Female control of reproductive behaviour in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), with notes on female competition for mating

Behaviour ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Thomas ◽  
Marissa L. Parrott ◽  
Kathrine A. Handasyde ◽  
Peter Temple-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Female Competition ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Ornithorhynchus Anatinus ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Infrared Cameras ◽  
And Control

Abstract Opportunities for studying platypus courtship and mating behaviours in the wild are limited due to the nocturnal and cryptic nature of this species. We report on platypus courtship and mating behaviour from a successful breeding program at Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, in which platypuses were held as either breeding pairs or trios over seven years. Behaviour was recorded daily on infrared cameras resulting in over 80,000 h of footage that was analysed for activity periods, and courtship and mating behaviours including non-contact and contact courtship, mating and avoidance. Our aims were to describe and quantify courtship and mating interactions between males and females, and to determine if either sex controlled the initiation and continuation of the behaviours. From our observations, we describe a new courtship behaviour, non-contact courtship, which constituted the majority of all mating season interactions between males and females. The time between first and last appearance of a courtship and mating behaviour was 41.0 ± 6.6 days, with the females showing behavioural receptivity for 29.6 ± 5.1 days. Female platypuses used three evasive strategies in relation to approaches by males: avoidance, flight and resistance. Females controlled the duration of 79% of encounters using resistance. For the first time, two females were seen competing with each other over access to the male platypus in their enclosure and for nesting material. Time investment in courtship and mating behaviours was a poor indicator of receptivity and breeding success, and we suggest that breeding failure is more likely to be associated with failure of fertilisation, nest building, embryonic development or incubation. We describe how female platypuses demonstrate evasiveness and control of courtship and mating behaviours, and the importance of providing these opportunities in captivity to promote successful breeding.

scholarly journals Captive Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa breeding success: potential for bird conservation in Thailand?

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
MANEE ARCHAWARANON
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Species Survival ◽  
Conservation Problem ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Nest Materials

Hill Mynah Gracula religiosa is one of the most popular bird pets worldwide due to its ability to mimic diverse sounds, especially human speech. However, Mynahs have rarely been bred in captivity, so nestlings from natural populations are in large demand, resulting in many populations being threatened with extinction. Both subspecies in Thailand, intermedia and religiosa, are costly and desired in the pet market. Captive breeding is one of the most practical strategies to solve a conservation problem of this nature and this report describes a success in breeding Hill Mynahs in captivity. Mated pairs were given free access to food, nest-cavities and nest materials. Reproductive behaviour in captivity was not different from that in the wild, with the exception that breeding occurred throughout the year, even during the non-breeding season for wild populations. Although there are doubts concerning the reintroduction of captive-bred birds and whether successful Hill Mynah breeding in captivity is an economically competitive alternative to poaching, it ensures species survival in captivity as the risk of extinction increases.

Mating experience influences mate choice and reproductive output in an aphidophagous ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Dubey ◽  
Swati Saxena ◽  
Geetanjali Mishra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Mating Experience ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractInformation about mating status can be used to decide about whether to invest resources in mating with a particular partner. In the present study, we evaluated mate choice in relation to the mating experience of males and females ofMenochilus sexmaculatus. We subjected both unmated and multiply mated males and females to different mate choice trials. The mating experience of the adults includes unmated, once-mated, twice-mated and multiply mated. The mate choice trials revealed that unmated adults were preferred over mated adults by both unmated and multiply mated partners. This preference for unmated partners also had consequences for mating behaviour and reproductive output. Unmated and multiply mated females commenced mating with unmated males earlier. In addition, unmated and multiply mated males invested more time in copula with unmated females. Moreover, females mated with unmated males were more fecund than those mated with previously mated males. This suggests that mating experience of mates may influence mating and reproductive behaviour in this species.

Maternal care in the Tasmanian echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus)

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma E. Morrow ◽  
Stewart C. Nicol
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Care ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
External Temperature ◽  
Lactating Mothers ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Infrared Cameras ◽  
Reproductive Events ◽  
Tachyglossus Aculeatus

Parental care is central to the differences in reproductive behaviour and energy expenditure between males and females, and it is therefore crucial for understanding animal mating systems. We investigated post-gestation maternal care in a wild population of short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) in the Tasmanian midlands using a combination of external temperature loggers and motion-triggered infrared cameras. For the first few weeks of early lactation mothers do not leave their nursery burrow, which they keep at a stable and warm temperature, resulting in a greater rate of maternal mass loss during the period of maternal burrow confinement than during hibernation. However, after lactating mothers recommence feeding, they raise a young to ~1.5 kg on a diet of their milk while increasing their own body mass by a similar amount. Weaning in our population appears not to be abrupt as there is a period where young echidnas begin exploratory foraging while their mother is still lactating. After young are weaned and abandon the nursery burrow, there appear to be no further associations between mothers and young despite young echidnas remaining within their mother’s home range for the first 12 months of their life. Female echidnas time reproductive events with increases in ecosystem productivity, so that young are weaned at a time of maximum food abundance.

scholarly journals The effects of seasonal variation on the nutritional condition of Nephrops norvegicus (Astacidea: Nephropidae) from wild populations in the western Mediterranean

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 763-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guiomar Rotllant ◽  
Joan B. Company ◽  
Inmaculada Alvarez-Fernández ◽  
José A. García ◽  
Jacopo Aguzzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stock Assessment ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Nutritional Condition ◽  
Nephrops Norvegicus ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Biochemical Analyses ◽  
Fishery Species

The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus is a target fishery species in European waters. The stock assessment of N. norvegicus is complicated because it is caught in commercial gear only when it emerges from its burrow. Landings are lower in winter, and feeding limitations have been hypothesized as the cause. Wild large-sized male lobsters were sampled each season (winter, spring, summer and autumn), and two groups of animals were kept in captivity for 90 d (fed and food-deprived). The hepatopancreas and muscle were dissected, weighted, frozen for biochemical analyses (proximal analyses and DNA/RNA) and fixed in Bouin solution for microscopic observations. The oxygen consumption rates in the wild individuals caught in the spring and in the captive animals after the treatments were measured. Significant differences among the experimental groups were observed in the lipid concentration of the hepatopancreas and muscle, the water content in the hepatopancreas, and the numbers of vacuoles and pyknotic nuclei in the cells of the tubules of the hepatopancreas. The results showed that the wild Norway lobsters generally presented intermediate values between those observed in the food-deprived and the fed lobsters kept in captivity, but the values were closer to those obtained for the fed animals. This finding indicates that the wild animals exhibit a good nutritional condition throughout the year. Therefore, the wild males of N. norvegicus do not face food deprivation during winter as is suggested by the pattern of commercial catches, the flow of organic matter, and the moulting period/reproductive behaviour of the species.

scholarly journals Understanding the Role of Semiochemicals on the Reproductive Behaviour of Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)—A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3140
Author(s):  
Alexia Tommasi ◽  
Jacek A. Koziel ◽  
Annelin H. Molotsi ◽  
Giulia Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Reproductive Aging ◽  
International Union ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Insight Into

The cheetah species (Acinonyx jubatus) is currently listed as vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Captive breeding has long since been used as a method of conservation of the species, with the aim to produce a healthy, strong population of cheetahs with an increased genetic variety when compared to their wild counterparts. This would then increase the likelihood of survivability once released into protected areas. Unfortunately, breeding females have been reported to be difficult due to the age of these animals. Older females are less fertile, have more difficult parturition, and are susceptible to asymmetric reproductive aging whereas younger females tend to show a significantly lower frequency of mating behaviour than that of older females, which negatively affects breeding introductions, and therefore mating. Nonetheless, the experience from breeding methods used in some breeding centres in South Africa and the Netherlands, which also rely on the role that semiochemicals play in breeding, proves that cheetahs can be bred successfully in captivity. This review aims to give the reader an in-depth overview of cheetahs’ reproductive physiology and behaviour, focusing on the role that pheromones play in this species. Furthermore, it aims to provide new insight into the use of semiochemicals to improve conservation strategies through captive breeding.

The effect of genetic selection for lack of aggression towards humans on male reproductive physiology in the silver fox

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 16-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. V. Osadchuk
Keyword(s):  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Silver Fox ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Selection For ◽  
And Control

Most of silver foxes bred in captivity show predominantly defensive responses to human contact. Since early captive breeding humans have unconsciously carried out selection for tameness. Thus, artificial selection for the absence of aggressive and fearful responses to humans most likely played a key role in domestication process. To establish the genetic and physiological mechanisms of the early evolution of domestic animals, a model of silver fox domestication was developed at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Novosibirsk, Russia). A population of silver foxes has been produced in long-term selection for lack of aggression and fear towards humans (domestic behaviour). The method of selection and the behavioural changes in the course of selection have been described (Belyaev, 1979; Trut, 1995). Selected animals show no aggressiveness to humans and they are better adapted to captive conditions than their wild counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine how behaviour selection influences testicular function in silver fox males. Plasma concentrations and testicular production of testosterone were determined in selected and control males in different parts of the reproductive cycle and prenatal life. In addition, reproductive behaviour and hormonal responses to opposite sex were estimated in the males of both behaviour groups. Sperm production and sexual activity were also compared between selected and control males.

The mating behaviour of the dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, in captivity

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Wolfe ◽  
Helen Robertson ◽  
Roberta Bencini
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Captive Breeding ◽  
Average Distance ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Breeding Colony ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Males And Females

A study of the mating behaviour of the dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, was conducted at a captive-breeding colony at Perth Zoo. In total, 21 pairs of P. apicalis were observed. The oestrous cycles of the females were monitored, and the males and females were paired when the females were approaching oestrus. Direct observations were made of the pairs over a 2-h period 3–4 times a week for the duration of the breeding season (mid February to April). It was found that the mating behaviour of P. apicalis was similar to that of other dasyurids; in particular, sniffing, vocalisations, chasing and attempted mounting tended to increase in the days leading up to mating. No significant difference was found between successful pairs (i.e. those that did mate) and unsuccessful pairs (i.e. those that did not) in the number of interactions and the average distance between the pair.

scholarly journals Disentangling the mechanisms linking dispersal and sociality in supergene-mediated ant social forms

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1949) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaranta Fontcuberta ◽  
Ornela De Gasperin ◽  
Amaury Avril ◽  
Sagane Dind ◽  
Michel Chapuisat
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Sex Allocation ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Young Females ◽  
Social Forms ◽  
Propensity To Leave ◽  
The Social ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Colony Level

The coevolution between dispersal and sociality can lead to linked polymorphisms in both traits, which may favour the emergence of supergenes. Supergenes have recently been found to control social organization in several ant lineages. Whether and how these ‘social supergenes’ also control traits related to dispersal is yet unknown. Our goal here was to get a comprehensive view of the dispersal mechanisms associated with supergene-controlled alternative social forms in the ant Formica selysi. We measured the production and emission of young females and males by single-queen (monogyne) and multiple-queen (polygyne) colonies, the composition of mating aggregations, and the frequency of crosses within and between social forms in the wild. We found that males and females from alternative social forms did not display strong differences in their propensity to leave the nest and disperse, nor in their mating behaviour. Instead, the social forms differed substantially in sex allocation. Monogyne colonies produced 90% of the females flying to swarms, whereas 57% of the males in swarms originated from polygyne colonies. Most crosses were assortative with respect to social form. However, 20% of the monogyne females did mate with polygyne males, which is surprising as this cross has never been found in mature monogyne colonies. We suggest that the polygyny-determining haplotype free rides on monogyne females, who establish independent colonies that later become polygyne. By identifying the steps in dispersal where the social forms differ, this study sheds light on the behavioural and colony-level traits linking dispersal and sociality through supergenes.

scholarly journals First evidence of yawn contagion in a wild monkey species

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Gallo ◽  
Anna Zanoli ◽  
Marta Caselli ◽  
Elisabetta Palagi ◽  
Ivan Norscia
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Mouth Opening ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Group Coordination ◽  
Monkey Species ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractYawn contagion occurs when individuals yawn in response to the yawn of others (triggers). This is the first account of yawn contagion in wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada), a monkey species that shows yawn contagion in captivity and is organized in core units (one-male/bachelor groups) forming multilevel associations. In a population of geladas from the Kundi plateau (Ethiopia) we found that the yawning response was highest when geladas could perceive a triggering yawn, which confirms that yawn contagion is present in the wild. Yawn duration, mouth-opening degree and presence/absence of vocalisation (possibly modulating yawn detectability) did not affect the likelihood of contagion. Males and females, known to be both implicated in movement initiation within groups, were similarly powerful as yawn triggers. Instead, group membership and responder sex had a significant role in shaping the phenomenon. Yawn contagion was highest between individuals belonging to different core units and males were most likely to respond to others’ yawns. Because males have a non-negligible role in inter-group coordination, our results suggest that yawn contagion may have a communicative function that goes beyond the basic unit level.

scholarly journals Molecular markers contribute to a breeding programme of the extinct-in-the-wild Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu and confirm the validity of the species

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Tramontini Grau ◽  
Sérgio Luiz Pereira ◽  
Luís Fábio Silveira ◽  
Anita Wajntal
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Breeding Programme ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Single Male ◽  
Control Region Sequences ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
And Control

Alagoas Curassow Mitu mitu is considered extinct in the wild, having previously inhabited a small area in north-eastern Brazil that has since been replaced by sugar cane farms. Around 50 birds possessing morphological features of this species are still alive in captivity in Brazil, all being descendants from a breeding programme started in 1979, using offspring from a single male and two females captured from the wild. However, this captive population also includes some hybrids with the congeneric Razor-billed Curassow M. tuberosa and their descendants. Furthermore, the validity of Alagoas Curassow as a species is questionable. We used two molecular markers to study the validity of this taxon as a species, to detect potential hybrids present in the stock, and to estimate genetic variability among the remnant specimens. The analysis of 760 base pairs from mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region sequences revealed that at least three of the 20 birds analysed had sequences identical to those of Razor-billed Curassow. The other 17 birds presented sequences that diverged 2.6% from Razor-billed Curassow. Moreover, a sample from an Alagoas Curassow museum skin collected from the wild in 1951 had cytochrome b sequences identical to those of the 17 birds. These results confirm the Alagoas Curassow as a valid species. DNA fingerprinting profiles of the 20 descendants from the Alagoas Curassow breeding population showed that this group of birds is depauperate in genetic variability. There was an increase in genetic variability of birds born after 1990, attributed to the hybrid mating of Alagoas Curassow with Razor-billed Curassow. We suggest that birds born before 1990 should be handled separately from the others. However, if a decrease in chick harvest among birds of this group is detected due to inbreeding depression or ageing, cross-breeding between this group and the group of birds most closely related to it should be considered in order to enrich the progeny with the Alagoas Curassow genome.

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