Can cattle visually discriminate between green and dead forages at a short distance while moving in the field?
Can cattle visually discriminate between green and dead forages at a short distance while moving in the field?
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DOI：
10.1007/s10071-019-01268-z
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发表时间：
2019-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Anzai, Hiroki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hirata, Masahiko;Arimoto, Chie;Anzai, Hiroki
相对知之甚少的是有蹄类动物的视觉辨别植被斑块的能力，而在草原上觅食，尽管广泛的研究与人为的刺激在室内。本研究的目的是评估在更接近实际觅食情况的条件下，牛（普通牛）的视觉辨别能力。12头日本黑牛连续四次有机会在绿色和死草料之间进行选择，这些草料以25 x 25 cm的斑块形式出现在1、2或3 m前方，同时走过25 m长的田间区域。用于呈现作为视觉刺激的草料的装置被设计成最小化嗅觉线索。绿色牧草在外观（颜色和质地）和品质（可消化干物质和粗蛋白质）上与死草不同。奶牛喜欢的绿色饲料死饲料，并能够使用饲料作为视觉线索，以区分他们。在距离1、2和3 m处，选择绿色饲料的比例分别为0.70-0.72（与机会差异显著（P < 0.001））、0.57（P < 0.05）和0.53（P >= 0.1）。结果表明，有蹄类动物在草原觅食期间视觉辨别植被斑块的能力不会像以前的室内研究中报道的视力那样高。
Relatively little is known about the ability of ungulates to visually discriminate vegetation patches while foraging on grasslands despite extensive studies with man-made stimuli presented indoors. This study aimed to assess visual discrimination ability of cattle (Bos taurus) under conditions closer to the actual foraging situation. Twelve Japanese Black cows were afforded four successive opportunities to choose between green and dead forages presented as 25 x 25 cm patches 1, 2, or 3 m ahead while walking through a 25-m-long field area. Apparatuses for presenting the forages as visual stimuli were designed to minimize olfactory cues. The green forage differed from the dead forage in appearance (color and texture) and quality (digestible dry matter and crude protein). Cows preferred the green forage to the dead forage and were able to use the forages as visual cues to discriminate them. The proportion of green forage choices was 0.70-0.72 (different from the chance at P < 0.001), 0.57 (P < 0.05), and 0.53 (P >= 0.1) at the distances of 1, 2, and 3 m, respectively. The results indicate that the ability of ungulates to visually discriminate vegetation patches during foraging in grasslands would not be as high as that expected from the visual acuity reported in the previous indoor studies.