Juvenil dispersal in Calomys venustus (Muridae: Sigmodontinae)

PRIOTTO JOSÉ; STEINMANN ANDREA; PROVENSAL M. CECILIA; POLOP JAIME

ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY

Año: 2004 p. 205 - 210

1146-609X

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:ES; mso-fareast-language:ES;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:120073386; mso-list-type:simple; mso-list-template-ids:1879055428;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-text:%1-; mso-level-tab-stop:18.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; margin-left:18.0pt; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:Arial; color:black; mso-ansi-font-weight:bold; mso-ansi-font-style:normal;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --> This research was carried out to examine the hypothesis that the presence of parents promotes the dispersal of juveniles from their natal nestand their father or mother home-range, in Calomys venustus.The study was carried out in four 0.25 ha fences (two controls and twoexperimentals), in a natural pasture. This study had two periods: Father Removal (FR) (August and December 1997; year one) and MotherRemoval (MR) (August 1998 and January 1999; year two). For the FR treatment fathers were removed after juveniles were born, but in theMRtreatment mothers were removed after the juveniles were weaned. The effect of parents on the dispersal distance of juvenileswas analysed withrespect to their natal nest and their mother and father home-range. Dispersal distance from the nest of C. venustus was independent of eithermale or female parent. Juveniles were more dispersing in relation to the centre of activity of their mothers than to that of their fathers, andfemales were more dispersing than males. Female juveniles overlap their home-range with their parents less than male juveniles do. Thedifferences observed between female and male juveniles would be related to their different sexual maturation times, as well as to the femaleterritoriality.