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

• Autorzy: Kauhala K.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Reproductive strategies of the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonaid.es (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.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

red fox; reproductive strategy; racoon dog; Vulpes vulpes; Nyctereutes procyonoides; Finland

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Theriologica
• Rocznik: 1996
• Tom: 41
• Numer: 1
• Opis fizyczny: p.51-58

Twórcy

autor

Kauhala K.

• Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O.Box 202, FIN-00151 Helsinki, Finland

Bibliografia

• Bekoff M., Diamond J. and Mitton J. B. 1981. Life-history patterns and sociality in canids: Body size, reproduction, and behavior. Oecologia (Berl.) 50: 386-390.
• Bekoff M., Daniels T. J. and Gittleman J. L. 1984. Life history pattern and the comparative social ecology of carnivores. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematic 15: 191-232.
• Clutton-Brock T. H. 1991. The evolution of parental care. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey: 1-352.
• Clutton-Brock T. H., Guinness F. E. and Albon S. D. 1982. Red deer. Behavior and ecology of two sexes. Edinburg University Press, Edinburg: 1-378.
• Dietz J. M. 19S4. Ecology and social organization of the maned wolf {Chrysocyon brachyurus). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 392: 1-51.
• Eisenberg J. F. 1981. The mammalian radiations. An analysis of trends in evolution, adaptation, and behavior. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago: 1-610.
• Englund J. 1970. Some aspects of reproduction and mortality rates in Swedish foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1961-63 and 1966-69. Viltrevy (Swedish Wildlife) 8: 1-82.
• Frame L. H., Malcolm J. R., Frame G. W. and van Lawick H. 1979. Social organization of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) on the Serengeti Plains, Tanzania 1967-1978. Zeitschrift fur Tierpsychologie 50: 225-249.
• Helle E. and Kauhala K. 1993. Age structure, mortality and sex ratio of the raccoon dog in Finland. Journal of Mammalogy 74: 936-942.
• Helle E. and Kauhala K. 1995. Reproduction of the raccoon dog in Finland, Journal of Mammalogy 76: 1036-1046.Helle P., Helle E., Lindén H. and Wikraan M. 1994. [Snow track counts for wildlife triangles were carried out the sixth time - results of winter 1994]. Riistantutkimusosaston tiedote 133: 1-19. [In Finnish]
• Ikeda H. 1983. Development of young and parental care of the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus Temmick, in captivity. Journal of the Mammalogical Society of Japan 9; 229-235.
• Judin V. G. 1977. [The raccoon dog of Pritnore and Priamure]. Nauka, Moscow: 1-150. [In Russian!
• Kauhala K. 1992. Ecological characteristics of the raccoon dog in Finland. Ph D thesis, University of Helsinki, Helsinki: 1-19.
• Kauhala K. 1993. Growth, size, and fat reserves of the raccoon dog in Finland. Acta Theriologica 38: 139-150.
• Kauhala K. and Helle E. 1990. Age determination of the raccoon dog in Finland. Acta Theriologica 35: 321-329.
• Kauhala K. and Helle E. 1993. Factors affecting the numbers of raccoon dog populations in Finland. Suomen Riista 39: 102-110. [In Finnish with English summary]
• Kauhala K and Helle E. 1995. Population ecology of the raccoon dog in southern Finland - a synthesis. Wildlife Biology 1: 3-9.
• Kauhala K, Kaunisto M. and Helle E. 1993a. Diet of the raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, in Finland. Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 58: 129-136.
• Kauhala K., Helle E. and Taskinen K. 1993b. Home range of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyo­noides) in southern Finland. Journal of Zoology, London 231: 95-106.
• KJeiman D. G. 1977. Monogamy in mammals. The Quarterly Review of Biology 52: 39-69.
• Lampio T. 1953. [Studies of the diet of the red fox], Suomen Riista 8: 156-164. |In Finnish]
• Lavrov N. P. 1971. IThe results of reintroductions of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in different provinces of the USSR). Trudy kafedry biologii MGZPI 29: 101-160. [In Russian]
• Lindström E. 1988. Reproductive effort in the red fox, Vulpes vulpes, and future supply of a fluctuating prey. Oikos 52: 115-119.
• Lindström E. 1989. Food limitation and social regulation in a red fox population. Holarctic Ecology 12: 70-79.
• Lindström E. R. 1992. Diet and demographics of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in relation to population density - the sarcoptic mange event in Scandinavia. [In: Wildlife 2001: Populations. D. R. McCullough and R. H. Barrett, eds], Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, London: 922-931.
• Lloyd H. G. 1980. The red fox. B. T. Batsford Ltd, London: 1-320.
• Lloyd H. G,, Jensen B,, van Haaften J. L., Niewold F. J. J., Wandeler A., Bögeel K. and Arata A. A. 1976. Annual turnover of fox populations in Europe. Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin Reihe B: 23: 580—589.
• Macdonald D. 1987. Running with the fox. Unwin Hyman, London: 1-224.
• Moehlman P. D. 1986. Ecology of cooperation in canids. [In: Ecological aspects of social evolution, birds and mammals. D. I. Rubenstein and R. W. Wrangham, eds]. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey: 64-86.
• Schantz T., von 1981. Female cooperation, male competition, and dispersal in the red fox Vulpes vulpes. Oikos 37: 63-68.
• Storm G. L., Andrews R. D,, Phillips R. L., Bishop R. A., Siniff D. B. and Tester J. R. 1976. Morphology, reproduction, dispersal, and mortality of Midwestern red fox populations. Wildlife Monographs 49: 1-82.
• Tuomi J. 1980. Mammalian reproductive strategies: a generalized relation of litter size to body size. Oecologia (Berl.) 45: 39-44.
• Western D. 1979. Size, life history and ecology in mammals. African Journal of Ecology 17: 185-204.
• Yamamoto I. 1987. Male parental care in the raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides during the early rearing period. |In: Animal societies: theories and facts. Y. Ito, J. L. Brown and J. Kikkawa, eds]. Japan Scientific Societies Press, Tokyo: 189-195.