noun 1 IN A YEAR (C) one of the four main periods in a year; spring, summer, autumn, or winter 2 USUAL TIME FOR STH (singular) a period of time in a year when something happens most often or when something is usually done:… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • breeding — breed|ing [ˈbri:dıŋ] n [U] 1.) when animals produce babies ▪ Open sea fish lay several million eggs each breeding season . 2.) the activity of keeping animals or plants in order to produce animals or plants that have particular qualities ▪ the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • breeding — noun (U) 1 the act or process of animals producing babies: breeding season (=the time of the year when an animal has babies) 2 the activity of keeping animals or plants in order to produce new or better types: the breeding of pedigree dogs |… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”