The energy-maintenance strategy of goitered gazelles Gazella subgutturosa during rut

In many polygynous ruminant species, males decrease their food intake considerably during the rut. To explain this phenomenon of rut-reduced hypophagia, two main hypotheses, the Foraging-Constraint Hypothesis and Energy-Saving Hypothesis, have been proposed. In our research, we assessed the behavioral strategy of goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) through the rutting period. According to our findings, male goitered gazelles spent less time feeding during the rut compared to pre- and post-rut feeding times, but then maximized their energy intake during the rutting season when they were not engaged in rut-related behaviors. Females, in contrast, did not change their time budgets across the different stages of the rut. Therefore, rut-induced hypophagia is mainly arising from the constraints of rut-related behaviors for male goitered gazelles, so that the Foraging-Constraint Hypothesis better explains their strategy during rut.