Intrasexual social behaviour of female Apennine chamois

Seventeen behaviour patterns used in female-female interactions were analysed for both their frequencies and temporal relationships in Apennine chamois. Withdrawing and the Approach built up, respectively, 38.4 and 21.3% of all activities. All other behaviour patterns showed much smaller frequencies (< 8%). A close relationship was found between Approach, Lipcurl, Head down, Side Display and Stare: all aggressive patterns. Butt, Chase, Hook and Rush proved to be associated, confirming their intensive bellicose quality. The communicative function of female Lipcurl has been confirmed as an aggressive ritualized behaviour, perhaps of "male mimicry", with elements of submissive behaviour. Low-stretch, Reactive Urination and Withdrawing grouped logether as submissive patterns. Intrasexual female behavioural sequences appeared much more predictable than those of males, which is probably related to the different gregariousness patterns of the two sexes. © 1993 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.