Determinants of reproductive success in voles: space use in relation to food and litter size manipulation

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernilla Jonsson ◽  
Tommi Hartikainen ◽  
Esa Koskela ◽  
Tapio Mappes
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Litter Size Manipulation

scholarly journals Effects of litter size on pup defence and weaning success of neighbouring bank vole females

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernilla Jonsson ◽  
Jep Agrell ◽  
Esa Koskela ◽  
Tapio Mappes
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Bank Vole ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
The Other ◽  
Clethrionomys Glareolus ◽  
Bank Voles ◽  
Litter Size Manipulation

Reproductive success of territorial female mammals depends partly on their capability to defend their young from conspecific intruders. However, how this is related to the characteristics of females and their litter sizes is largely unknown. The defence activity of 25 female bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) in relation to the number of offspring was studied in a behavioural arena by manipulating litter sizes (–2 pups or +2 pups). Infanticidal male bank voles were used as intruders–predators. Moreover, the weaning success (weaned at least one offspring or none) of 15 pairs of neighbouring females was investigated in a large indoor runway system. In each pair of females, the litter size of one female was reduced (–2 pups) and the litter size of the other enlarged (+2 pups). Defence activity of females increased with the number of offspring and the mother's size. However, weaning success of neighbours was related only to their body mass, and litter-size manipulation did not affect weaning success. Present results indicate that, although bank vole females increase their defence intensity with an increase in the number of pups, the weaning success of neighbouring females may be primarily determined by their size and dominance rank.

Optimal litter size: Does it cost more to raise a large litter in Caluromys philander?

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1511-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Atramentowicz
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Weaning Food ◽  
Daily Food Intake ◽  
Litter Mass ◽  
Large Litter ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Optimal Litter Size

Food intake of lactating Caluromys philander, a didelphid marsupial, was recorded from parturition until weaning of the pouch young. Variation in the average caloric value of daily food intake throughout lactation, in relation to litter size, showed no significant differences, but females increased food intake during late lactation, prior to weaning. Food intake was positively correlated with total litter mass at weaning. Moreover, there were significant differences in body mass and body length of offspring at first pouch exit (3 months) and at weaning (4 months): young born in small litters (1–3) were bigger than those born in large litters (6–7). Reproductive success is discussed on the assumption that pouch-young survival depends on food resources.

Space use and Reproductive Success in a Population of Meadow Voles

10.2307/4912 ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Ostfeld ◽  
S. R. Pugh ◽  
J. O. Seamon ◽  
R. H. Tamarin
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Meadow Voles

scholarly journals Short- and long-term effects of litter size manipulation in a small wild-derived rodent

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 20131096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikko Lehto Hürlimann ◽  
Antoine Stier ◽  
Olivier Scholly ◽  
François Criscuolo ◽  
Pierre Bize
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Litter Size Manipulation ◽  
Laboratory Rodents ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Long Term Consequences

Iteroparous organisms maximize their overall fitness by optimizing their reproductive effort over multiple reproductive events. Hence, changes in reproductive effort are expected to have both short- and long-term consequences on parents and their offspring. In laboratory rodents, manipulation of reproductive efforts during lactation has however revealed few short-term reproductive adjustments, suggesting that female laboratory rodents express maximal rather than optimal levels of reproductive investment as observed in semelparous organisms. Using a litter size manipulation (LSM) experiment in a small wild-derived rodent (the common vole; Microtus arvalis ), we show that females altered their reproductive efforts in response to LSM, with females having higher metabolic rates and showing alternative body mass dynamics when rearing an enlarged rather than reduced litter. Those differences in female reproductive effort were nonetheless insufficient to fully match their pups’ energy demand, pups being lighter at weaning in enlarged litters. Interestingly, female reproductive effort changes had long-term consequences, with females that had previously reared an enlarged litter being lighter at the birth of their subsequent litter and producing lower quality pups. We discuss the significance of using wild-derived animals in studies of reproductive effort optimization.

scholarly journals Space use and its effects on reproductive success of anadromous Atlantic salmon

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1461-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cédric Tentelier ◽  
Nicolas Larranaga ◽  
Olivier Lepais ◽  
Aurélie Manicki ◽  
Jacques Rives ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Parentage Analysis ◽  
First Year ◽  
Radio Tracking ◽  
Female Reproductive Success ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Individual Features

We combined habitat mapping, radio tracking of adults, redd mapping, and genetic parentage analysis on juveniles for 2 consecutive years to test eight predictions on the reproductive payoffs and individual features associated with space use tactics of anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a natural population. Regarding payoffs, we found that (1) males settled in better habitat, visited more redds, and tended to get more mates than males settled in poorer habitat; (2) they also sired more offspring; (3) the latter effect was stronger in the first year, when redds were more aggregated; and (4) female reproductive success increased with habitat quality in their home range, especially in the first year. For individual features, (5) individuals that settled earlier in their home range had better habitat for juvenile production, but only in the first year; (6) females were less mobile than males, especially in the second year; (7) larger males did not settle in better habitats than smaller males; and (8) smaller males were not more mobile than larger males.

Body mass influences maternal allocation more than parity status for a long-lived cervid mother

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 1459-1465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S Michel ◽  
Stephen Demarais ◽  
Bronson K Strickland ◽  
Jerrold L Belant ◽  
Larry E Castle
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Lifetime Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Tactics ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Maternal Body ◽  
Individual Offspring ◽  
Maternal Allocation

Abstract Mothers should balance the risk and reward of allocating resources to offspring to optimize the reproductive value of both offspring and mother while maximizing lifetime reproductive success by producing high-quality litters. The reproductive restraint hypothesis suggests maternal allocation should peak for prime-aged mothers and be less for younger mothers such that body condition is not diminished to a level that would jeopardize their survival or future reproductive events. We assessed if reproductive tactics varied by maternal body mass and parity status in captive female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine if prime-aged mothers allocate relatively more resources to reproduction than primiparous mothers. Maternal body mass, not parity status, positively affected maternal allocation, with heavier mothers producing both heavy litters and heavy individual offspring. Conversely, maternal body mass alone did not affect litter size, rather the interaction between maternal body mass and parity status positively affected litter size such that maternal body mass displayed a greater effect on litter size for primiparous than multiparous mothers. Our results suggest that heavy white-tailed deer mothers allocate additional resources to current year reproduction, which may be an adaptation allowing mothers to produce high-quality litters and increase their annual reproductive success because survival to the next reproductive attempt is not certain.

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