Evidence for continuous iteroparity in a temperate-zone frog, the red-crowned toadlet, Pseudophryne australis (Anura : Myobatrachidae)

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Thumm ◽  
M. J. Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Response ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Reproductive Loss ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Large Clutch ◽  
Variance In Reproductive Success ◽  
High Recruitment

The breeding behaviour of the red-crowned toadlet, Pseudophryne australis, was observed both in the field and in captivity. Female and male red-crowned toadlets were active in the field throughout the year. New egg masses were observed all year except mid-winter. Females returned in a gravid condition repeatedly to the breeding site over years and presumably deposited eggs, and a captive female has laid 34 clutches over 7.25 years. P. australis has evolved continuous iteroparity in a region where most frogs breed once a year, seasonally, in reliable long-lasting ponds or permanent creeks. We suggest that the comparatively extreme iteroparity observed is a result of the limitations imposed on the species in the choice of oviposition time, due to unpredictable rainfall, and of the limited availability and suitability of nesting sites. Further, iteroparity may have evolved because there is high variance in reproductive success, or particularly high recruitment losses incurred as a result of the desiccation of embryos or larvae in the ephemeral breeding sites. The adaptive response is to lay small clutches often and to gamble that follow up rains will occur on some occasions to enable recruitment. The alternative, to lay a large clutch of eggs at one time and have the ephemeral pond dry because there was no follow-up rain, would lead to total reproductive loss.

scholarly journals Begging calls provide social cues for prospecting conspecifics in the wild Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanja B Brandl ◽  
Simon C Griffith ◽  
Toni Laaksonen ◽  
Wiebke Schuett
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Taeniopygia Guttata ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
In The Wild

Abstract Social information can spread fast and help animals adapt in fluctuating environments. Prospecting on the breeding sites of others, a widespread behavior, can help to maximize reproduction by, for instance, settling in the same area as other successful breeders. Previous studies have shown that successful broods have the highest number of prospectors and that they are visited most when offspring in nesting sites are already old, making the information more reliable. In this field study, we experimentally tested how prospectors are attracted to successful nest sites. We presented wild Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) with different visual or acoustic cues in nest boxes, simulating the presence of small or large clutches or broods. More Zebra Finches visited experimental nests that were associated with playback recordings of begging calls of large broods (7 chicks) as opposed to begging calls of small broods (3 chicks) and controls (white noise and silence). On the other hand, visual cues (nests with different numbers of eggs or rocks), representing nests at early stages, did not influence either the probability of visits, nor number or duration of visits. We present the first evidence that begging calls of chicks in the nest, a signal intended for kin communication, can also provide social information to unrelated prospecting conspecifics. This information could potentially be used for a fast initial assessment of the quality of a breeding site.

Comparação de testes coproparasitológicos em criadouro comercial de psitacídeos exóticos

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Marina Camargo de Sousa ◽  
◽  
Julia Ronzani Vial ◽  
Rodrigo Hidalgo Friciello Teixeira ◽  
Andrea Cristina Higa Nakaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity ◽  
Nematode Eggs ◽  
Commercial Breeding

Birds of the psittaciform order, composed by the Psittacidae and Loridae family have several characteristics making them more frequently kept as companion animals, promoting the increase of breeding sites in Brazil. The present study aimed to analyze the specificity and sensitivity of three different coproparasitological tests, Willis, Hoffman and Direto de feces, through statistical tests: Chi-Square and Kappa. 70 fecal samples of exotic parrots were collected from a commercial breeding site and these were submitted to the three tests, totaling 210 coproparasitological exams. Among the tests performed, 29,5% were positive for nematode eggs, cestodes and oocysts. Coproparasitological exams are inexpensive, have clinical importance, indicating the population of endoparasites and therapeutic treatments.

scholarly journals Biological and environmental factors associated with risk of schistosomiasis mansoni transmission in Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco State, Brazil

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Onicio Batista Leal Neto ◽  
Elainne Christine de Souza Gomes ◽  
Fernando José Moreira de Oliveira Junior ◽  
Rafael Andrade ◽  
Diego Leandro Reis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Host Snail ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Snail Density ◽  
One Year ◽  
Transmission Foci

Schistosomiasis has expanded to the coast of Pernambuco State, Brazil, where there are frequent reports of Biomphalaria glabrata snails and human cases of the disease. This study analyzes factors related to schistosomiasis transmission risk in Porto de Galinhas. A one-year malacological survey was conducted to identify biological, abiotic, and environmental factors related to the host snail breeding sites. Data analysis used Excel 2010, GTM Pro, and ArcGis 10. A total of 11,012 B. glabrata snails were captured in 36 breeding sites, and 11 schistosomiasis transmission foci were identified. A negative correlation was found between breeding site temperature and snail density and infection rate, and a positive correlation with pH and salinity. The rainy season showed a positive correlation with snail density and infection rate. The study emphasizes the factors involved in the maintenance of schistosomiasis breeding sites, in light of persistence of this disease in Porto de Galinhas for more than 10 years.

scholarly journals Comparação de testes coproparasitológicos em criadouro comercial de psitacídeos exóticos

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 100-107
Author(s):  
Marina Camargo de Sousa ◽  
◽  
Julia Ronzani Vial ◽  
Rodrigo Hidalgo Friciello Teixeira ◽  
Andrea Cristina Higa Nakaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity ◽  
Nematode Eggs ◽  
Commercial Breeding

Birds of the psittaciform order, composed by the Psittacidae and Loridae family have several characteristics making them more frequently kept as companion animals, promoting the increase of breeding sites in Brazil. The present study aimed to analyze the specificity and sensitivity of three different coproparasitological tests, Willis, Hoffman and Direto de feces, through statistical tests: Chi-Square and Kappa. 70 fecal samples of exotic parrots were collected from a commercial breeding site and these were submitted to the three tests, totaling 210 coproparasitological exams. Among the tests performed, 29,5% were positive for nematode eggs, cestodes and oocysts. Coproparasitological exams are inexpensive, have clinical importance, indicating the population of endoparasites and therapeutic treatments.

Breeding site selection by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in relation to large wood additions and factors that influence reproductive success

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (10) ◽  
pp. 1498-1507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Clark ◽  
Jason B. Dunham ◽  
Jeffrey R. McEnroe ◽  
Scott W. Lightcap
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Oncorhynchus Kisutch ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Large Wood ◽  
Fitness Components ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Egg Incubation ◽  
Wide Range

The fitness of female Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) with respect to breeding behavior can be partitioned into at least four fitness components: survival to reproduction, competition for breeding sites, success of egg incubation, and suitability of the local environment near breeding sites for early rearing of juveniles. We evaluated the relative influences of habitat features linked to these fitness components with respect to selection of breeding sites by coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). We also evaluated associations between breeding site selection and additions of large wood, as the latter were introduced into the study system as a means of restoring habitat conditions to benefit coho salmon. We used a model selection approach to organize specific habitat features into groupings reflecting fitness components and influences of large wood. Results of this work suggest that female coho salmon likely select breeding sites based on a wide range of habitat features linked to all four hypothesized fitness components. More specifically, model parameter estimates indicated that breeding site selection was most strongly influenced by proximity to pool-tail crests and deeper water (mean and maximum depths). Linkages between large wood and breeding site selection were less clear. Overall, our findings suggest that breeding site selection by coho salmon is influenced by a suite of fitness components in addition to the egg incubation environment, which has been the emphasis of much work in the past.

Survival and recruitment in the population ecology of the endangered Bombina pachypus (Amphibia: Anura)

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-274
Author(s):  
Claudio Angelini ◽  
Andrea Tiberi ◽  
Bruno Cari ◽  
Filippo Giachi
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Juvenile Dispersal ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Annual Population ◽  
Conservation Concern ◽  
Local Recruitment ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
High Recruitment

Abstract Global amphibian decline is a subject of great conservation concern, yet often basic demographic information is absent, which prevents the understanding of population trends and the planning of effective conservation management. We analysed capture-mark-recapture data from six populations of the endangered Bombina pachypus in order to understand the relative contribution of survival and recruitment to population growth, and to assess if any differences exist among populations in terms of their population dynamics. We found that survival was rather high and generally constant among sites, and recruitment was low, with the exception of two single years at one site. Population growth depended on survival on all sites, except the years following high recruitment at one site. Annual population size was generally lower than 30 individuals, but in one site it was estimated to be larger than 50. Our findings suggest that juvenile survival is more important for population dynamics than recruitment from the larval to the juvenile stage. We also suggest that the low recruitment rates we recorded was a result of juvenile dispersal, and that when populations exhibited high recruitment it was due to occasional successful migration or local recruitment. This pattern could represent a way to counterbalance the risk of inbreeding in populations composed of few individuals, a common characteristic of populations of B. pachypus. Finally, we suggest that conservation measures for B. pachypus should be planned at the landscape scale, and should not be limited solely to the breeding site and its close surroundings.

scholarly journals Insecticidal Activity of Bacteria from Larvae Breeding Site with Natural Larvae Mortality: Screening of Separated Supernatant and Pellet Fractions

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Handi Dahmana ◽  
Didier Raoult ◽  
Florence Fenollar ◽  
Oleg Mediannikov
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Insecticidal Activity ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Activity Prediction ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Insecticide Activity ◽  
New Compounds

Mosquitoes can transmit to humans devastating and deadly pathogens. As many chemical insecticides are banned due to environmental side effects or are of reduced efficacy due to resistance, biological control, including the use of bacterial strains with insecticidal activity, is of increasing interest and importance. The urgent actual need relies on the discovery of new compounds, preferably of a biological nature. Here, we explored the phenomenon of natural larvae mortality in larval breeding sites to identify potential novel compounds that may be used in biological control. From there, we isolated 14 bacterial strains of the phylum Firmicutes, most of the order Bacillales. Cultures were carried out under controlled conditions and were separated on supernatant and pellet fractions. The two fractions and a 1:1 mixture of the two fractions were tested on L3 and early L4 Aedes albopictus. Two concentrations were tested (2 and 6 mg/L). Larvae mortality was recorded at 24, 48 and 72 h and compared to that induced by the commercialized B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. Of the 14 strains isolated, 11 were active against the A. albopictus larvae: 10 of the supernatant fractions and one pellet fraction, and mortality increased with the concentration. For the insecticide activity prediction in three strains of the Bacillus cereus complex, PCR screening of the crystal (Cry) and cytolytic (Cyt) protein families characteristic to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was performed. Most of the genes coding for these proteins’ synthesis were not detected. We identified bacterial strains that exhibit higher insecticidal activity compared with a commercial product. Further studies are needed for the characterization of active compounds.

Female Choice and Male Courtship Behaviour in the Beaugregory Damselfish

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Egg Survival ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Experimental Group

AbstractDuring courtship in the beaugregory (Stegastes leucostictus), a coral reef fish, males turn the dorsal half of their bodies from dull brown to bright yellow, and perform a series of rapid dipping movements in front of females. To look for evidence that females select males on the basis of these characteristics, we provided males with artificial breeding sites in the field, measured their reproductive success, and videotaped courtship. Reproductive success was measured by monitoring both the number and size of egg clutches present in the breeding site that was defended by the male. Both unmanipulated and experimentally induced courtship events were videotaped in separate groups of 88 (of which 32 were videotaped courting females) and 30 males, respectively. Experimental induction of courtship was done by placing a female in a clear plastic cylinder 0.5 m away from the breeding site of a territorial male; each of the 30 males received 8 different female presentations, but never more than one a day, and with a different female every time. We compared (i) the cumulative amount of eggs and number of clutches with the amount of yellow colouration and dipping rate for individual males in both the observational and experimental groups, (ii) individual variation in percentage yellow and dipping rate (for the experimental group only) with reproductive success on the same day when courtship was videotaped, and (iii) egg survivorship (ratio of final to early stage eggs) with yellow colouration and dipping rate, to see if these characteristics indicate male parental ability. Individual variation in courtship characteristics was not correlated with reproductive success on that day. In contrast, however, mean values of percentage yellow and dip rate were correlated with both the number of clutches and amount of eggs, for both the observational and experimental group of males, indicating that females preferentially spawn with males that have the brightest yellow colouration and the highest dip rate. Percentage yellow colouration was correlated with egg survival in the unmanipulated males, but not in the experimental group, while dipping rate was not correlated with egg survival in either group. We argue here that female assessment of male courtship is part of a complex process of female choice, in which females either simultaneously or sequentially examine territorial, breeding site, and male characteristics, and thereby attempt to enhance the survivorship of their offspring.

Breeding-site selection by cane toads (Bufo marinus) and native frogs in northern New South Wales, Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Semeniuk ◽  
F. Lemckert ◽  
R. Shine
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Bufo Marinus ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Spawning Sites

Previous research on cane toads (Bufo marinus) has documented non-random selection of breeding sites by this invasive species. In the wet–dry tropics of the Northern Territory, toads selected spawning sites in open areas with gently sloping banks and shallow water. If consistent, such biases may present opportunities for toad control via waterbody manipulation – but first we need to know whether such criteria for spawning-site selection (1) are consistent across other parts of the toad’s extensive Australian range, and (2) differ from those of native anurans breeding at the same waterbodies. We quantified the attributes of potential and actual spawning-sites in north-eastern New South Wales, in temperate-zone habitat where cane toads have been present for many decades; our study area thus differs in many ways from the previously studied tropical site. We compared habitat and water chemistry variables between 23 cane toad breeding sites and 23 nearby unused sites. To examine habitat use at an even finer scale, we conducted nocturnal surveys of microhabitat use by calling male toads and native anurans. Our results revealed that cane toads in this region were highly selective in their choice of breeding sites, and that the criteria they used in this respect were similar to those used by toads in the Northern Territory. Calling male cane toads also used microhabitats non-randomly within each pond, apparently based on similar criteria to those used when selecting among ponds. Toads differed significantly from native anurans in these respects, suggesting that it may be feasible to manipulate waterbody attributes to impact on invasive toads without disrupting reproduction by native anurans.

scholarly journals Insalubrious touristic environments and schistosomiasis transmission in Pernambuco, Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constança Simões Barbosa ◽  
Elainne Christine de Souza Gomes ◽  
Rodrigo Moraes Loyo ◽  
Mariana Izabel Sena Barreto de Melo Cavalcanti ◽  
Iris Edná Pereira Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
P Value ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Special Groups ◽  
Water Ph ◽  
Chi Square Test

This study sought to identify and spatialize the risk of transmission of Manson’s schistosomiasis at localities in Pernambuco, Brazil that are used for tourist leisure activities and have freshwater environments that are inhabited by the snail that transmits this disease. In order to accomplish this, malacological surveys were conducted at the selected localities between May and December 2016, in order to identify and georeference the breeding sites and foci of schistosomiasis-transmitting mollusks of the genus Biomphalaria. The essential abiotic data for mollusk survival were evaluated at each breeding site: temperature, water pH and total dissolved solids (TDS). Data relating to breeding site quality were also recorded. The SPSS 20 software was used to analyze these data, and the chi-square test was applied to investigate associations between variables, taking a p-value ≤ 0.5. Based on geographic coordinates, maps representing the distribution of breeding sites and foci, mollusk species found and numbers of mollusks sampled in each water body were created. ArcGIS 10.4 software was used to build thematic maps using the interpolation technique of inverse distance weighting (IDW). A total of 72 localities distributed among 44 municipalities located in the Metropolitan, Zona da Mata and Agreste regions of Pernambuco were investigated. At these, 26 reservoirs, 32 breeding sites and 10 foci of schistosomiasis intermediate hosts were found. The study identified and located problematic localities that are visited by special groups that through exposure to unhealthy environments are subject to infection by the parasite S. mansoni.

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