云南大理苍山西坡红瘰疣螈身体状况与繁殖时间研究

2019年6—7月,采用样线法对云南省大理白族自治州苍山西坡红瘰疣螈Tylototriton shanjing的种群数量、繁殖时间和个体身体状况进行调查,并对红瘰疣螈两性个体的繁殖时间,不同繁殖时段个体体质量、头体长、肥满度、重长比进行了分析。共观察到红瘰疣螈个体664只,其中雄性410只,雌性254只,整体性比偏雄,雄性个体的比例由繁殖前期的69%逐渐降至后期的49%。雌性个体体质量、头体长和肥满度在不同繁殖时段的差异有统计学意义,繁殖前期雌性个体大于繁殖后期的个体;除头体长和体质量外,雄性个体肥满度和重长比在不同繁殖时段的差异均无统计学意义。繁殖后期,雌雄两性红瘰疣螈小个体的比例均增加,体质量小于5 g,头体长小于50 mm的雄性个体比例由0逐渐增加到13.16%和10.53%;体质量小于10 g,头体长小于60 mm的雌性个体比例由0逐渐增加到10.26%和7.69%,显示两性个体中的较小个体参与繁殖时间均较晚。较小个体身体状况相对较差,运动能力、繁殖潜力和配偶竞争等都不具优势,可能采用了较晚繁殖的繁殖策略。     

贵州疣螈繁殖生态

贵州疣螈(Tylototriton kweichowensis)为中国特有种,国家Ⅱ级重点保护野生动物,对生境变化具有重要指示意义。2018年9月至2019年10月,在贵州省毕节市撒拉溪石漠化综合治理示范区,对贵州疣螈栖息地、形态特征、繁殖行为进行了野外观测。调查显示,贵州疣螈栖息于山塘、山泉、蓄水池、临时性积水坑(塘)等水域,个体全长、尾长和体重雌螈均显著高于雄螈。贵州疣螈于4月18日雷雨天气后破眠外出活动,繁殖始于4月29日,最晚见于8月8日,高峰期为5至6月;繁殖期贵州疣螈的性比总体上偏雄,但在产卵期性比偏雌;雌、雄螈抱对时间几分钟到40min不等;抱对结束后开始排精、纳精;产卵活动在纳精后的1～2 d进行,卵产于繁殖场水底、草或石头上;卵的孵化率为55%,平均孵化期8d,幼体完成变态发育需130d。研究表明,贵州疣螈的繁殖与发育受降雨、水量、温度变化的影响较大,且繁殖场所相对较为固定,容易受到人类活动的干扰。因此,在石漠化治理和生态修复时注重贵州疣螈的栖息地保护,必要时应人工新建稳固繁殖场,保障其生态繁衍。     

泽陆蛙(Fejervarya limnocharis)两性异形的个体发育和雌体繁殖

2010年3月下旬-7月上旬于浙江富阳市农田采集680只泽陆蛙(Fejervarya limnocharis),研究了泽陆蛙成体和幼体的个体大小和局部形态特征的两性异形;通过解剖雌体获得窝卵数、测量抱对个体获得形态数据,研究了雌体大小与生育力关系以及抱对两性个体体形大小的相关性.结果表明:捕获个体中,雌性和雄性成体的最小体长分别为33mm和30 mm;雄性成体个体数显著超过雌性成体,两性幼体个体数无显著差异;两性成体头部大小、四肢长随体长呈同速增长,眼径和体重随体长呈异速增长,两性幼体所有被检形态特征均随体长呈同速增长;雌性成体平均体长显著大干雄性成体,去除体长差异的影响后发现,除眼径无显著的两性差异外,其余被检形态特征均为雌性大于雄性;幼体除雌性体重大于雄性外,其余被检形态特征均无两性差异;窝卵数与雌体大小(体长和体重)呈显著的正相关;两性抱对个体的体长无显著相关性;泽陆蛙雄性成体体形小于雌性成体的个体大小两性异形模式可能决定于驱使雄性向较大体形发展的进化驱动力相对较弱,雌性增大体形可增加繁殖输出,故向较大体形发展的进化驱动力相对较强;除体重外,其余被检形态特征的两性异形均形成于性成熟之后.     

蓝尾石龙子的生长、两性异形及雌性繁殖

报道蓝尾石龙子（Eumeces elegans)的生长、两性异形和雌性繁殖,性成熟个体体色的两性差异显著,成年雄性体长、头长和头宽显著大于成年雌性,幼体体长生长率无显著的两性差异。成年雄体体长生长率显著大于成年雌体,因此,个体大小的两性异形是性成熟后发生的,体长小于50mm的幼体,头长和头宽无性差异;当体长大于50mm。雄性头长和头宽随体长的生长率显著大于雌性。并导致头部大小的两性异形,并随个体发育变得越来越显著,蓝尾石龙子产卵雌体的最小体长为69.3mm,大于此体长的雌体均年产单窝卵。窝卵数、窝卵重和平均卵重均与雌体体长呈正相关,平均值分别为6.4、2.783和0.554g。窝卵数与雌体产后状态无关,蓝尾石龙子雌体主要通过增加窝卵数和卵大小来增加繁殖输出。     

海陆蛙的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征

用采自海南东寨港红树林保护区的58只(35 ♀♀,23 ♂♂)成体海陆蛙(Fejervarya cancrivora),通过测量头体长、体重、头长、头宽、吻长等11个形态特征指标和雌体卵巢质量(窝卵重),研究该种形态特征的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征,并检验雌性成体大小(头体长和体重)与其繁殖的相关性.雌雄两性个体的最小头体长分别为44.9 mm和45.2 mm.除吻长和眼间距外,其余局部形态特征与头体长皆呈正相关性.头体长在雌雄两性之间差异显著,雌性显著大于雄性;而体重、头长、头宽等局部形态均无两性差异.海陆蛙雌体的窝卵重与头体长和体重之间皆成正相关关系,表明雌性可能是通过增大体型从而增加繁殖输出,而向较大体型发展.     

繁殖盛期雄性普通东方小蛙的个体大小不影响交配成功率

通过比较抱对和非抱对普通东方小蛙(Crinia signifera) 的吻尾干骨长(体长) 和检测个体较大或状态较好的雄体是否为成功繁殖个体, 检测雌蛙体长与交配成功的雄蛙的体长和相对状态(体重/体长) 之间是否存在线形关系, 评估交配与个体大小之间的关系。在实验室内, 令未交配雌体选择随机选出的雄体, 观测雌体是否与最大的雄体交配; 将抱对的蛙暴露于其它雄蛙, 观测其它较大或较小的雄蛙是否取代已抱对的雄蛙。结果表明: 抱对雄蛙和雌蛙的个体大小无显著的关系, 成功交配的雄蛙并不比未交配的雄蛙大, 其它雄蛙不能取代已抱对的雄蛙。在这一C. signifera种群中, 繁殖盛期雄性个体的大小似乎不影响交配成功率, 在此期间即便存在配偶选择, 亦决定于与雄性个体大小无关的其它因素。在更长的繁殖期内, 雄性个体大小则与交配成功率有关, 这是该种的典型特征。     

塔里木河叶尔羌高原鳅繁殖生物学研究

2010年7月至2011年12月,在塔里木河阿拉尔段采集叶尔羌高原鳅Triplophysa (Hedinichthys) yar-kandensis (Day)940尾(除性别未辨个体外)用于繁殖生物学研究。种群雌雄比为0.85︰1,最小性成熟,雌性个体体长为8.2 cm,体重为7.4 g,年龄为3龄;雄性个体体长为6.5 cm,体重为3.4 g,年龄为2龄。叶尔羌高原鳅卵径分布呈单峰形,推测应属于同步产卵类型。计算了88尾Ⅳ-Ⅴ期雌鱼的怀卵量,其体长范围30-195 mm,体重范围3.59-114.04 g,绝对繁殖力为1101-56320(9944±5487)粒,相对繁殖力为824-1140(982±158);塔里木河阿拉尔段叶尔羌高原鳅种群繁殖力(Fp)为403.46万粒。     

红瘰疣螈的繁殖生态

红瘰疣螈(Tylototriton shanjing)为国家Ⅱ级重点保护野生动物,对其繁殖生态尚无系统的研究。2007～2010年在云南省新平县哀牢山对红瘰疣螈形态、繁殖栖息地、求偶和交配行为、产卵及孵化等繁殖特征进行了研究。结果表明,红瘰疣螈雌雄两性在广泛的形态学度量特征上存在着差异;繁殖栖息地主要为稻田和潮湿的沟渠;参与繁殖的雌雄成体性比随繁殖时间的推移而不断变化,繁殖前期和后期雄性比例高,中期雌性比例高。求偶和交配主要在陆地潮湿的水沟中完成,也可在静水中进行。成体产卵活动从5月初持续至6月下旬,呈现出波浪式的产卵进程,个体完成产卵平均时间为(22.2±2.7)h。繁殖前期雌螈产卵于稻田,中后期产于多杂草的田埂草丛和泥壁,平均产卵数(126±18)枚(n=17)。平均孵化期(17.3±0.1)d(n=225),孵化率59.8%(n=79),孵化时幼体平均体长12.7mm(n=6)。     

多疣狭口蛙昆明种群雌雄配对行为及形态适应选择

测量和比较采自昆明东北郊的24对抱对多疣狭口蛙(Kaloulaverrucosa)标本,同时野外观察其繁殖行为。配对雌雄蛙的体长、体重和头宽3个形态特征的Pearson相关系数大于0·5;择体长和体重作回归分析,结果表明,雌雄蛙体长选择和雌雄蛙体重配对都呈良好的线性关系。雌蛙选择雄蛙体长为自身体长的(81·8±5·7)%、体重为自身体重的(53·1±10·7)%的个体为最适配偶。雌蛙选择体长较长而体重较轻的雄蛙作为配偶,这样有利于形成较好的空间(雄性胸腹部皮肤腺长度,雌雄抱对时泄殖孔位置等)配对关系。多疣狭口蛙属于雌性选择模式,即雄蛙鸣叫,雌蛙受吸引,主动接近雄蛙,如果雄蛙条件适合则形成配对。     

多疣狭口蛙昆明种群雌雄配对行为及形态适应选择

测量和比较采自昆明东北郊的24对抱对多疣狭口蛙(Kaloula verrucosa)标本，同时野外观察其繁殖行为。配对雌雄蛙的体长、体重和头宽3个形态特征的Pearson相关系数大于0.5；择体长和体重作回归分析，结果表明，雌雄蛙体长选择和雌雄蛙体重配对都呈良好的线性关系。雌蛙选择雄蛙体长为自身体长的(81.8±5.7)%、体重为自身体重的(53.1±10.7)%的个体为最适配偶。雌蛙选择体长较长而体重较轻的雄蛙作为配偶，这样有利于形成较好的空间(雄性胸腹部皮肤腺长度，雌雄抱对时泄殖孔位置等)配对关系。多疣狭口蛙属于雌性选择模式，即雄蛙鸣叫，雌蛙受吸引，主动接近雄蛙，如果雄蛙条件适合则形成配对。     

Reproductive behavior of the Japanese treefrog,Rhacophorus arboreus (Anura: Rhacophoridae)

Reproductive behavior of the foam-nesting treefrog,Rhacophorus arboreus, is described. Oviposition was made either by an amplectant pair (a female, and an amplectant male) alone or by an amplectant pair and other males (joiners). The snout-vent length of males and females was negatively correlated with the date of the first appearance in the pond. The period of staying in the pond in males was longer than that in females. Physical body contacts of other males, and encounter calls by ampletant males were frequently observed before oviposition with joiners. Snout-vent length of the female and an amplectant male were positively correlated. Encounter calls by amplectant males were likely to precede movement of females. There was no difference of snout-vent length between amplectant males and joiners. Females moved the hindlimbs more frequently than males during oviposition. Amplectant males made encounter cells more frequently in oviposition with joiners, than oviposition without joiners. The patterns of transitions between acts of females and amplectant males were similar between oviposition with and without joiners. Females more frequently responded to amplectant males than joiners. Both the duration of a bout of the movements of hindlimbs of females and the interval between the bouts were longer in oviposition without joiners than that with joiners. The number of the movements per bout in oviposition without joiners was smaller than that with joiners. Encounter calls by amplectant males during oviposition tended to precede the hindlimb movements of females.     

Female choice, male interference, and sperm precedence in the red-spotted newt

Darwin first identified female choice and male—male competitionas forms of sexual selection resulting in the evolution of conspicuoussexual dimorphism, but it has proven challenging to separatetheir effects. Their effects on sexual selection become evenmore complicated when sperm competition occurs because spermprecedence may be either a form of cryptic female choice ora form of male—male competition. We examined the effectsof tail height on male—male competition and female choiceusing the sexually dimorphic red-spotted newt (Notophthalmusviridescens viridescens). Experiment 1 examined whether maletail height influenced male mating success. Males with deeptails were more successful at mating with females than thosewith shallow tails. Successful, deep-tailed males also were bigger(snout-vent length; SVL) than unsuccessful, shallow-tailed males,but they did not vary in tail length or body condition. Of these,only tail height and tail length are sexually dimorphic traits.Experiment 2 tested the hypothesis that the differential successof males with deeper tails was due to female choice by examiningboth simultaneous female preference for association and sequentialfemale choice. We found no evidence of female choice. When maleswere not competing to mate with females, tail height did notinfluence male mating success. Successful males did not havedifferent SVL and tail lengths than unsuccessful males. Thus,tail height in male red-spotted newts appears to be an intrasexuallyselected secondary sexual characteristic. Experiment 3 usedpaternity exclusion analyses based on molecular genetic markersto examine the effect of sperm precedence on sperm competitionin doubly-mated females. Sperm precedence likely does not havea pervasive and consistent effect on fertilization success becausewe found evidence of first, last, and mixed sperm usage.     

Sequential mate choice by multiply mating smooth newts: females become more choosy

In some species, females sequentially mate with different maleswithin a single mating period, store sperm until the eggs areeventually fertilized, and gain no other resources from themales. Halliday hypothesized that, for such species, a femalecould ensure fertilization of her eggs by mating with the firstmale that she encounters; thereafter, she can maximize the qualityof her progeny by sampling further males and by mating onlywith males of higher quality than previously mated males. Thishypothesis predicts that females' choosiness will increase asthe breeding season progresses. We tested this prediction ofHalliday's hypothesis by examining mate choice by female smoothnewts (Triturus vulgaris vulgaris). Males of this species developa dorsal crest during the courtship season. Crest height variesbetween males and is potentially an indicator of male quality.Initially, female smooth newts were equally willing to matewith males with low or high crests. However, in their secondmating, females remated only with high-crested males. Theseresults support our prediction and are consistent with Halliday'shypothesis. If crest height in smooth newts is an indicatorof quality, this change in females' mate choice criterion allowsfemales both to initiate egg-laying very early in the seasonand, subsequently, to mate preferentially with higher qualitymates     

Arrival to and location of Bufo woodhousei in the breeding pond: effect on the operational sex ratio

Summary Individual male and female Bufo woodhousei spent only two or three nights of the several week breeding season in the pond. In spite of the continual arriving and leaving of individuals the operational sex ratio (the number of females available to mate/number of males attempting to mate) varied little, either temporally across the breeding season or spatially between male groups in the pond. Male body size distributions also varied little between nights and between male groups.     

Experimental evidence for female choice and energetic costs of male tail elongation in red-collared widowbirds

The black nuptial plumage of the highly polygynous male red‐collared widowbird (Euplectes ardens) comprises a red carotenoid‐based collar patch and a long graduated tail (c. 22 cm). Tail length was the strongest predictor of male mating success in a previous selection analysis, motivating this experimental test of the relative importance of tail plumes in male contest competition and female choice. Males were assigned to either a short (12.5 cm) or control (20 cm) tail manipulation prior to territory establishment. Male contest competition was unaffected by the tail treatments as the shortened‐ and control‐tailed males were equally successful in acquiring territories of similar size and quality. In contrast, however, although the longer‐tailed control males spent less time in flight and courtship displays, they attracted significantly more prospecting and nearly three times as many nesting females to their territories compared to the short‐tailed males. In further support of tail length as the primary mate choice cue, none of the other measured and potential female cues (e.g. body size, collar colorimetrics, territorial behaviours or territory quality) influenced male reproductive success. In addition to potentially increasing detectability (‘signal efficacy’), the long tail is also a likely indicator of male quality (‘signal content’). Despite the higher activities of short‐tailed males, control‐tailed males showed a steeper decline in condition (relative body mass) during the breeding season. Furthermore, both short‐ and control‐tailed residents lost more condition than did the short‐ and control‐treated floaters (males not establishing territories), suggesting an interaction between tail length and the costs of territory acquisition, defence and courtship displays. These results confirm the role of mate choice and honest quality advertising as the main selection pressures behind elongated tails in widowbirds. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86 , 35–43.     

Sexual dimorphism, female reproduction and egg incubation in the oriental leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus bowringii) from southern China

We studied sexual dimorphism, female reproduction and egg incubation of the oriental leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus bowringii) from a population in southern China. The largest male and female in our sample were 60 and 57 mm snout-vent length (SVL), respectively. Males are the larger sex; sexual dimorphism in head size and tail length (TL) is evident in juveniles and adults, with males having larger heads as well as longer tails than females. Oviposition occurred between late May and late July. Females switched from laying two eggs early in the breeding season to 1-2 eggs later in the season. Clutch mass and egg mass were both independent of female SVL, whereas relative clutch mass was negatively correlated with female SVL. The previous conclusion that female H. bowringii lay a single clutch of eggs per breeding season is unlikely to be true. Thermal environments experienced by H. bowringii eggs affect incubation length as well as morphological and locomotor phenotypes of hatchlings. Hatchlings from eggs incubated at 30 degrees C were larger (SVL, tail length and body mass) and performed better in the racetrack than their counterparts from eggs incubated at 24 degrees C. Temperatures suitable for embryonic development are relatively high in H. bowringii, primarily as a consequence of the adaptive response to warm environments in southern China.     

Mating Patterns of Red-Eyed Treefrogs, Agalychnis callidryas and A. moreletii

Deviations from random mating in frogs are often explained by two different size‐based patterns. The large‐male mating advantage predicts that males found in amplexus with females will be larger on average than non‐amplectant males, whereas size‐assortative mating predicts that males and females found in amplexus will maintain an optimal size ratio. Both these pairing patterns are consistent with a female mating preference for larger males, or for males of a given size relative to the choosy female. I examined pairing patterns of two species of Neotropical hylids, Agalychnis callidryas and A. moreletii for three consecutive breeding seasons in Belize, Central America to evaluate whether mating behavior was influenced by either a large‐male mating advantage or size‐assortative mating. For each species, I compared size traits between amplectant and non‐amplectant males, and within amplectant pairs, and I quantified fertilization success for each amplectant pair. For both species I found evidence of deviations from random mating by size, but the nature of the deviations varied between species and among years. The proportion of eggs fertilized was consistently high among years for both species and there was no relationship between fertilization success and the size ratio of amplectant pairs. These data are consistent with female mate preference, but a role for male–male competition cannot be excluded. My findings suggest that mating patterns may be density‐dependent and that the nature and intensity of sexual selection may be increased by extreme environmental conditions.     

Mating behaviour and mating success in woodfrogs Rana sylvatica

Mating behaviour of woodfrogs was investigated in a woodland pond in southeastern Michigan. Males became sexually mature one year before females and outnumbered females by 5.6 to 1 at the breeding site. Males employed searching behaviour to obtain mates. Yearly male mating success varied from 0 to 2 matings, and larger males had a greater probability of mating than smaller males. The mating season lasted less than 10 days. Most egg masses were deposited in 1 m² of a 256-m² pond. Experimental introduction of egg masses to the breeding site indicated that presence of eggs was sufficient to stimulate egg deposition. The influence of selection for synchronous sexual receptivity in females, communal egg deposition, and delayed female sexual maturation on male mating behaviour and variation in male mating success is discussed.     

Impacts of the season and reproductive status on fecal reproductive and adrenocortical steroid metabolites in zoo Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer)

Conservation strategies for crocodilians often include captive breeding to create stable assurance populations. Evaluating adrenal and gonadal hormone patterns can provide animal managers with data to more effectively monitor animal welfare and reproductive status. This study evaluated the effects of season (breeding, nesting, or off), sex (male and female), and reproductive status of females (egg-laying/housed with a male or non-laying/housed solo) on concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM), fecal androgen metabolite (FAM), and fecal progestogen metabolite (FPM) in seven Cuban crocodiles, Crocodylus rhombifer, at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. Overall, seasonal changes in FGM and FPM concentrations were only observed in egg-laying females; FGM and FPM concentrations were both higher during the nesting season compared to the breeding and off seasons. Seasonal changes in FAM concentrations were only observed in males; males had higher FAM concentrations during the breeding and nesting seasons compared to the off season. Future studies investigating the use of fecal hormone metabolites in crocodilians are necessary to understand differences between individuals and species, to further elucidate the interactions between hormones and environmental factors, such as social housing, and to develop long-term datasets for the management of this species.     

The breeding migration of Smooth and Palmate newts (Triturus vulgaris and T. helveticus) at a pond in mid Wales

The breeding population sizes of newts at Llysdinam Pond in 1981 are estimated at around 800 Palmate and 300 Smooth newts. Females were more numerous than males with sex ration of 3.0: 1 for Palamte and 2.6: 1 for Smooth newts. The movement of males of both species into the pond preceded that of females, and female Palmate newts moved out of the pond significantly later than the other classes. The number of females of both species leaving the pond was much less than the number entering, apparently as a result of mortality whilst in the pond. Females leaving the pond were significantly lighter than those entering, and for female Palmate newts the weight loss in only partly attributable to loss of egg load. Temperature and humidity were important factors influencing the number of newts active during the inward migration period, but had little effect on activity during the outward migration.