Pharmacy worker as a factor affecting reproductive female health

AbstractThe extent to which band structure influences the distribution of breeding activity is unknown for the slender-tailed meerkat Suricata suricatta, a cooperatively breeding mongoose. Here we present the residence histories of three focal bands monitored over ten band-years in the southwestern Kalahari, with less detailed data derived from non-focal bands for a further 20 band-years. Mean total band size early in the breeding season was 10, and mean size excluding juveniles was 6.7. Despite a tendency towards females among juveniles, and males among yearlings and adults, sex ratios within each age class did not significantly deviate from unity, but at the population level there were significantly more adult males than reproductive females. A large proportion (71.6%) of adult females bred, and failures of reproductive suppression occurred in 40% of band years. This incidence was high in all years and was not obviously related to environmental conditions. Bands with more than one reproductive female contained significantly more adults and adult females than bands with only a single reproductive female. There was a strong correlation between numbers of reproductive females and numbers of adult females in a band. Most (68%) subordinate females which bred were aged three years or more. Reproductive competition was strong and there was a negative correlation between numbers of adult females, breeding females or adult males and per capita juvenile production. Meerkat bands are unusual among cooperative breeders because many individuals were non-kin and the relative constancy in band size within and between years masked a high turnover of membership: all animals of known origin aged three years or older, were immigrants, although philopatry was commoner among younger animals. Our data show that meerkats employ a range of reproductive strategies: bands exhibiting a spectrum of reproductive suppression coexist, and individuals respond to the opportunities afforded by their social environments.

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Reproductive female round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) are attracted to visual male models at a nest rather than to olfactory stimuli in urine of reproductive males

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/000579509x12512765640529 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 147 (1) ◽

pp. 121-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stan Yavno ◽

Lynda Corkum

Keyword(s):

Round Goby ◽

Neogobius Melanostomus ◽

Visual Signals ◽

Invasive Fish ◽

Reproductive Female ◽

Olfactory Stimuli ◽

Reproductive Male ◽

Round Gobies ◽

Male Model ◽

Reproductive Females

AbstractFish are known to communicate in many ways and commonly use olfactory and visual signals. When round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) males become reproductive, they change from mottled grey to black and release sex steroids in their urine. In this study, we conducted a laboratory experiment to determine if reproductive female round gobies were attracted to a combination of olfactory (urine) and visual (silicone models) stimuli, representing reproductive and non-reproductive male round gobies. Females spent significantly more time at a nest with a black reproductive male model compared with a mottled non-reproductive male model. Neither urine type nor the interaction between model type and urine affected the time spent by reproductive females at a nest. Knowledge of the reproductive habits of the round goby may enable researchers to develop a method of species control for this invasive fish by manipulating its breeding habits.

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