A new member or an intruder: how do Sinai spiny mouse (Acomys dimidiatus) families respond to a male newcomer?

Author:

Frynta Daniel1,Cížková Barbora2,Šumbera Radim3

Affiliation:

1. 3Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44, Prague, Czech Republic

2. 1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic;, Email: BarbWire@email.cz

3. 2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Abstract

AbstractRecruitment of unrelated individuals into a group plays an important role in the social life of the group living animals. The main goal of our study was to analyze the reactions of established, breeding families of the Sinai spiny mouse, Acomys dimidiatus (Muridae, Rodentia), a social species with precocial pups, to male newcomers in the presence and the absence of a breeding resident male. We compared the behaviour of family members of different sex or age to the presence of a new male. The number of non-aggressive and aggressive interactions with the focal male (resident/newcomer male) was recorded during three periods: before, during and one month after the addition of the newcomer. Only a few aggressive and/or non-aggressive types of contacts occurred before and one month after the addition of the new male. During the experiment, both types of contacts arose, but the results were highly variable. Increased aggressive behaviour of the family toward the intruder was explained mainly by the presence of pregnant or lactating females, which suggests that aggression towards a male newcomer is associated with the reproductive status of females. This phenomenon is most likely connected with the counter-infanticide strategy.

Publisher

Brill

Subject

Behavioral Neuroscience,Animal Science and Zoology

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3