Investigation of grazing behavior of camels in the rangelands of Tabas desert

Rangelands are composed of different plant species with different vegetative characteristics that have a certain grazing value. Hence, the grazing livestock also shows a special grazing behavior according to it. Without knowing these behaviors, planning and managing rangelands and livestock is not possible. This research was carried out on camel herds in the rangelands of the Tabas desert from 2015 to 2017. Parameters such as grazing time, rest time, livestock movement time, distance traveled, and livestock movement speed were examined by GPS. The results showed that in spring, summer, fall, and winter, grazing time, livestock movement time, distance traveled, livestock movement speed at (p < /em><0.01), and rest time at (p < /em><0.05) were significantly different. The highest grazing time (342 minutes), rest time (119 minutes), and distance traveled (21.66 km) by camels in the studied rangelands were in summer and the lowest in winter. The highest speed (2.12 km/h) and travel time (359 minutes) were in spring and the lowest in winter. Therefore, knowing the mentioned parameters will help the rangeland management in determining the appropriate time for the camel to move in the rangeland and will increase the livestock performance.