Space Use and Social Structure of Long-Tailed Singing Mice (<i>Scotinomys xerampelinus</i>)

Blondel, Dimitri V.; Pino, Jorge Luís; Phelps, Steve

doi:10.1644/08-mamm-a-009r2.1

Cited by 27 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…As a solitary small mammal, receptive females are expected to be widely dispersed over the low productive, patchy habitats of the desert [14, 16, 52]. This pattern is expected in a non-territorial mammal with a promiscuous mating system [53, 54, 55, 56]. Ethiopian hedgehogs have a 6-month breeding season between February and July with two peaks of mating and 2–3 litters [14, 57, 58].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs

Baker

Reeve²,

Conkey

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Degradation and alteration of natural environments because of agriculture and other land uses have major consequences on vertebrate populations, particularly on spatial organization and movement patterns. We used GPS tracking to study the effect of land use and sex on the home range size and movement of a typical model species, the Ethiopian hedgehogs. We used free-ranging hedgehogs from two areas with different land use practices: 24 from an area dominated by irrigated farms (12 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀) and 22 from a natural desert environment within a biosphere reserve (12 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀). Animals were significantly heavier in the resource-rich irrigated farms area (417.71 ±12.77SE g) in comparison to the natural desert area (376.37±12.71SE g). Both habitat and sex significantly influenced the home range size of hedgehogs. Home ranges were larger in the reserve than in the farms area. Total home ranges averaged 103 ha (±17 SE) for males and 42 ha (±11SE) for females in the farms area, but were much larger in the reserve averaging 230 ha (±33 SE) for males and 150 ha (±29 SE) for females. The home ranges of individuals of both sexes overlapped. Although females were heavier than males, body weight had no effect on home range size. The results suggest that resources provided in the farms (e.g. food, water, and shelters) influenced animal density and space use. Females aggregated around high-resource areas (either farms or rawdhats), whereas males roamed over greater distances, likely in search of mating opportunities to maximize reproductive success. Most individual home ranges overlapped with many other individuals of either sex, suggesting a non-territorial, promiscuous mating. Patterns of space use and habitat utilization are key factors in shaping aspects of reproductive biology and mating system. To minimize the impacts of agriculture on local wildlife, we recommend that biodiversity-friendly agro-environmental schemes be introduced in the Middle East where the transformation from dry lands to ‘islands of fertility’ is often extreme.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs

Baker

Reeve²,

Conkey

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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“…Singing has also been documented in some primates and rodents. The common laboratory mouse uses singing for courtship purposes (Holy and Guo 2005), but there is also a genus of neotropical singing mice (Scotinomys) (Blondel et al 2009;Pasch et al 2013) and a species of singing vole (Batzli and Henttonen 1993). Among primates, singing has been documented among certain species of gibbons (Mitani and Marler 1989;Arnold and Zuberbühler 2006;Clarke et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The origins and diversity of bat songs

et al. 2016

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Singing plays an important role in the social lives of several disparate bat species, but just how significant the behavior may be among bats generally is unknown. Recent discoveries suggest singing by bats might be surprisingly more diverse and widespread than anticipated, but if true then two questions must be addressed: firstly why has singing been so rarely documented among bats, and secondly do bats sing for the same reasons as songbirds? We address the first question by reviewing how sampling bias and technical constraints may have produced a myopic view of bat social communication. To address the second question, we review evidence from 50 years of batsong literature supporting the supposition that bat singing is linked to the same constellation of ecological variables that favored birdsong, including territoriality, polygyny, metabolic constraints, migratory behaviors and especially powered flight. We propose that bats sing like birds because they fly like birds; flight is energetically expensive and singing reduces time spent flying. Factoring in the singular importance of acoustic communication for echolocating bats, it seems likely that singing may prove to be relatively common among certain groups of bats once it becomes clear when and where to look for it.

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“…Taken together, these factors provide strong evidence for a promiscuous mating system. Furthermore, some field data (Lötter 2010) also support a promiscuous mating system in bushveld gerbils: male home ranges were generally much larger than those of females, and home ranges of both sexes could potentially overlap with up to three members of the opposite sex; male ranges also showed greater potential for intrasexual overlap than those of females (see, e.g., Ribble and Stanley 1998;Blondel et al 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Social interactions associated with reproduction in the bushveld gerbil Gerbilliscus leucogaster

Lötter

Pillay

2011

Acta Theriol

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The study of social behaviour can give us important insights into the social and mating system of a species or population. We investigated male-female interactions in captive bushveld gerbils, Gerbilliscus leucogaster, to gain insight into the social behaviour and mating structure. We conducted two experiments. In experiment 1, we studied the interactions between two strangers for a week in a three-tank setup, which tested behavioural variation spatially and temporally. Although tolerance between strange males and females increased with time, it remained generally low throughout the experiment. Females appeared to be cautious of males initially, but they later became aggressive towards them. Males showed an increase in submissive behaviour over time. The 'home' cage did not appear to be defended by either sex. In experiment 2, we investigated the social interactions of male-female pairs during pregnancy and lactation. Aggression persisted throughout the study and amicable behaviour was low; females were much more aggressive than males. We did not detect changes in social behaviour with the progression of pregnancy and lactation. We suggest that pair bonding is unlikely and that promiscuity is the most probable mating system. Female aggression may be related to mate choice prior to mating and mate exclusion thereafter, while it may be a response to infanticide risk during pregnancy and lactation.

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Space Use and Social Structure of Long-Tailed Singing Mice (Scotinomys xerampelinus)

Cited by 27 publications

References 36 publications

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs

Hedgehogs on the move: Testing the effects of land use change on home range size and movement patterns of free-ranging Ethiopian hedgehogs

The origins and diversity of bat songs

Social interactions associated with reproduction in the bushveld gerbil Gerbilliscus leucogaster

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