Reproduction and postnatal growth of the Cabrera vole, Microtus cabrerae, in captivity

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2080-2085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Fernández-Salvador ◽  
Rosa García-Perea ◽  
Jacint Ventura
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Postnatal Growth ◽  
Microtus Cabrerae ◽  
Large Size ◽  
External Variables ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cabrera Vole ◽  
Female Body Mass

Three pairs of the endangered Cabrera vole, Microtus cabrerae, which is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, were captured in the wild and reared in captivity. They did not breed under standard laboratory conditions, and bred only under conditions similar to those found in wild colonies. Six litters were obtained and a total of 24 pups were monitored. Five external variables were measured and timing of 11 developmental events was recorded for each pup until it was 80 days old. Litter size was 4.0 ± 0.89 (mean ± SE; range = 3–5) pups per female, falling within the range reported for other Microtus species. Litter size of M. cabrerae was lower in the laboratory than in the field. Female body mass was correlated with litter mass at birth. Newborns were heavy (3.5 g, on average) compared with those of other Microtus species because of the relatively large size of adult M. cabrerae. Timing of the main developmental events followed a similar pattern to that observed for other species of the genus. Juvenile M. cabrerae grew fast in length during lactation, rapidly increasing their body mass during postweaning. Observations on parental behaviour in rearing pups support the previously published hypothesis that the species is monogamous. A global assessment of our results suggests that M. cabrerae should be included among the species that use the K strategy of reproduction.

Reproduction and postnatal growth of the Cabrera vole, Microtus cabrerae, in captivity

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2080-2085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Fernández-Salvador ◽  
Rosa García-Perea ◽  
Jacint Ventura
Keyword(s):  
Postnatal Growth ◽  
Microtus Cabrerae ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Cabrera Vole

scholarly journals Effects of population density and female body mass on litter size in European roe deer at a continental scale

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Flajšman ◽  
Tomasz Borowik ◽  
Boštjan Pokorny ◽  
Bogumiła Jędrzejewska
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Female Body ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Female Body Mass

REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH IN THE CREEPING VOLE, MICROTUS OREGONI SERPENS MERRIAM

1954 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian McT. Cowan ◽  
Margaret G. Arsenault
Keyword(s):  
Litter Size ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Annual Turnover ◽  
Growth And Reproduction

The growth and reproduction of the cricetine rodent, Microtus oregoni serpens Merriam, has been studied in the laboratory and in the wild. Growth data arise largely from 28 captive born litters. It has been determined that gestation is [Formula: see text] to 25 days; that mean litter size is 2.95; that a postparturient oestrus is usual but frequently does not occur; that puberty occurs at 22–24 days in females and 34–38 days in males; that there is a sterile period of 5 to 14 days between first oestrus and first conception; longevity in captivity exceeded 320 days but in the wild there was a complete annual turnover. Instantaneous relative growth rates have been determined for four distinguishable phases of growth. A limited experiment using light and heat to stimulate increased reproduction had equivocal results.

The importance of meat, particularly salmon, to body size, population productivity, and conservation of North American brown bears

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
G V Hilderbrand ◽  
C C Schwartz ◽  
C T Robbins ◽  
M E Jacoby ◽  
T A Hanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
North American ◽  
Female Body ◽  
Brown Bears ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Female Body Mass

We hypothesized that the relative availability of meat, indicated by contribution to the diet, would be positively related to body size and population productivity of North American brown, or grizzly, bears (Ursus arctos). Dietary contributions of plant matter and meat derived from both terrestrial and marine sources were quantified by stable-isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of hair samples from 13 brown bear populations. Estimates of adult female body mass, mean litter size, and population density were obtained from two field studies of ours and from other published reports. The populations ranged from largely vegetarian to largely carnivorous, and food resources ranged from mostly terrestrial to mostly marine (salmon, Oncorhynchus spp.). The proportion of meat in the diet was significantly correlated with mean adult female body mass (r = 0.87, P < 0.01), mean litter size (r = 0.72, P < 0.01), and mean population density (r = 0.91, P < 0.01). Salmon was the most important source of meat for the largest, most carnivorous bears and most productive populations. We conclude that availability of meat, particularly salmon, greatly influences habitat quality for brown bears at both the individual level and the population level.

scholarly journals Senescence or selective disappearance? Age trajectories of body mass in wild and captive populations of a small-bodied primate

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1791) ◽  
pp. 20140830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Hämäläinen ◽  
Melanie Dammhahn ◽  
Fabienne Aujard ◽  
Manfred Eberle ◽  
Isabelle Hardy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Sex Bias ◽  
Extrinsic Mortality ◽  
Captive Populations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
High Predation ◽  
Dependent Mortality

Classic theories of ageing consider extrinsic mortality (EM) a major factor in shaping longevity and ageing, yet most studies of functional ageing focus on species with low EM. This bias may cause overestimation of the influence of senescent declines in performance over condition-dependent mortality on demographic processes across taxa. To simultaneously investigate the roles of functional senescence (FS) and intrinsic, extrinsic and condition-dependent mortality in a species with a high predation risk in nature, we compared age trajectories of body mass (BM) in wild and captive grey mouse lemurs ( Microcebus murinus ) using longitudinal data (853 individuals followed through adulthood). We found evidence of non-random mortality in both settings. In captivity, the oldest animals showed senescence in their ability to regain lost BM, whereas no evidence of FS was found in the wild. Overall, captive animals lived longer, but a reversed sex bias in lifespan was observed between wild and captive populations. We suggest that even moderately condition-dependent EM may lead to negligible FS in the wild. While high EM may act to reduce the average lifespan, this evolutionary process may be counteracted by the increased fitness of the long-lived, high-quality individuals.

scholarly journals On the modulation and maintenance of hibernation in captive dwarf lemurs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina B. Blanco ◽  
Lydia K. Greene ◽  
Robert Schopler ◽  
Cathy V. Williams ◽  
Danielle Lynch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Restriction ◽  
Metabolic Disorders ◽  
Biological Rhythms ◽  
Food Ingestion ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Cheirogaleus Medius ◽  
Save Energy ◽  
Metabolic Strategies

AbstractIn nature, photoperiod signals environmental seasonality and is a strong selective “zeitgeber” that synchronizes biological rhythms. For animals facing seasonal environmental challenges and energetic bottlenecks, daily torpor and hibernation are two metabolic strategies that can save energy. In the wild, the dwarf lemurs of Madagascar are obligate hibernators, hibernating between 3 and 7 months a year. In captivity, however, dwarf lemurs generally express torpor for periods far shorter than the hibernation season in Madagascar. We investigated whether fat-tailed dwarf lemurs (Cheirogaleus medius) housed at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) could hibernate, by subjecting 8 individuals to husbandry conditions more in accord with those in Madagascar, including alternating photoperiods, low ambient temperatures, and food restriction. All dwarf lemurs displayed daily and multiday torpor bouts, including bouts lasting ~ 11 days. Ambient temperature was the greatest predictor of torpor bout duration, and food ingestion and night length also played a role. Unlike their wild counterparts, who rarely leave their hibernacula and do not feed during hibernation, DLC dwarf lemurs sporadically moved and ate. While demonstrating that captive dwarf lemurs are physiologically capable of hibernation, we argue that facilitating their hibernation serves both husbandry and research goals: first, it enables lemurs to express the biphasic phenotypes (fattening and fat depletion) that are characteristic of their wild conspecifics; second, by “renaturalizing” dwarf lemurs in captivity, they will emerge a better model for understanding both metabolic extremes in primates generally and metabolic disorders in humans specifically.

scholarly journals Previously unknown behavior in parasitic cuckoo females: male-like vocalization during migratory activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swetlana G. Meshcheryagina ◽  
Alexey Opaev
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Harmonic Spectrum ◽  
Common Cuckoo ◽  
Neck Extension ◽  
Migratory Activity ◽  
Call Production ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Combined Features ◽  
Female Call

Abstract Background In the last decade, enigmatic male-like cuckoo calls have been reported several times in East Asia. These calls exhibited a combination of vocal traits of both Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus) and Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) advertising calls, and some authors therefore suggested that the enigmatic calls were produced by either Common × Oriental Cuckoo male hybrids or Common Cuckoo males having a gene mutation. However, the exact identity of calling birds are still unknown. Methods We recorded previously unknown male-like calls from three captive Oriental Cuckoo females, and compared these calls with enigmatic vocalizations recorded in the wild as well as with advertising vocalizations of Common and Oriental Cuckoo males. To achieve this, we measured calls automatically. Besides, we video-recorded captive female emitting male-like calls, and compared these recordings with the YouTube recordings of calling males of both Common and Oriental Cuckoos to get insight into the mechanism of call production. Results The analysis showed that female male-like calls recorded in captivity were similar to enigmatic calls recorded in the wild. Therefore, Oriental Cuckoo females might produce the latter calls. Two features of these female calls appeared to be unusual among birds. First, females produced male-like calls at the time of spring and autumn migratory activity and on migration in the wild. Because of this, functional significance of this call remained puzzling. Secondly, the male-like female call unexpectedly combined features of both closed-mouth (closed beak and simultaneous inflation of the ‘throat sac’) and open-mouth (prominent harmonic spectrum and the maximum neck extension observed at the beginning of a sound) vocal behaviors. Conclusions The Cuculus vocalizations outside the reproductive season remain poorly understood. Here, we found for the first time that Oriental Cuckoo females can produce male-like calls in that time. Because of its rarity, this call might be an atavism. Indeed, female male-like vocalizations are still known in non-parasitic tropical and apparently more basal cuckoos only. Therefore, our findings may shed light on the evolution of vocal communication in avian brood parasites.

scholarly journals First evidence for a latitudinal body mass effect in extant Crocodylia and the relationships of their reproductive characters

2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 875-887
Author(s):  
Rebecca J Lakin ◽  
Paul M Barrett ◽  
Colin Stevenson ◽  
Robert J Thomas ◽  
Matthew A Wills
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Mass Effect ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Egg Mass ◽  
Phylogenetically Independent Contrasts ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Female Body Mass

Abstract Relationships between distribution patterns and body size have been documented in many endothermic taxa. However, the evidence for these trends in ectotherms generally is equivocal, and there have been no studies of effects in crocodylians specifically. Here, we examine the relationship between latitudinal distribution and body mass in 20 extant species of crocodylians, as well as the relationships between seven important reproductive variables. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts to inform generalized linear models, we provide the first evidence of a latitudinal effect on adult female body mass in crocodylians. In addition, we explore the relationships between reproductive variables including egg mass, hatchling mass and clutch size. We report no correlation between egg mass and clutch size, upholding previously reported within-species trends. We also find no evidence of a correlation between measures of latitudinal range and incubation temperature, contrasting with the trends found in turtles.

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