Life-history patterns and sociality in canids: Body size, reproduction, and behavior

Bekoff, Mare; Diamond, Judy; Mitton, Jeffry B.

doi:10.1007/bf00344981

Cited by 112 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…So ciality increases with size in both canids (Bekoff et al 1981) and ground dwelling sciurids (Armitage 1981), presumably in response to size-dependent physiolog ical characteristics such as maturation time (Armitage 1981). It is interesting that maturation time is related to M A (sources in Calder 1981, Thomp son 1987), and 14 is not statistically different from the exponent of 0.36 describing the relationship between M and the degree of home range sharing in herbivores (Damuth 1981).…”

Section: Time and Home Range Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

Relating Body Size to the Rate of Home Range Use in Mammals

Swihart¹,

Slade²,

Bergstrom³

1988

Ecology

267

138

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Abstract. The area occupied or traversed by an animal is a function of the time period considered, but few empirical estimates of the temporal component of home range use are available. We used a statistic called the "time to independence" to make an ecologically meaningful estimate of the amount of time required for an individual to traverse its home range. Data from 23 species of terrestrial mammals indicated the existence of a sizedependent time scale governing the rate of home range use. Foraging mode influenced the rate of home range use; central place foragers traversed their home ranges approximately five times as rapidly as comparably sized noncentral place foragers.Numerous physiological measures of time are related to body mass raised to the V* power. Our results suggest that the time scale governing the rate of space use by mammals is related similarly to body mass. This relationship permits a more critical examination of factors thought to influence home range size, including habitat productivity and social organization.

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Section: Time and Home Range Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

Relating Body Size to the Rate of Home Range Use in Mammals

Swihart¹,

Slade²,

Bergstrom³

1988

Ecology

267

138

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“…The diversity of breeds of domestic dog present a 35-fold range in body mass (Kirkwood, 1985). Previous studies of canids have investigated allometric variation in various organs, and in physiological and behavioural measures (Bekoff et al, 1981;Kirkwood, 1985) but there have been no allometric investigations of male reproductive organs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimensions and allometry of testes, epididymides and spermatozoa in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Woodall

Johnstone²

1988

Reproduction

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Summary. Dimensions of the testes, epididymides and spermatozoa were measured from a sample of 104, mainly cross-bred, domestic dogs ranging in body mass from 5 to 48 kg. Allometric analyses in relation to body mass indicated isometric changes in testicular mass but epididymal mass and the mass of the cauda epididymidis and sperm numbers in the cauda showed significant positive allometry. Total sperm length, seminiferous tubule diameter and the relative proportion of tissues in the testis showed no significant correlation with body mass, but sperm principal piece length showed a low correlation with body mass. We suggest that the positive allometry of epididymal mass and sperm numbers is related to promiscuous mating and sperm competition in stray dogs.

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“…The basic mating system among canids is monogamy, which is unusual (Kleiman 1977). While the litter size generally decreases with increasing body weight, among canids the litter size either does not correlate with body weight (Bekoff et al 1981, Kauhala 1992, or it increases with increasing body weight (Moehlman 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive strategies of the racoon dog and the red fox in Finland

Kauhala¹

1996

Acta Theriol.

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Reproductive strategies of the raccoon dog and the red fox in FinlandKaarina KAUHALA Kauhala K. 1996. Reproductive strategies of the raccoon dog and the red fox in Finland. Acta Theriologica 41: 51-58.Reproductive strategies of the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray, 1834) and the red fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758) were studied in southern Finland in 1986-1995. Litter size and relative litter weight, body size, population status and ecology were compared. Although the body size is almost equal, diet rather similar and both raccoon dog and fox populations have been rather stable during the study period, the litter sizes and relative litter weights differ greatly. The mean litter size of the raccoon dog was 9.0 and that of the red fox 5.1. The mean relative litter weight was 18.3-24.0% for the raccoon dog and 10.4-12.5% for the red fox. Thus, raccoon dog females are able to invest relatively more in reproduction than the red fox. There are several features in the ecology and behaviour of these species which can explain the different strategies. First, vole cycles have a strong effect on red fox reproduction, but have only a week effect on the litter size of the raccoon dog. Second, the raccoon dog sleeps during harsh winters and females are in good condition in the breeding season regardless of the weather and food supply during the winter. The red fox is always active in winter when food availability may be low and moving in snow is energetically costly. Omnivory, the ability to accumulate large fat reserves and winter dormancy guarantee the good condition of raccoon dog females even in fluctuating environments by reducing the relative costs of reproduction. Third, raccoon dog pups are easy prey to other predators, and mortality during their first year is very high. If mortality rate before the reproductive age is high and independent of litter size, natural selection will favour large litters. Juvenile mortality among red foxes is lower, and it probably would increase in larger litters due to eg starvation.

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Life-history patterns and sociality in canids: Body size, reproduction, and behavior

Cited by 112 publications

References 25 publications

Relating Body Size to the Rate of Home Range Use in Mammals

Relating Body Size to the Rate of Home Range Use in Mammals

Dimensions and allometry of testes, epididymides and spermatozoa in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Reproductive strategies of the racoon dog and the red fox in Finland

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