Body weight as an indicator of the reproduction rate in population of the common shrew
| Autor: | Artem V. Artamonov, N. A. Shchipanov, T. B. Demidova |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
education.field_of_study
media_common.quotation_subject Population Physiology Biology Common shrew Body weight biology.organism_classification medicine.anatomical_structure Animal ecology Lactation medicine Gestation Sexual maturity Animal Science and Zoology Reproduction education Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics media_common |
| Zdroj: | Mammal Research. 66:327-337 |
| ISSN: | 2199-241X 2199-2401 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s13364-020-00554-3 |
| Popis: | Body weight of common shrews was monitored for five years in free-living animals under mark-recapture technique. In young shrews of their first summer of life, the weight in June was significantly less at the first registration. Body weight of young shrews increased from June to August and dropped to the minimum in November. After wintering, body mass in males jumped following sexual maturation. No other variation in body weight related to sexual activity was found in males. Young females which reproduced in their first summer revealed significant increasing of body mass during reproductive activity. The maximum weight of a pregnant young female was 17.7 g, close to the maximum weight of the pregnant overwintered animal—18.7. The end of gestation in both young and overwintered females is marked by sharp and sustainable diminishing of weight. The weight of lactating young females is greater than that of immature females. When young females were not reproductively active, no signs of former reproductive activity were observed. However, in the years with notable participation of young females in reproduction, body weight of individuals without visible signs of sexual activity was significantly greater. Body weight of pregnant overwintered females was greater than that of females with lactation, and the weight of the latter was greater than that of females without signs of reproductive activity. Body weight of adult females in the trapping sessions when reproduction activity was more intensive was greater. We hypothesized that the effect of the first capture resulted from diminishing of body mass when young began feed on their own; hence, the effect could indicate shrews that just weaned. We propose using body weight as an indicator of reproductive activity in a population of the common shrews studied with mark-recapture technique. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full text from SpringerLink