REPRODUCTION DU CHAT FORESTIER D'EUROPE EN CAPTIVITÉ 



209 



diverse circumstances, either by the maie or by the female. The mortality rate 

 is high in young Wildcats, many deaths occur between the âge of 2 and 4 months. 

 The origin of zoo-specimens is sometimes unknown and some doubt must be 

 expressed concerning the "purity" of the breeds. 



From 1963 to 1968, 17 litters totalizing 53 young, born alive, have been 

 obtained from 7 females and 5 maies, at the Laboratoire de Zoologie approfondie 

 of the University of Nancy, France. The results of thèse reproductions are 

 published here. 



The female becomes able to reproduce at the âge of 1 year. In the présence 

 of the maie, the duration of the female's oestrus varies from 5 to 6 days (excep- 

 tionally 8 days). Based on the first and the last observed copulation, the duration 

 of gestation lies between 63 and 69 1/2 days (average 66 days). 



At the moment of the parturition, sometimes even a few days before it, the 

 maie enters into sexual excitation, which suggests that the female's odours play 

 a determining rôle towards the end of the gestation. Pseudo-copulations do occur. 

 The maie does not take any active part in the rearing of the young. In the maies, 

 the external signs of sexual activity appear at the âge of 9 to 10 months, with a 

 highly variable intensity and frequency from one individual to another. The 

 normal period of sexual activity of our maies, ranges from the end of December 

 to the end of June. 



BIBLIOGRAPHIE 



Asdell, S. A. 1964. Pattems of Mammalian Reproduction. Constable & Co., London, 

 2 e édit. : 670. 



Behm, A. 1909. Ans « Skansens » Zoologischem Garten zu Stockholm. Zool. Beobachter, 



Frankfurt/M., 50: 97-105. 

 Bemmel, A. C. V. Van. 1968. Breeding Tigers (Panthera tigris) at Rotterdam Zoo. Int. 



Zoo Yearbook, 8: 60-63. 

 Boettger, O. 1909. Langlebigkeit von Tieren zoologischer Garten. Ibid., 50: 59-61. 

 Bùrger, M. 1964. Beobachtungen an Wildkatzen des Magdeburger Zoos. Milu, Berlin, 1 : 



284-288. 



Cocks, A. H. 1876. Wild Cats : Period of Gestation. The Zoologist, London, 1876: 

 5038-5039. 



— 1881. Wild Cat breeding in confinement. Ibid., 1881 : 307. 



Dathe, H. 1968. Breeding the Indian Léopard cat (Felis bengalensis) at East Berlin Zoo. 

 Int. Zoo Yearbook, 8: 42-44. 



Flower, S. S. 1931. Contribution to our Knowledge on the duration of life in Vertebrates. 

 5. Mammals. Proc. zool. Soc. London, 1931: 145-234. 



Gijzen, A. 1960. Liste des Mammifères ayant figuré ou figurant dans les collections du 

 Jardin zoologique d'Anvers. Bull. Soc. roy. zool. Anvers. No 16, 18 pp. 



Goffart, -. 1890. Zucht von Wildkatzen in der Gefangenschaft. Zool. Garten, Frank- 

 furt/M., 31 (7): 193-195. 



Grabowski, F. 1910. Zucht von Wildkatzen in der Gefangenschaft. Ibid., 51: 141-142. 



