A substantial energetic cost to male reproduction in a sexually dimorphic ungulate

Abstract

Whereas the energetic costs of reproduction for female ungulates are well documented, those of males are not. We investigated age- and sex-specific changes in the kidney fat reserves of a large sample of Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), a highly sexually dimorphic and polygynous mountain ungulate, during and following the mating period. Subadult male tahr (2-4 years old) obtain copulations opportunistically by "coursing," whereas adult males (>4 years old) spend more time traveling and searching for females, and obtain copulations after engaging in more time-consuming "tending" and "blocking" displays. If there is a cost to these reproductive behaviors, we predicted that (1) the kidne..