lek behaviour
Quick Summary
Lek behaviour, also known as arena behaviour, is a courtship display found in various insects, birds, and mammals. In this communal area, two or more males of a species perform courtship rituals. The level of interaction among males can range from minimal to cooperative dancing. Females visit the lek briefly to select a mate and copulate, but they do not form lasting pair bonds with the males. This behaviour is a form of sexual selection, where traits that enhance an individual's ability to secure mates can lead to increased fitness. Some species, like the lechwe antelope, are known to form leks with high population densities.123
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lechweThis is when lekking occurs, typically in a roughly circular arena about 0.5 km (0.3 mile) across where 50–100 males display to approaching females—most of which come to the leks to mate, but with just a few centrally placed males. Because aggregations are continually on the move, the…
Read MoreThis is when lekking occurs, typically in a roughly circular arena about 0.5 km (0.3 mile) across where 50–100 males display to approaching females—most of which come to the leks to mate, but with just a few centrally placed males. Because aggregations are continually on the move, the…
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topi…antelopes are known to form leks: the kob and the lechwe.) As many as 100 males may crowd together in an arena, where the central males may be only 25 metres (80 feet) apart. A few of them monopolize matings with the females, which come specifically to mate and are…
Read More…antelopes are known to form leks: the kob and the lechwe.) As many as 100 males may crowd together in an arena, where the central males may be only 25 metres (80 feet) apart. A few of them monopolize matings with the females, which come specifically to mate and are…
Read More