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Austin, N. P., & Rogers, L. J. (2014). Lateralization of agonistic and vigilance responses in Przewalski horses (Equus przewalskii). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 151, 43–50.
Abstract: tEye and limb preferences were scored in the closest undomesticated relative of Equuscaballus using the same methods as used previously to study laterality in feral horses.Observations were made of 33 Przewalski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) (male N = 20,female N = 13) living under natural social conditions on a large reserve in France. Signifi-cant left-eye/side biases were found in agonistic interactions within harem bands (M ± SEbias to left 58% ± 0.01 for threats, P < 0.001; 68% ± 0.05 for attacks; P < 0.001) and in stallionfights (threats, 52% ± 0.01 left, P < 0.001; attacks, 63% ± 0.02 left, P < 0.001): as many as 80%of the horses were significantly lateralized in attack responses within harem bands. Lat-erality of vigilance was measured as lifting up the head from grazing and turning it to theleft or right side: a directional bias to the left was found (M ± SE 53% ± 0.02 left, P < 0.001).Side bias in reactivity was calculated as the percent of head lifts above the level of thewithers on the left or right side and this was also left side biased (M ± SE 73% ± 0.03 left,P < 0.001). These results indicate right-hemisphere specialization for control of aggressionand responses to novelty. The left bias in attack scores within harem bands was strongerin males than females (P = 0.024) and in immature than adult horses (P = 0.032). Immaturehorses were also more strongly lateralized than adults in vigilance scores (P = 0.022), whichmay suggest that experience reduces these side biases. Our results show that Przewalskihorses exhibit left eye preferences, as do feral horses, and do so even more strongly thanferal horses. Considering feral and Przewalski horses together, we deduce that ancestralhorses had similar lateral biases. Also similar to feral horses, the Przewalski horses showedno significant forelimb preference at the group level or in the majority of horses at theindividual level, confirming the hypothesis that previously reported limb preferences indomestic breeds are entrained or generated by breed-specific selection.
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Bahloul, K., Pereladova, O. B., Soldatova, N., Fisenko, G., Sidorenko, E., & Sempere, A. J. (2001). Social organization and dispersion of introduced kulans (Equus hemionus kulan) and Przewalski horses (Equus przewalski) in the Bukhara Reserve, Uzbekistan. J. Arid. Environ., 47(3), 309–323.
Abstract: Asiatic wild asses and Przewalski horses initially inhabited steppe, semi-desert and desert areas, but Przewalski horses became extinct in the wild, and kulans disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century, except for a small population in Turkmenistan. The Bukhara Breeding Centre (Uzbekistan) was created in 1976 for reintroduction and conservation of wild ungulate species. In 1977-1978, five kulans (two males and three females), from Barsa-Kelmes island on the Aral sea, were introduced into the reserve. The group increased to 25-30 animals in 1989-1990, when eight Przewalski horses from Moscow and St Petersburg zoos were introduced. We analysed the home ranges, preferred habitats and social interactions of these closely related species during 1995-1998 by seasonal and group composition. Horses and asses formed a reproductive group and a secondary non-reproductive group. The home range of the secondary group was larger than the reproductive group and seemed to be less dependent from the watering places. Przewalski horses were less adapted to semi-desert conditions (both water and vegetation needs) than kulan.
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