Abstract

SOMMARO, Lucía; GOMEZ, Daniela; STEINMANN, Andrea  and  PRIOTTO, José. Sexual maturation and reproductive activity of spring-born female corn mice, Calomys musculinus, in absence of adults. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2009, vol.16, n.2, pp.403-410. ISSN 0327-9383.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of parents on maturation and reproductive activity of spring-born females in fenced populations of Calomys musculinus, at the beginning of the breeding period. The field study was carried out in four 0.25-ha enclosures (two control and two experimental), each situated on natural pasture. This study had two periods: 1) Absence of fathers (AF) (from September 2003 to January 2004), and 2) Absence of mothers (AM) (from October 2004 to February 2005). In both periods, in control enclosures both parents remained with the offspring. During AF period, in experimental enclosures only the mothers remained with their offspring. In AM period, only the adult males remained with their offspring in experimental enclosures. Three trapping sessions of 8 successive nights every fortnight were carried out. Sexual maturation and reproductive activity of spring-born females were compared between treatments using repeated-measures ANOVA. The repeated measures factor was the age of young females. In both periods the number of spring-born females in each reproductive condition was independent of treatments. The females matured according to their physiological times (30-40 days of age). The removal of fathers and mothers did not affect either the timing of sexual maturation or the reproduction of C. musculinus spring-born females. Future research to test the effect of adult female density on juveniles should be done to test the same parameters.

Keywords : Adult removal; Mating system; Reproductive activity.

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