scholarly journals Breeding site attendance and breeding success in Phyllomedusa trinitatis (Anura: Phyllomedusidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Cameron M. Boyle ◽  
Eleanor H. Z. Gourevitch ◽  
J. Roger Downie
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Strong Preference ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Attendance Patterns ◽  
Attendance Pattern ◽  
Males And Females

Using a natural marker, we documented breeding site attendance patterns by males and females of the Trinidad Leaf Frog, Phyllomedusa trinitatis. We followed attendance at a cluster of three isolated ponds over 53 and 56 consecutive nights in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Most females attended only once, but for those that attended more than once we calculated an inter-nesting interval (mean 27.6 days, N = 7). Males showed high pond fidelity, but some did attend at two of the ponds, always with a strong preference for one of them. Males showed three attendance patterns. A few attended on multiple consecutive nights (maximum, 19 nights); more were sporadic (one attended seven times over 46 nights with gaps of 15 and 19 days in the sequence); some attended only once (2016: 12, 2019: 15), but most were found to be present on multiple nights (2016: 38, 2019: 32). Our analysis suggested that these latter frogs were either newly recruited individuals or had been predated during the study. Our data show that rainfall has some influence on attendance. We found no relationship between male body condition and attendance pattern. In addition, there was no evidence that a particular male attendance pattern was optimal for breeding success.

scholarly journals Variation among colonies in breeding success and population trajectories of wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans at South Georgia

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Rackete ◽  
Sally Poncet ◽  
Stephanie D. Good ◽  
Richard A. Phillips ◽  
Ken Passfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
Vortex Model ◽  
Demographic Rates ◽  
Diomedea Exulans ◽  
Adult Body ◽  
Provisioning Rate

AbstractThe wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans, is a globally threatened species breeding at a number of sites within the Southern Ocean. Across the South Georgia archipelago, there are differences in population trends even at closely located colonies. Between 1999 and 2018 the largest colony, at Bird Island, declined at 3.01% per annum, while in the Bay of Isles, the decline was 1.44% per annum. Using mean demographic rates from a 31-year study at Bird Island and an 11-year study of breeding success at Prion Island in the Bay of Isles in a VORTEX model, we show that differences in breeding success do not fully explain observed differences in population trends. Other potential contributing factors are differential use of foraging areas, with possible knock-on effects on adult body condition, provisioning rate and breeding success, or on bycatch rates of adults or immatures.

scholarly journals Inconsistent association of male body mass with breeding success in captive white-tailed deer

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip D. Jones ◽  
Bronson K. Strickland ◽  
Stephen Demarais ◽  
Randy W. DeYoung
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Male Body

scholarly journals The helminth community of a population ofRattus norvegicusfrom an urban Brazilian slum and the threat of zoonotic diseases

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 797-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ticiana Carvalho-Pereira ◽  
Fábio N. Souza ◽  
Luana R. N. Santos ◽  
Ruth Walker ◽  
Arsinoê C. Pertile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Urban Slum ◽  
Nippostrongylus Brasiliensis ◽  
Helminth Community ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Eleven Species

AbstractUrban slums provide suitable conditions for infestation by rats, which harbour and shed a wide diversity of zoonotic pathogens including helminths. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with the probability and intensity of infection of helminths of the digestive tract in an urban slum population ofRattus norvegicus. Among 299 rats, eleven species/groups of helminths were identified, of whichStrongyloidessp.,Nippostrongylus brasiliensisand, the human pathogen,Angiostrongylus cantonensiswere the most frequent (97, 41 and 39%, respectively). Sex interactions highlighted behavioural differences between males and females, as eg males were more likely to be infected withN. brasiliensiswhere rat signs were present, and males presented more intense infections ofStrongyloidessp. Moreover, rats in poor body condition had higher intensities ofN. brasiliensis. We describe a high global richness of parasites inR. norvegicus, including five species known to cause disease in humans. Among these,A. cantonensiswas found in high prevalence and it was ubiquitous in the study area – knowledge which is of public health importance. A variety of environmental, demographic and body condition variables were associated with helminth species infection of rats, suggesting a comparable variety of risk factors for humans.

scholarly journals Public information affects breeding dispersal in a colonial bird: kittiwakes cue on neighbours

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 538-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Boulinier ◽  
Karen D McCoy ◽  
Nigel G Yoccoz ◽  
Julien Gasparini ◽  
Torkild Tveraa
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Colonial Bird ◽  
Colonial Seabird ◽  
Local Breeding ◽  
Colonial Breeding

Habitat selection and dispersal behaviour are key processes in evolutionary ecology. Recent studies have suggested that individuals may use the reproductive performance of conspecifics as a source of public information on breeding patch quality for dispersal decisions, but experimental evidence is still limited for species breeding in aggregates, i.e. colonial species. We addressed this issue by manipulating the local breeding success of marked individuals and that of their neighbours on a series of breeding patches of a colonial seabird, the black-legged kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla ). Based on previous observations in this species, we predicted that individuals that lost their eggs on successful patches would attend their nest and come back to it the year after at a higher rate than individuals that lost their eggs on patches where their neighbours were also in failure. As predicted, the attendance of breeders and prospectors was strongly affected by the local level of breeding success, resulting in differential site fidelity and recruitment. This suggests that individuals used information conveyed by conspecific breeding performance to make decisions relative to breeding site selection. This process can amplify the response of these populations to environmental change and may have contributed to the evolution of colonial breeding.

Feather content of porphyrins in Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) fledglings depends on body condition and breeding site quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 569-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismael GALVÁN ◽  
María del Mar DELGADO ◽  
Pablo R. CAMARERO ◽  
Rafael MATEO ◽  
Rui LOURENÇO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Bubo Bubo ◽  
Eagle Owl

scholarly journals Exploring male and female preferences, male body condition, and pair bonds in the evolution of male sexual aggregation: the case of the Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)

2011 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Sardà-Palomera ◽  
M. Puigcerver ◽  
D. Vinyoles ◽  
J.D. Rodríguez-Teijeiro
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Intermediate Step ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Coturnix Coturnix ◽  
Female Preferences ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Quail

One of the unresolved problems of male sexual aggregations is that a small number of males monopolize most matings. The Common Quail ( Coturnix coturnix (L., 1758)), is a bird species that has a short life span and a reproductive strategy that involves male aggregations, which females visit for the purpose of mating. Once a mate has been chosen, birds leave the aggregation and form pair-bonds until incubation begins. This remarkable mating system might represent an intermediate step between lekking and pair-bond mating systems in which males provide some parental care. We designed a field experiment with funnel traps simulating male groups and single females to observe male and female preferences, and to examine the possible evolutionary process that drives males to aggregate. Radio-tagged individuals were also monitored to study pair-bonding behaviour in the field. Our results suggest that body condition is an important factor in male group formation, and that males with better body condition tend to aggregate, while males in poorer condition wait for extra-pair copulation opportunities. Moreover, this mating system creates a situation in which a queuing strategy might occur.

Note on Males' and Females' Preferences for Opposite-Sex Body Parts, Bust Sizes, and Bust-Revealing Clothing

1976 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 485-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Wildman ◽  
Robert W. Wildman ◽  
Archie Brown ◽  
Carol Trice
Keyword(s):  
Young Women ◽  
Female Body ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females

In Study 1, 55 young women responded that they preferred men with hairy chests and circumcised penises. The chest was the male body part reported to be most “sexually stimulating” to females. The busts were the female body part most “sexually stimulating” to males ( n = 34). In Study 2, men ( n = 35) preferred larger busts than women typically possess on the average, but the women ( n = 48) tended to overestimate the bust size most preferred by males. The ratings of bust-revealing clothing showed the males were more desirous of actually seeing the naked bust than females appear to realize.

Fighting success in relation to body mass and drumming activity in the male wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1532-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Kotiaho ◽  
Rauno V. Alatalo ◽  
Johanna Mappes ◽  
Silja Parri
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Wolf Spider ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Hygrolycosa Rubrofasciata ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Agonistic Encounters

In the wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata, males court females by drumming dry leaves with their abdomen. Females prefer to mate with the most actively drumming males, and courtship drumming activity is also positively correlated with male viability. However, body mass of the males seems to have only a minor, if any, effect on female choice or male viability. There is also no correlation between male body mass and courtship drumming activity. We studied the effect of body mass and courtship drumming activity on the outcome of agonistic encounters between male H. rubrofasciata. For this purpose, males and females were randomly placed in a plastic arena, where male courtship drumming activity and agonistic encounters were recorded. Large differences in body mass and drumming activity between two rivals seemed to independently increase the probability of the larger or more active males winning. We conclude that while courtship drumming activity affects the fighting success of the males, and body mass more so, male–male interactions may not be of major importance in sexual selection of H. rubrofasciata.

scholarly journals Long-term trends in the body condition of parents and offspring of Tengmalm’s owls under fluctuating food conditions and climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Kouba ◽  
Luděk Bartoš ◽  
Jitka Bartošová ◽  
Kari Hongisto ◽  
Erkki Korpimäki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Tengmalm's Owl

AbstractPhysical condition is important for the ability to resist various parasites and diseases as well as in escaping predators thus contributing to reproductive success, over-winter survival and possible declines in wildlife populations. However, in-depth research on trends in body condition is rare because decades-long datasets are not available for a majority of species. We analysed the long-term dataset of offspring covering 34 years, male parents (40 years) and female parents (42 years) to find out whether the decline of Tengmalm’s owl population in western Finland is attributable to either decreased adult and/or juvenile body condition in interaction with changing weather conditions and density estimates of main foods. We found that body condition of parent owl males and females declined throughout the 40-year study period whereas the body condition of owlets at the fledging stage very slightly increased. The body condition of parent owls increased with augmenting depth of snow cover in late winter (January to March), and that of offspring improved with increasing precipitation in late spring (May to June). We conclude that the decreasing trend of body condition of parent owl males and females is important factor probably inducing reduced adult survival and reduced reproduction success thus contributing to the long-term decline of the Tengmalm’s owl study population. The very slightly increasing trend of body condition of offspring is obviously not able to compensate the overall decline of Tengmalm’s owl population, because the number of offspring in turn simultaneously decreased considerably in the long-term. The ongoing climate change appeared to work in opposite ways in this case because declining depth of snow cover will make the situation worse but increased precipitation will improve. We suggest that the main reasons for long-term decline of body condition of parent owls are interactive or additive effects of reduced food resources and increased overall predation risk due to habitat degradation (loss and fragmentation of mature and old-growth forests due to clear-felling) subsequently leading to decline of Tengmalm’s owl study population.

scholarly journals Age-related sex differences in body condition and telomere dynamics of red-sided garter snakes

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1852) ◽  
pp. 20162146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicky Rollings ◽  
Emily J. Uhrig ◽  
Randolph W. Krohmer ◽  
Heather L. Waye ◽  
Robert T. Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Strategies ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Garter Snakes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Males And Females

Life-history strategies vary dramatically between the sexes, which may drive divergence in sex-specific senescence and mortality rates. Telomeres are tandem nucleotide repeats that protect the ends of chromosomes from erosion during cell division. Telomeres have been implicated in senescence and mortality because they tend to shorten with stress, growth and age. We investigated age-specific telomere length in female and male red-sided garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis . We hypothesized that age-specific telomere length would differ between males and females given their divergent reproductive strategies. Male garter snakes emerge from hibernation with high levels of corticosterone, which facilitates energy mobilization to fuel mate-searching, courtship and mating behaviours during a two to four week aphagous breeding period at the den site. Conversely, females remain at the dens for only about 4 days and seem to invest more energy in growth and cellular maintenance, as they usually reproduce biennially. As male investment in reproduction involves a yearly bout of physiologically stressful activities, while females prioritize self-maintenance, we predicted male snakes would experience more age-specific telomere loss than females. We investigated this prediction using skeletochronology to determine the ages of individuals and qPCR to determine telomere length in a cross-sectional study. For both sexes, telomere length was positively related to body condition. Telomere length decreased with age in male garter snakes, but remained stable in female snakes. There was no correlation between telomere length and growth in either sex, suggesting that our results are a consequence of divergent selection on life histories of males and females. Different selection on the sexes may be the physiological consequence of the sexual dimorphism and mating system dynamics displayed by this species.

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