Female American mink, Mustela vison, mate multiply in a free-choice environment
Like most solitary carnivores, the home ranges of male American mink overlap with those of several females, but each female typically shares its range with only a single male. Nevertheless, female mink produce multiply sired litters. Unusually among mammals, the physiological characteristics of female American mink make them highly suited to multiple paternity, suggesting that […]
Mating patterns, societies and the ecogeography of macaques
A 29-month field study of the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), and a review of the literature on its genus, suggests that, in this cercopithecine group, resource distribution may influence male grouping tendency not by way of female distribution, but rather indirectly through female sexual behaviour. This variation on a usual mammalian theme is achieved by […]
Impact of male–male competition and morphological traits on mating strategies and reproductive success in broiler breeders
The goal of this experiment was to determine the effect of male–male competition on broiler breeder mating strategies and reproductive success and to identify behavioral and morphological traits associated with high fertility. Males were kept in groups with no competition (one male and 10 females; 1M), or high male–male competition (three males and 10 females; […]
The Mix Matters- Behavioural Types and Group Dynamics in Water Striders
The effect of an individual’s behavioral type (e.g., its boldness or aggressiveness) on fitness likely depends on the environmental context. In many species, an important component of an individual’s environment is its social environment — the mix of individuals in its social group. Accordingly, much of game theory assumes that the mix of behavioral types […]
Responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)
This study examined whether hormonal and behavioral responses to capture stress and exogenous corticosterone (CORT) vary with body condition in female red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Female snakes were collected during the spring mating season and treated with 4 h of capture stress. We measured plasma CORT and estradiol before, during and after capture […]