Advances in Ungulate Science: Behavior, Physiology, Reproduction and Conservation

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Mammals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 342

Special Issue Editors


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Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: animal behaviour; captive breeding; cervids; husbandry; physiology
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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Ethology and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: deer farming; wildlife management; human-animal conflict; wild animals as bioindicators; ethology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among other factors, human activities and climate change have dramatically altered ecosystems worldwide. These changes have led to imbalance between animal communities, with some very adaptable species increasing their numbers beyond their normal densities while others disappear, decline, or reduce in distribution. Ungulates are a good example of the latter, and, given their role as key ecosystem engineers, positive or negative changes in their distribution and number exacerbate change across the entire natural environment. Nature restoration efforts are increasingly being made in many parts of the world. The restoration of ungulate communities through reintroduction and rewilding initiatives is one a cornerstone functional ecosystem restoration, and these activities require strong scientific background knowledge.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue titled “Advances in Ungulate Science: Behavior, Physiology, Reproduction and Conservation”, in which we aim to compile articles, reviews, communications, and commentaries about recent trends on ungulate science. Studies focused on behavioral, physiological, and reproductive aspects of these species, leading to optimized captive breeding and/or successful conservation, reintroduction, and rewilding projects are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Francisco Ceacero
Dr. Katarzyna Tajchman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • captive breeding
  • functional ecosystems
  • habitat restoration
  • reintroduction
  • rewilding

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 5047 KB  
Article
Behavioral Plasticity of Rewilding Milu in Mountainous Region of Northern China
by Jialiang Ma, Jiade Bai, Ritu Su, Haibo Ma, Chenmiao Feng, Zhenyu Zhong, Qingyun Guo, Qingxun Zhang, Zhibin Cheng and Kun Cheng
Animals 2025, 15(20), 2993; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15202993 - 15 Oct 2025
Abstract
Species rewilding, as a key strategy for rescuing endangered species and rebuilding wild populations, fundamentally relies on the behavioral plasticity of specific wildlife species. Although most current rewilding initiatives select optimal habitats, research on behavioral adaptation mechanisms in more challenging, extreme environments remains [...] Read more.
Species rewilding, as a key strategy for rescuing endangered species and rebuilding wild populations, fundamentally relies on the behavioral plasticity of specific wildlife species. Although most current rewilding initiatives select optimal habitats, research on behavioral adaptation mechanisms in more challenging, extreme environments remains lacking. The Milu (Elaphurus davidianus), a typical wetland and plain species, naturally inhabits the warm marshlands of the Yangtze and Yellow River basins. In this study, using GPS tracking data, we focused on a population of rewilding Milu on the Inner Mongolia Plateau to investigate behavioral plasticity in terms of home range area, activity rhythm, and movement distance, aimed to elucidate their survival adaptation strategies within mid-elevation and cold environments. The results indicated significant seasonal and sex-based differences in both home range and movement distance: home ranges contract and movement distances are minimized during winter, while spatial activity expands markedly in summer—and continues to increase year by year following rewilding. During the study period, the number of daily activity peaks per individual ranged from zero to four. Furthermore, peak timing exhibited clear seasonal variation, with crepuscular patterns—morning and evening activity peaks—predominant across most months. Approximately three months after release, the activity rhythms of both males and females stabilized. These findings reveal key behavioral adjustments of Milu translocated to a mountainous, cold-temperate environment outside its original distribution range, and provide a scientific basis for long-term management and for assessing the ecological adaptability of this introduced population. Full article
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