Fixed factors (independent variables) tested in each of the models were the foal’s age and sex, the number of dominant mares (at the date of suckling bout), the herd nested within the season (1999/2000, 2001/2002, 2008/2010), the mother’s age, the mother’s www.selleckchem.com/products/Temsirolimus.html parity, the number of other suckling foals within the herd, the number of other animals in the herd, the number

of previous births of the mother, the number of offspring successfully reared by the mother, the place where the suckling bout occurred (stable, yard or enclosure; in analyses of suckling bout duration only), and the feeding state of the mother (‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘interrupted due to nursing’; in analyses of suckling bout duration only), and their first-order FK506 interaction terms. In all models, repeated measures on the same individuals across the period of observation were handled with the

individual foal entering the model as a subject in the repeated statement. The within-group means were appropriately adjusted for the other effects in the model (least-squares means statement). The differences between the means were tested by t-test; with multiple comparisons we used the Tukey–Kramer adjustment. Average suckling bout duration lasted for 57.32 ± 25.02 s (n = 1689 bouts) in Grévy’s zebra, 60.24 ± 19.64 s (n = 2012 bouts) in plains zebra and 71.95 ± 27.64 s (n = 835 bouts) in mountain zebras. The longest suckling bout lasted for 4 min and 16 s in Grévy’s zebras, 4 min and 35 s in plains zebras, and 3 min and 14 s in mountain zebras. The duration of suckling bouts decreased with increasing age of the foal [F = 173.00; degrees of freedom (d.f.) = 1, 4497; P < 0.001]. Duration was affected by the animal medchemexpress that terminated the

bout (F = 178.19; d.f. = 2, 4497; P < 0.001), by the interaction between species and the animal that terminated the bout (F = 22.09; d.f. = 4, 4497; P < 0.001), and by the feeding status of the mare at the beginning of the suckling bout (F = 31.46; d.f. = 2, 4497; P < 0.001). In all three zebra species, suckling bouts terminated by the foal were longer than those terminated by the mare (plains zebras: t = 7.97, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001; Grévy’s zebras: t = 6.88, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001; mountain zebras: t = 14.83, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001) or by a herdmate (plains zebras: t = 5.81, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001; Grévy’s zebras: t = 2.59, d.f. = 4497, P = 0.01; mountain zebras: t = 6.28, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001; Fig. 1). The suckling bouts were shorter when terminated by a herdmate than when terminated by the mare in plains zebras only (t = 3.49, d.f. = 4497, P = 0.015). When the mother interrupted feeding because of nursing, then the suckling bouts duration lasted longer than when the mother did not feed (t = 3.65, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001) or when she was feeding during the whole bout (t = 7.86, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001). The suckling bout duration was longer when she was not feeding than when she was feeding while nursing (t = 6.28, d.f. = 4497, P < 0.001).