Factors affecting male mating success in red squirrels (<i>Sciurus vulgaris</i>)

Wauters, Luc A.; Dhondt, André A.; Vos, R. de

doi:10.1080/08927014.1990.9525486

Cited by 77 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Red squirrels are promiscuous and adult females defend intrasexual territories while males have overlapping home ranges with a dominance hierarchy (Wauters et al 1990;Wauters and Dhondt 1992). Site fidelity is high and important to reproductive success, and most parents produce several litters in a lifetime .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal and habitat cuing of Eurasian red squirrels in fragmented habitats

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Animal dispersal and subsequent settlement is a key process in the life history of many organisms, when individuals use demographic and environmental cues to target post-dispersal habitats where fitness will be highest. To investigate the hypothesis that environmental disturbance (habitat fragmentation) may alter these cues, we compared dispersal patterns of 60 red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in three study sites that differ in habitat composition and fragmentation. We determined dispersal distances, pre-and post-dispersal habitat types and survival using a combination of capture-mark-recapture, radiotracking and genetic parentage assignment. Most (75%) squirrels emigrated from the natal home range with mean dispersal distance of 1,014 ± 925 m (range 51-4,118 m). There were no sex-related differences in dispersal patterns and no differences in average dispersal distance, and the proportion of dispersers did not differ between sites. In one of the sites, dispersers settled in patches where density was lower than in the natal patch. In the least fragmented site, 90% of animals settled in the natal habitat type (habitat cuing) against 44-54% in the more strongly fragmented sites. Overall, more squirrels settled in the natal habitat type than expected based on habitat availability, but this was mainly due to individuals remaining within the natal wood. In the highly fragmented landscape, habitat cuing among emigrants did not occur more frequently than expected. We concluded that increased habitat fragmentation seemed to reduce reliable cues for habitat choice, but that dispersing squirrels settled in patches with lower densities of same-sex animals than at the natal home range or patch, independent of degree of fragmentation.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dispersal and habitat cuing of Eurasian red squirrels in fragmented habitats

et al. 2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This creates a temporally and spatially limited resource that is contested by males, and provides the potential for dominant males to monopolise the matings within local populations. Prior to mating, squirrels engage in a mating chase with dominant males at the head of the chase, taking up position immediately behind the female (Pack et al 1967, Thompson 1977, Wauters et al 1990, Koprowski 1993a. Gaining close proximity to the female is critical because the male at the head of the chase is the one that usually mates with the female (Pack et al 1967, Thompson 1977, Wauters et al 1990, Koprowski 1993a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, young satellite males obtain 'sneaky' matings and females actively remove copulatory plugs to facilitate multiple matings (Wauters et al 1990, Koprowski 1992, 1993a. These tactics confound any predictions of reproductive success in the Sciuridae based solely on field observations, and there is little information available concerning how dominance translates into reproductive success or on the normal levels of genetic variation or genetic substructuring within grey squirrel populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the relatedness in a population of grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis, using DNA fingerprinting

David-Gray

Gurnell²,

Hunt³

1999

Acta Theriol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

. 1999. Estimating the relatedness in a population of grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis, using DNA fingerprinting. Acta Theriologica 44: 243-251.Studies on the behaviour of grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 and other species belonging to the same genus, suggest they exhibit dominance hierarchies among both males and females, and their mating strategy is promiscuous or polygynous. However, there is little information available on how dominance translates into reproductive success or on the levels of genetic variation or genetic substructuring within a population. To address these questions, we used multilocus DNA fingerprinting to quantify genetic diversity and estimate relatedness amongst individuals in a free--ranging population of grey squirrels. Background band-sharing values revealed a high degree of genetic diversity existed. The frequency distribution of band-sharing values between known first order relatives and presumed unrelated animals was significantly different. Estimates of relatedness between individuals were therefore based on threshold levels of genetic similarity and used as a tool to infer close kinship. Possible kinship groups were identified using the spatial distribution of the home ranges of adults and juveniles. Levels of relatedness between neighbouring adults was low with five family units identified comprised of putative parents and their offspring. Several juveniles from the single cohort revealed levels of relatedness intermediate between first order relatives and unrelated animals, suggesting possible second order relationships (eg half siblings) existed. The implications of these relationships are discussed.

show abstract

“…Machos de menores postos hierárquicos podem garantir o acesso às fêmeas por meio de estratégias sorrateiras (Wauters et al, 1990). Entretanto, a principal diferença entre os machos pode ser o acesso prioritário às fêmeas receptivas por machos dominantes (Wauters et al, 1990;Waterman, 2007 (Rood, 1972;Kleiman, 1974;Hohoff, 2002;Furnari, 2006;Trillmich et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Essas relações de dominância são determinadas através das interações agonísticas, que podem ocorrer principalmente antes do estro das fêmeas (Farentinos, 1972;Wauters et al, 1990;Koprowski, 1993). Machos dominantes podem apresentar maior número de interações sexuais (Rood, 1972), mas seu principal diferencial está no elevado sucesso copulatório por ser o primeiro a acessar a fêmea no estro, levando a um maior sucesso reprodutivo (Sherman, 1976;Dunford, 1977;Waterman, 1998).…”

Section: Socioecologiaunclassified

Comportamento e organização social do preá Cavia magna (Rodentia: Caviidae)

Santos¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Factors affecting male mating success in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris)

Cited by 77 publications

References 15 publications

Dispersal and habitat cuing of Eurasian red squirrels in fragmented habitats

Dispersal and habitat cuing of Eurasian red squirrels in fragmented habitats

Estimating the relatedness in a population of grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis, using DNA fingerprinting

Comportamento e organização social do preá Cavia magna (Rodentia: Caviidae)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About