bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in supercooling with body size, sex, and season in the long‐lived milliped Polyzonium germanicum (Diplopoda, Polyzonidae)
Authors: David J.‐F. , Vannier G.
Published: May 2009

The supercooling points (SCPs) of a field population of Polyzonium germanicum were measured at different stages in the life cycle. There was no post‐freezing survival under the experimental conditions used. The mean SCP was ‐26.2°C for eggs and increased to ‐18.2°C for juveniles of stadium III experiencing their first winter. From stadium V onwards, SCP varied considerably among individuals, ranging from ‐22.7 to ‐4.7°C. SCP was shown to increase significantly with body size in both sexes. Seasonal changes also occurred in males, SCP being lower in autumn‐winter than in spring‐summer. Measurements from a sample starved in the laboratory showed that the winter decrease could result from starvation affecting a proportion of males in the field. There was no relationship between the SCP and relative water content of individuals. After starvation in the laboratory, however, there was a relationship between the SCP and relative fat content of males. The results show that freezing is not a significant threat to the field population studied, with the possible exception of the largest overwintering females.
Taxonomy and natural history of the Australian bandy‐bandy snakes (Elapidae: Vermicella) with a description of two new species
Authors: Keogh J. Sott , Smith Sarah A.
Published: May 2009

The Australian elapid snake genus Vermicella has traditionally included three taxa: annulata, multifasciata, and snelli. These animals have a history of unstable taxonomy and nomenclature, with rearrangements based mainly on subjective evaluations by different authorities rather than on acquisition of new data. We have quantified characters of external morphology to examine patterns of phenotypic variation in 425 museum specimens of Vermicella. Our aims were to understand better the nature of morphological variation in the genus, and the taxonomic implications of this variation, using univariate and multivariate statistical techniques. Based on our results, we recognize each of the three currently described taxa as separate species, and describe two additional species. Vermicella multifasciata is restricted to those specimens from the Darwin area that display exceptionally high numbers of, and very thin, body bands, and is sympatric with a new species described in this paper. Vermicella snelli is restricted to northern Western Australia and a second species from the Alice Springs area of the Northern Territory that displays fewer body bands is described.

Males have fewer ventral scales and more subcaudal scales than females in the four species, with sample sizes large enough for meaningful statistical analyses, and V. annulata females have more body and tail bands than conspecific males. In conjunction with the taxonomic study, we also examined reproductive biology and diet of Vermicella. Females reach larger adult body sizes than males in V. annulata, V. intermedia, and probably the other species as well. Gut contents of four species suggest that they feed solely on blind snakes of the genus Ramphotyphlops. Clutch sizes for the smaller species of Vermicella are low, ranging from one to four, while published data for the larger V. annulata shows clutch size to vary from two to 13. Based on published work, it appears that the affinities of Vermicella may lie with Simoselaps in Australia and/or some Melanesian elapids.
Allometry of reproduction in two species of gekkonid lizards (Gehyra): effects of body size miniaturization on clutch and egg sizes
Authors: Doughty Paul
Published: May 2009

In squamate reptiles there is an allometric pattern for small‐bodied females to have smaller clutches and proportionally larger eggs than large‐bodied females, and this pattern occurs both among and within species. The allometric patterns in two species of the geckoGehyrawere studied to see how evolutionary reductions in adult body size affect fecundity and offspring size among species, and how these changes affect allometric relationships within species.Gehyra dubiahas two eggs per clutch (the typical clutch size for gekkonid lizards), whereas the smallerbodiedG. variegatahas a single egg per clutch. Within both species, egg size increased with female body size. The data are consistent with at least two mechanistic hypotheses: (1) that the width of the pelvis constrains egg size; and (2) in species with invariant clutch sizes, larger females can only allocate additional energy towards egg size and not number. More direct tests of these hypotheses are warranted. Miniaturization of body sizes inGehyrais correlated with a clutch size reduction of 50% (from two to one), and a large (1.7‐fold) compensatory increase in relative egg mass. However, the small‐bodiedG. variegata(one egg per clutch) had a lower relative clutch mass than didG. dubia.These findings have implications for understanding the influence of evolutionary reductions in body size on reproductive traits, and for allometric trends in squamate reptiles in general.
The biology and functional morphology of Minnivola pyxidatus (Bivalvia: Pectinoidea)
Authors: Morton Brian
Published: May 2009

The shallow subtidal scallopMinnivola pyxidutusoccurs in the relatively clean oceanic, southern, and south‐eastern waters of Hong Kong and elsewhere in the Western Pacific and is highly polymorphic in terms of shell patterning of the left, upper valve. Locally, because of sea‐bed perturbations, numbers are declining. The species can probably live for ∼ 3 years, with reproduction occurring in winter.M. pyxidatusis monoecious.

Shell form and anatomy are described. Normally, the species lives attached by a fragile byssus to sand grains or stones, but can swim, albeit weakly, in response to predation risks.

In most respects,Minnivola pyxidatusis a typical scallop, with a bowl‐shaped, right lower valve and a concave, disc‐like, left upper valve. The mantle has pallial eyes and a complex array of tentacles which possess small, ciliary‐based sensory cells. There is also a cleansing tract on the outer surface of the middle mantle fold and a muscular velum formed from the inner fold. The latter is developed into a simple exhalant aperture posteriorly. Both mantle lobes possess extensive posterior pallial glands and an abdominal sense organ on the right lobe only, anterior to the single posterior adductor muscle. Ciliary currents of the mantle cavity are for cleansing and are powerful, particularly on the visceral mass and right mantle lobe but not the left.

The ctenidia and their ciliary currents are typical of the Pectinidae except that the ascending lamellae of all demibranchs are greatly reduced and, it is suggested, previse the situation seen in the Propeamussiidae where they are lost and the ventral margins of the inner and outer descending lamellae fuse to create an ‘inside out’ gill. Unusually, the labial palps ofMinnivola pyxidatusare fused to the mantle and visceral mass, preventing their collapse in the mantle cavity and thus maintaining particle selection efficiency. The gut is simple. Left and right statocysts are unusually equal and the pericardium is located dorsal to the adductor muscle.

Minnivola pyxidatusis adapted to an epibenthic life on subtidal sands and muds. Powerful cleansing currents and an ability to swim have allowed this species to survive in dredged and trawled waters with high levels of settling and resuspended silt.
On the occurence of a short period of delayed implantation in Schreibers’long‐fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) from a tropical latitude in Zimbabwe
Authors: Bernard R. T. F. , Cotterill F. P. D. , Fergusson R. A.
Published: May 2009

Mating in Schrcibers’long‐fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) from central Zimbabwe (18°S) occurred between mid‐April and mid‐May, after a five‐month period of spermatogenesis. Implantation was delayed until early July and parturition occurred between late October and mid‐November, about four months after implantation and six to seven months after fertilization. The timing and length of gestation at 18°S are similar to that described for M. schreibersii from Zaire (11σS) and when these date are compared with those for the same species from higher latitudes in Africa, it is apparent that there is a small, but distinct, increase in the total length of pregnancy and the length of delayed implantation with increasing latitude. The reproductive bilogy of Miniopterus schreibersii from Africa and France differs fundamentally from that of the same species from Australia and Japan, and it is suggested that studies of the relationship between latitude and duration of delayed implantation should be based on comparisons within single species from different latitudes on the same continent, and that comparisons between species and between continents should be avoided.
Distribution and abundance of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the western Mediterranean sea during the summer
Authors: Forcada J. , Aguilar A. , Hammond P. , Pastor X. , Aguilar R.
Published: May 2009

A sightings survey was conducted in the summer of 1991 in the western Mediterranean to describe the distribution of fin whales and to estimate their absolute abundance during the summer feeding season. Fin whales were only found in the Liguro‐Provençal basin, in deep waters (mean depth 2,360, S.E.: 46.8 m), beyond the continental shelf. The highest densities of fin whales were found in relatively cool waters (mean = 23.9°C), and water in areas in which fin whales were found was significantly cooler than that in areas without fin whales. Patterns of distribution of whales, with remarkably high densities in the feeding grounds, and composition of schools, which were found to be smaller than in other regions, suggest that food resources for the species in the north‐western Mediterranean feeding grounds occur at higher densities but are more patchily distributed than in other fin whale feeding grounds so far studied. Abundance was estimated as 3,583 individuals (S.E.: 967; 95% CI: 2,130‐6,027).
Cheek‐rubbing in golden marmots (Marmota caudata aurea)
Authors: Blumstein D. T. , Henderson S. J.
Published: May 2009

We studied the function of cheek‐rubbing in golden marmots (Marmota caudata aurea) by combining observations of the external morphology of the orbital gland, observational studies of marmots cheek‐rubbing, and experimental studies of marmots’responses to olfactory secretions from the orbital gland. Adult males had larger eyepatches–areas without hair above the orbital gland–than adult females. Both sexes produced sufficient glandular exudate to pool on the surface of the skin or fur above the orbital gland. Adult males cheek‐rubbed more than adult females throughout the summer active season, but both males and females generally cheek‐rubbed within 10m of a main burrow. Adult males responded more vigorously to the smells of non‐group members of both sexes than to group members of either sex. Adult females responded more vigorously to the smell of non‐group females than to non‐group males or group members of either sex. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that marmot cheek‐rubbing functions to mark defended areas, possibly to minimize costs of aggressive interactions.
Duration of the oestrous cycle and changes in plasma hormone concentrations measured after an induced ovulation in scimitar‐horned oryx (Oryx dammah)
Authors: Bowen J. M. , Barrell G. K.
Published: May 2009

To determine the duration and hormonal characteristics of the oestrous cycle in scimitar‐horned oryx, ovulation was synchronized in 11 females using exogenous progesterone and a prostaglandin analogue. Daily blood samples were taken from six animals during 46 days (with a 7‐day hiatus). The remaining five animals were blood sampled every 30 min for 6 h on three occassions druing 22 days, then resynchronized with prostaglandin analogue and pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin and blood sampled daily for another 21 days (with a 7‐day hiatus). Behavioural observations were made on days 1 through 3 and 24 through 28 to determine the occurrence of oestrus.

Only animals > 2 years old (n= 7) had plasma progesterone concentrations indicative of luteal function, with a mean luteal phase progesterone concentration of 13.6 ± 3.3 (S.E.) nmol.l−1 and a mean follicular phase concentration of < 3.2 nmol.l−1. Mean duration of the oestrous cycle estimated from plasma progesterone profiles and behavioural data 22.7 ± 1.1 (S.E.; n= 7) days, range 17‐25 days. When estimated from behavioural data alone, mean duration of the oestrous cycle was 22.3 ± 0.3 (S.E.; n= 3) days, range 22‐23 days. Mean length of the luteal phase was 17.3 ± 0.6 (S.E.; n= 8) days, range 14‐19 days, and mean length of the follucular phase was 5.6 ± 0.5 (S.E.; n= 5) days, range 3‐7 days. Pulses in plasma LH concentration detected by Cluster analysis ranged from 0.34‐1.55ng.ml−1 in animals ≷ 2 years old (n= 3), and from 0.17‐0.29ng.ml−1 in animals < 2 years old (n= 2), the difference in mean pulse height being significant (P < 0.01). No difference in mean plasma LH concentration was detected due to stage of cycle. Elevations in plasma oestradiol‐17β concentration were observed at or preceding oestrus in three animals and during the mid‐luteal phase in three animals.

A significant decrease in haematocrit with time was recorded for blood samples from the third serial bleed. This was greater (P > 0.01) in animals > 2 years of age (n= 3), suggesting that these older animals adapted better to the stress of repeated sampling. Plasma cortisol concentrations also declined throughout the serial bleed but there was no difference in this decline between the two age groups.

Results of this study define the duration of the oestrous cycle in scimitar‐horned oryx and show that its hormonal components are similar to the well‐characterized patterns of other species, especially cattle.
Water balance and the energetics of lactation in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) as studied by isotopically labelled water methods
Authors: Reilly J. J. , Fedak M. A. , Thomas D. H. , Coward W. A. A. , Anderson S. S.
Published: May 2009

The energetics of lactation in grey seal females and their pups was investigated using labelled water methods. Average total energy output (maternal maintenance energy expenditure plus milk energy output), from the estimated change in total body gross energy, of 15 females was 99.8 MJ/d (S.E. 2.5), which was nearly 30% lower than previously published estimates. In seven females, energy output was partitioned into milk energy output plus maternal maintenance energy expenditure. Average investment in milk was 69.7MJ/d (S.E. 5‐0), and lactation costs accounted for 70% of total maternal energy output. Average daily maternal maintenance energy expenditure (heat output) of the same seven females was 30.0MJ/d (S.E. 5.0), which was equivalent to 2.3 times the basal metabolic rate predicted from Kleiber's (1975) allometric equation. In seven pups, milk consumption rates were measured isotopically and these averaged 3.0kg/d (S.E. 0.2). In four pups energy expenditure, measured using doubly‐labelled water, averaged 13.5MJ/d (S.E. 1.2), equivalent to 3.7 times the basal metabolic rate predicted from Kleiber's (1975) equation. All females were in negative water balance during lactation which was associated with loss of tissue during fasting. Mean water efflux was 3966ml/d (S.E. 286) and mean water influx was 2677ml/d (S.E. 245), but there was no evidence that females are dehydrated during lactation.
Analysis of the nest environment of tuatara Sphenodon punctatus
Authors: Thompson M. B. , Packard G. C. , Packard M. J. , Rose B.
Published: May 2009

Water potential and temperature were monitored in 20 natural nests of tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, through 12 months of incubation on Stephens Island, New Zealand. Tuatara nest in rookeries in open pasture, in sites that often are more than 100m from residential burrows located beneath the closed canopy of native bush. Nest tunnels are approximately 197 mm long, 73mm wide, and 45mm high, and have a slightly expanded chamber at the end. Eggs are generally deposited in 1‐3 layers in the terminal chamber. The top eggs are 30‐155mm below the soil surface, and an air space of as much as 20 mm may exist between the uppermost egg and the top of the chamber. Each nest receives an average of 8.6 eggs that imbibe water and swell during incubation. Only 48% of eggs have hatched or are still alive 12 months after oviposition. Survival by embryos is higher in moist nests than in dry ones. Variation in temperature in nests has only a small influence on survival, and this influence may be mediated indirectly by effects of temperature on the water exchanges experienced by incubating eggs. Water potentials in the soil of closed canopy forest on Stephens Island are high enough to support embryogenesis, but temperatures are too low. Thus, females leave the forest to nest in areas where soil temperatures are suitable for incubation.
Variation in the train morphology of peacocks (Pavo cristatus)
Authors: Petrie M. , Cotgreave P. , Stewart I.
Published: May 2009

A sample of full‐trained adult male peacocks was collected and measured to determine whether or not there were any morphological correlates of train elaboration. Peacocks with longer or heavier trains are those with relatively large fat reserves for their overall body mass. The proportion of feathers in the train which have eyespots is also greater in peacocks with a relatively large muscle. These relationships indicate that train elaboration may be condition‐dependent. Females that prefer males with larger trains may therefore gain good condition males, which may reflect overall genetic quality. There is also a significant tendency for larger‐trained peacocks to have high louse loads, after controlling for body mass. It may be that larger‐trained males are older, and have accrued more lice than younger ones. Alternatively, long‐trained males may have acquired more lice through direct contact with more females than shorter‐trained birds.
Effects of weather and season on the summer activity of dormice Muscardinus avellanarius
Authors: Bright P. W. , Morris P. A. , Wiles N. J.
Published: May 2009

Activity schedules of dormice were investigated in relation to weather and seasonal factors, by automatic monitoring of temperatures in nests of free‐living animals. Data were obtained for two years and 294 dormouse‐nights. The principal exogenous factor influencing pan‐seasonal activity was photoperiod, activity beginning about 30 min after sunset and ending about 50 min before sunrise. However, on a seasonal scale, activity start time, end time and length were all strongly affected by ambient temperature and rainfall; higher temperatures appeared to lengthen activity, whereas rainfall reduced it. Diurnal activity was rare and took place when ambient air temperatures at midnight fell below 9°C. There were large differences in activity shedules between years, which were also correlated with weather conditions. Dormice are directly affected by weather, which also strongly influences the availability of their food. Weather may in general heavily influence small hibernators, because they can utilise facultative torpor to overcome adverse conditions. Our results imply that weather may have a profound effect on dormouse life history, especially in Britain's maritime climate where summers are frequently cool and wet.
Local patterns of distribution and resource utilization of four bat species (Myotis brandti, Eptesicus nilssoni, Plecotus auritusandPipistrellus pipistrellus) in patchy and continuous environments
Authors: Ekman M. , de Jong J.
Published: May 2009

The local patterns of distribution and resource utilization of four bat species (Myotis brandti, Eptesicus nilssoni, Plecotus auritusandPipistrellus pipistrellus) were examined in patchy and continuous environments, using bat detectors. The effects of two different kinds of open matrix habitats (crop‐fields and water) on species occurrence were compared in the patchy areas. A crop‐field matrix seemed to have a greater negative influence on species occurrence than a water matrix. Presence and absence of species in the patchy areas were analysed against island area, area of some habitats, and isolation. All species were positively affected by one or more forest habitat parameters. Two species (M. brandtiandP. auritus) were negatively affected by isolation, which suggests that they may be particularly vulnerable to increased forest patchiness. These species occurred mainly on large islands. Two hypotheses that might explain the habit of open area avoidance inM. brandtiandP. aurituswere tested: 1. Insect abundance hypothesis; 2. Foraging behaviour hypothesis. Both failed to explain why these two species avoid open habitats and as a consequence are negatively affected by isolation.
Ultrastructural study of the myocardium of the sinus venosus and sinoatrial valve in the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)
Authors: Ramos C. , Mungoz‐Chaapuli R. , Navarro P.
Published: May 2009

The myocardium of the sinus venosus of the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) is located between a thick subepicardial collagen‐rich layer and a subendocardial network of nerve fibres and ganglion cells. The sinoatrial valve consists of two transversal folds of the cardiac wall which are separated by connective tissue, except in their free margins.

The myocardium of the sinus venosus and the sinusal face of the sinoatrial valve is arranged in bundles which are surrounded by a 40 nm‐thick basal lamina. The myocardial cells measure about 7‐9 μm in diameter at the nuclear level. Nerve terminals are frequent in the centre of the bundles. Most of the sinusal myocardiocytes have a scarce amount of myofibrils which are randomly orientated. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is relatively well developed and consists of peripheral couplings, subsarcolemmal vesicles, circular and longitudinal tubules. The scarce intercalated discs show only fasciae adhaerentes. Gap junctions, desmosomes or specific granules are not observed in the sinusal myocardiocytes of the dogfish. In contrast, the atrial myocardiocytes are smaller, about 5‐6 μm in diameter at the nuclear level. The cytoplasm is denser and the myofibrils are abundant and orientated in parallel directions. Specific granules are present. although scarce. Subsarcolemmal vesicles are less frequent, while the atrial intercalated discs are larger and more abundant than those of the sinus venosus. Neural elements are scarce in the atrium.

The differences observed between sinus venosus and atrium might be related to the morphological criteria to distinguish between the nodal tissue and the working myocardiocytes of higher vertebrates. On the other hand, we think that the connective tissue placed between sinus venom and atrium means that the contraction impulse generated in the sinus venosus must reach the atrium through the free margin of the valve. It might play a role in the sinoatrial valve function.
Foraging behaviour and habitat use of the serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) in southern England
Authors: Catto C. M. C. , Hutson A. M. , Raccey P. A. , Stephenson P. J.
Published: May 2009

Radio‐tracking was useed to dertermine the foraging behaviour and habitat use of the serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus, at two roosts in southren England. The basts communted an average of 6.5 km to and from distinct foraging sites and used up ot five sites per night. Serotine foraged in a wide range of habitats and were able to locate and exploit temporary feeding site such as recently mown grass. They foraged regulary arround white streelamps and in alte summer over cattle pasture on which fresh dung was present. Reproductively active females were strongly philopatric to their day‐roost. In contrast, reproductively inactive females, from the same roosts. moved to new day‐roosts up to 10 km from the site of capture. Serotines used thre distinct foraging strategies, short filight, ground feeding, and, predominantly, aerial hawking. Foraging bouts were interpresed with resting phases, with individuals roosting alone on walls of houses or in trees close to foraging sites. It is concluded that serotines are well adapted to an anthropogenic envioronment. They are strongly philopartric to roosts in human habitations, in close proximity to a range of feeding sites wehre they can take advantage of favourarble land amangement practices.
Phylogenetic systematics of the day geckos, genus, Rhoptropus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae), of south‐western Africa
Authors: Bauer A. M. , Good D. A.
Published: May 2009

The genus Rhoptropus consists of six species of diurnal, chiefly rupicolous, geckos that are endemic to the arid and semi‐arid zones of Namibia and southern Angola. Sixteen skeletal and scalation characters and six allozyme characters analysed cladistically yield a single most parsimonious pattern of relationships: ((R. afer, R. bradfieldi) (R. taeniostictus (R. boultoni (R. barnardi, R. biporosus)))). Support for the placement of R. taeniostictus is tenuous because of missing allozyme data, but the remainder of the topology, especially the basal dichotomy, is well supported. Morphological and allozyme data are congruent and a phenetic analysis of genetic distances among the taxa is consistent with the phylogeny. The diversification of the genus probably took place in the Mid‐ to Late Tertiary and both basal and distal cladogenic events may be related to the evolution of the Namib Desert and movement of the Namib sands. Rates of evolution among the lineages of Rhoptropus appear to be unequal and R. afer, a species largely restricted to horizontal sheet rock habitats, has accumulated a large number of autapomorphic traits.
Size and scaling of sexually‐selected traits in the lizard,Uta palmeri
Authors: Hews. D.K.
Published: May 2009

Differences between the sexes in overall body size and in the size of other morphological traits, relative to overall body size, are common in many animals. In this study, patterns of growth and scaling of sexually dimorphic tratis are assessedin a lilzard and then used to sugest general developmental mechanisms responsible for sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Adult makeUta palmerilizards are larger than adult females inoverall body size (snout‐vent length, SVL), body mass, jaw length head width, and head depth. Two general growth processes produce this adult SSD. First, juvenile males have greater annual SVL growth rates than do juvenile females, contributing to adult SSD because males will be larger than females in any trait positively correlated with SVL. Secondly, males and females differ in age‐related changes in growth of the three head size traits, relative to growth in SVL. Comparing slopes from reduced major axis regressions of each trait on SVL reveals that the sexes do not differ in the scaling of these traits as juveniles, but as adults males have greater slopes than adult females, indicating ontogenetic differences in scaling of these traits in males. Two other topics in SSD are addressed with these data. First, comparing these data on scaling to those of an earlier analysis that used ordinary least squares regression reveals that conclusions about underlying mechanisms in an analysis of scaling can be altered by the choice of a regression model. Secondly, these data indicate that postmaturational differences in scaling contribute to adult sexual size differences, contrary to an earlier study. Shine (1990) found that for many ectotherms, which continue to grow after sexual maturation, post‐maturational events contribute little to sexual differences in overall body size. Results forU. palmerisuggest that these findings may only hold for measures of overall body size (e.g. SVL) and may not generalize to traits that exhibit sex difference in scaling.
The effect of supplementary food upon the activity patterns of wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus, living on a system of maritime sand‐dunes
Authors: Akbar Zubaid , Gorman Martyn L.
Published: May 2009

The wood mouse is primarily a woodland species but it also occurs on maritime sand‐dunes. The mice living on the sand‐dunes leave their nests earlier in the evening and spend more time out of the nest than those animals living in woodlands. Here we test the hypothesis that this difference is because woodland provides substantially more food than do sand‐dunes. Our experimental approach was to provide supplementary food in the form of wheatgrain to a sand‐dune population and compare activity patterns with a control population. The mice on the supplemented area were strictly nocturnal and spent less time above ground than the controls. Their activity pattern was essentially the same as that of wood mice living in deciduous woodland.
Folivory and seasonal changes in diet in Rana hexadactyla (Anura: Ranidae)
Authors: Das I.
Published: May 2009

The autecology of Rana hexadactyla (Lesson) was studied at a seasonal locality in south India. The herbivorous larva transforms into an insectivorous frog, and a second dietary switch from insectivory to folivory occurs in adults, with plants constituting 79.5% of the diet, by volume. A variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates is consumed, especially by the adult females before the reproductive season. Larger frogs take larger animal prey and more prey types. Monthly figures of prey diversity generally show high values during the wet months.

In Rana hexadactyla, the utilization of permanent waterbodies may help buffer the impact of the long dry seasons and, together with a supply of abundant food in the form of aquatic macrophytes, is thought to be linked to the capacity of the species to spawn three times a year.
Breeding success and survival in the common swift Apus apus: a long‐term study on the effects of weather
Authors: Thomson D. L. , Douglas‐Hhome H. , Furness R. W. , Monaghan P.
Published: May 2009

In an analysis of data collected between 1954 and 1993, the breeding success of swifts Apus apus was found to have been positively related to temperatures in June, especially in recent years. Adult survival until the next breeding season, by contrast, was found to have been more vulnerable to low temperatures in July, at the end of the breeding season. In addition to the effects of changes in June and July temperatures, both breeding success and survival have shown further long‐term trends, increasing and then decreasing through the study period. A simulation integrating all these effects suggests that lifetime reproductive success (LRS) in influenced more by changes in lifespan than annual breeding success, and so fluctutations in July temperatures, but not June temperatures, would have important effects.
Cranial differentiation and evolution in Thrichomys apereoides (Rodentia: Echinyidae)
Authors: Bandouk A. C. , Dos Reis S. F. , Bordin B.
Published: May 2009

Thrichomys apereoides is an echimyid rodent which ranges in distribution from north‐eastern and central Brazil into Paraguay, and currently five subspecies are recognized. Recent morphometric analyses of population samples formally assignable to T. a. laurentius and T. a. inermis, which occur in north‐eastern Brazil, have shown that a major group of populations including both subspecies differ in cranial shape from a single population allocated to T. a. laurentius. In this study we employed mathematical models of evolutionary quantitative genetics to assess the role that random drift and selection may have played in the evolution of cranial shape differences in T. apereoides. The hypothesis of evolution due to drift was rejected and the selective forces necessary to account for shape differences were estimated. Minimum selective mortalities of the order of 10‐3 of per generation were sufficient to explain the observed morphologic differentiation.
Testicular function and Scrotal coloration in patas monkeys
Authors: Bercovitch Fred B.
Published: May 2009

Patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) have aquamarine‐coloured scrota, but data are unavailable regarding the potential connection between changes in scrotal coloration and testicular function. In the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), seasonality of mating is accompanied by an intensification of red colour of the scrotum and a doubling of testicle size. A one‐year study of male patas monkeys was undertaken in order to examine potential seasonal correlates of testicular function and scrotal colour. Increases in testosterone concentrations and testicular volume occurred during the mating season in adult males, but scrotal colour was fairly uniform throughout the year. Neither age, body weight, nor health influenced scrotal colour. These findings contradict the suggestion that the sex skin of seasonally breeding primates will become more intense during the mating season as a result of elevations in steroid hormone levels. Evidence from field studies in Africa suggest that the colour is part of a constellation of traits involved in male competition for mates.
Communication by substratum vibration in the New Zealand tree weta, Hemideina femorata (Stenopelmatidae: Orthoptera)
Authors: McVean A. , Field L. H.
Published: May 2009

The propagation of vibrations along the trunk and branches of a manuka tree, generated in response to the impact of a steel ball‐bearing on the trunk, was measured with an accelerometer. The impact generated bending waves which travelled along the trunk and into the branches. Close to the point of impact the waveform was dominated by a damped oscillation at 518 Hz; as the bending wave progressed away from the point of impact the frequency of the dominant waveform increased. Beyond 200 cm the waveform became increasingly complex and a smallamplitude, high‐frequency component progressively preceded the main wave. Branching points also induced complex waveforms, particularly where branches lay at a large angle to the trunk. Stridulating wetas also generated bending waves in the tree at a frequency close to that generated by the ball‐bearing, as well as at a higher frequency of 7.5 kHz. The acoustic frequency of stridulation peaked at 0.8 and 3.4 kHz. Records from nerves serving the vibration‐sensitive subgenual organs showed that wetas can detect oscillations at 1 kHz at 0.015ms‐2. A stridulating weta placed on the same log as a preparation in which the nerve from the subgenual organ was monitored generated oscillatins well above the threshold for detection.
The northern bottlenose whale in the Faroe Islands, 1584‐1993
Authors: Bloch D. , Desportes G. , Zachariassen M. , Christensen I.
Published: May 2009

The northern bottlenose whale has been caught in the Faroe Islands for centuries, with written catch records going back to 1584 and unbroken from 1709. A total of 811 whales has been reported in the period 1584‐1993. The Faroese bottlenose whaling is an opportunistic drive fishery of pods sighted very close to shore. Natural strandings also occur. Most of the fishery has taken place in two close southern villages of the Faroese archipelago (72% of the catch). The high season is 20 August‐20 September. The pod contains 1‐7 whales with an average of 2.1 whales. Most of them are immature males or mature females with juveniles, but as many males as females have been caught overall. Females and males at every stage of development have been caught in the Faroes, although it appears that the bottlenose whales approaching the Faroese coast and then driven ashore have not included as large and as small individuals as those shot offshore. A body weight (W in kg) and length (L in cm) relationship has been calculated for both sexes combined: W = 0.0000131 x L3.07. Females and immature males have a grey and bulbous forehead. As the males mature their forehead becomes flatter and lighter, and only large mature males have a white and flat forehead. The stomach contents of nine whales contained in total at least 13 squid species. A comparison with pilot whaling shows that bottlenose whales arrive 2‐4 weeks later than the pilot whales and that the geographical distribution of the catch is very different for both species, suggesting a different pattern of migration through the archipelago.
Female reproductive success in captive Ammotragus lervia (Bovidae, Artiodactyla). Study of its components and effects of hierarchy and inbreeding
Authors: Cassinello J. , Alados C. L.
Published: May 2009

Four components of female reproductive success in captive Saharan arrui (Barbary sheep), Ammotragus lervia sahariensis (Rothschild, 1913), have been analysed: longevity, fecundity, offspring one‐month survival rate and the age at first birth. Longevity accounts for 69.9% of the variance of reproductive success, fecundity for 54.2%, offspring one‐month survival rate for 29.8%, and the age at first birth for 10.4%. A detailed study of these components leads to the following conclusions: (a) longevity is higher in those individuals in better physical condition; (b) fecundity is related to age and social rank; (c) heavier offspring at birth have a higher probability of surviving during their first month of life; and (d) the age at first birth is delayed by high levels of population density, inbreeding coefficients, and birth weights. On the other hand, highranking females are characterized by shorter inter‐birth intervals and give birth to a higher proportion of twins.
Histochemical and quantitative study of the cloacal glands of Triturus marmoratus marmoratus (Amphibia: Salamandridae)
Authors: Romo E. , De Miguel M. P. , Arenas M. I. , Frago L. , Fraile B. , Paniagua R.
Published: May 2009

The cloacal glands of the male marbled newt Triturus marmoratus marmoratus were studied during winter and summer by histochemical and quantitative histologic methods. Four types of glands were distinguished: pelvic, dorsal, ventral, and Kingsbury's glands. The pelvic and dorsal glands have an eosinophilic epithelium and secrete neutral mucins. The ventral and Kingsbury's glands have a basophilic epithelium and secrete acid mucins. The lectin‐histochemical characterization of the carbohydrates secreted by the four gland types revealed that the secretion of both the pelvic and Kingsbury's glands contain β‐GalNAc in the peripheral region of the oligosaccharide, and that the dorsal glands secrete a glycoprotein with α‐GalNAc. The ventral gland sections did not react to any of the lectins used here. The quantitative study revealed that the cloaca undergoes seasonal variations in volume, being significantly larger in winter than in summer. The total volume occupied by both the pelvic and ventral glands, as well as their tubular diameter, are also significantly greater in winter, while these parameters do not vary in dorsal and Kingsbury's glands. No seasonal differences were observed in the height of the epithelium in any gland
An endocrine–based model for developmental and morphogenetic diversification in metamorphic and paedomorphic urodeles
Authors: Rose Christopher S.
Published: May 2009

Mechanistic interpretations of the diversity in urodele cranial ontogenies have focused largely on the primary distinctions of metamorphic versus paedomorphic forms and obligate versus facultative expressions of the latter. These distinctions, however, do not address the underlying spectrum of developmental and morphogenetic patterns in thyroid hormone (TH)‐mediated tissues. This study integrates empirical and comparative observations on TH–mediated remodelling to formulate a new endocrine–based model to explain cranial diversification within and between metamorphic and paedomorphic urodeles. The dose–dependent remodelling induced by TH in a metamorphic urodele, the hemidactyliine plethodontid Eurycea bislineata, is compared against ontogenetic and phylogenetic variation in the same remodelling across Urodela. Immersion of Eurycea larvae in a T4 concentration within the range of plasma T4 levels found in natural Eurycea metamorphs results in rapid, synchronous, and complete metamorphic tissue responses as in natural plethodontid development. In contrast, lower doses produce gradual, incomplete remodelling patterns that bear greater resemblance to nonplethodontid development. A large proportion of remodelling events shows a strong correspondence between their sensitivity to TH in Eurycea and both their range of occurrence and developmental sequence in nonplethodontids. Also, the morphogenesis exhibited by certain tissues at low TH, although aberrant for plethodontids, is similar to natural development in nonplethodontids. These findings suggest that the widespread dissociation evinced by urodele cranial ontogenies may owe more to variable thyroid activity than previously realized. In particular, the abruptly metamorphic ontogeny of plethodontids and the varying degrees of metamorphic remodelling exhibited by facultative and obligate paedomorphs would seem to be explained more parsimoniously by specific changes in the profile of TH activity than by independent changes in individual tissue sensitivities. The corollary, that tissue sensitivity is largely conserved in urodeles, raises important implications for understanding character evolution, homology, and dissociation in metamorphic systems.
The early life of Octopus vulgaris (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) in the plankton and at settlement: a change in lifestyle
Authors: Nixon Marion , Mangold Katharina
Published: May 2009

Newly hatched young of the benthic, coastal‐living octopod, Octopus vulgaris, enter the plankton and remain there for perhaps eight weeks. At hatching the arms are short and bear a few, large, primary suckers. The buccal mass is relatively large in proportion to the size of the animal. The eyes are large. The central nervous system has fairly well‐defined lobes, some of which develop earlier than others. We shall follow the development of several features of O. vulgaris from hatching, through its life in the plankton until settlement and correlate them with changes in the brain and behaviour.
Temporal and spatial patterns of rest‐site use by four female otters Lutra lutra along the south‐west coast of Portugal
Authors: Beja Pedro Rui
Published: May 2009

Data from four radio‐tracked female otters (Lutra lutra) were used to describe the temporal and spatial patterns of resting‐sites by the species along the south‐west coast of Portugal. Two female otters were tracked during 24‐h periods, showing a continuous resting period in daylight, whereas during the night there were several hunting bouts in the sea interspersed with periods ashore. These otters spent most of the time each day in daytime rest‐sites (72.1%), and devoted only a small time to hunting (18.3%) and other activities (9.6%). The onset of fishing activity was monitored for three animals, starting on average 45.4min after sunset; this was largely independent of the degree of human disturbance close to the rest‐sites. Most rest‐sites were located within dense thickets ofRubussp. along coastal and estuarine streams, and sometimes they were near areas disturbed by human activities. Three otters were captured along the coast and they were found in eight daytime rest‐sites on 116 occasions, each otter using regularly a small number of sites (2.7); the mean re‐use rate of sites was high (9.5 days per site), and the sites were spread over 4.2‐15.0km of coast, with 0.20‐0.71 sites/km. One otter was captured in an estuarine stream, where she was found on 70 occasions in 13 daytime rest‐sites spread over 6.0 km of streams; the density of rest‐sites was 2.2 sites/km and the re‐use rate was 5.4 days/site. The results of this study suggest that rest‐sites are scarce for marine‐feeding otters in south‐west Portugal. This is probably because rest‐sites used by these otters have an obligatory association with freshwater sources, and these are infrequent and scattered along this coast. Conservation implications of this study are discussed.
Egg variability and hatching success in the Cape petrel Daption capense at Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica
Authors: Weidinger Karel
Published: May 2009

Eggs of the Cape petrel Daption capense at Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, exhibited high variability in volume between females (up to 48%), while for each individual female, both volume and shape of eggs were highly correlated over two seasons. Both female size and body‐condition at laying were unrelated to egg‐volume in the ‘good’season 1991, but larger females produced larger eggs in the ‘bad’season 1990, when eggs were smaller on average. In 1991, females in better body‐condition, but not larger, started laying earlier. In spite of synchronized laying (75% of eggs laid within five days), egg‐volume decreased with laying date. Egg‐volume differed significantly between the two years, which could not be explained by changes in the breeding population or timing of breeding. The laying of relatively small eggs and low overall breeding success in 1990 most probably reflected changes in food availability. Overall hatchability was 88% and did not differ significantly between disturbed and control colonies in 1991. Larger and more rounded eggs showed better hatching success, but hatchability was related more to egg‐volume whereas hatching rate was related more to egg‐shape. As the majority of egg losses were attributable to predation, the hatching rate was influenced by parental performance relatively more than by hatchability. Hence the relationship between hatching rate and egg‐shape probably reflects improvement in hatching success with female age/experience, whereas the relationship between egg‐size and hatchability suggests effect of egg‐size independently of parental traits.
Predation on Orthoptera and other orders in insects by tamarin monkeys,Saguinus mystax mystaxandSaguinus fuscicollis nigrifrons(Primates: Callitrichidae), in north‐eastern Peru
Authors: Nickle D. A. , Heymann E. W.
Published: May 2009

Kaytydids and related insects are an important component in the diets of moustached (Saguinus mystax mystax) and saddle‐back tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis nigrifrons). Based on preliminary data of captured prey, trends suggest that partitioning occurs regarding orthopterans as a limited food resource. Of species caputre as prey, only three were shared by both tamarin species. Saddle‐back tamarins appeared to specialize more on understorey species (0‐4 m), concentrating on pseudophylline katydids. Moustached tamarins incorporated a greater percentage of phaneropterine katydids from the lower to middle canopy into their diet of insects. Although most prey species were exposed to view during the diurnal feeding period of the tamarins, only the saddle‐back tamarin fed on katydids that spend the day concealed from view within dead curled leaves. Differentiation of the prey spectrum may represent a critical pattern of niche differentiation in these two sympatric tamarin species, which show a high overlap in their plant food resources.
A comparative scanning electron microscopic study of the cyst wall in 11 Sarcocystis species of mammals
Authors: Srolte Manuela , Bockhardt Ingrid , Odening K.
Published: May 2009

Sarcocysts found in the musculature of necropsied mammals were dried with hexamethyldisilazane and examined by scaning electron microscopy. The object of research in this morphological study was the outer surface configuration of the cyst wall. A smooth cyst wall without villar protrusions (Sarcocystic cf. sebeki European badger, Meles meles) was compared with 10 others each with its distinctly characterized villar protrusinos. In scanning electron microscopy these resembled stumpy nails with angular heads (Sarcocystis sp./serow, Capricornis crispus), tongues (S. sp./sambar, Cervus unicolor), ears (S. sp./ wapiti, Crevus elaphus canadensis), elongated cones or clubs (S. sp./domestic horse, Equus caballus), hairs (S. sp./Mongolian gazelle, Procapra gutturosa), and molar teeth (another S. sp./Mongolian gazelle). This study revealed that what appeared in light microscopy to be finger‐like protrusions of Sarcocystis hofamanni in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), of Sarcocystis hominis in bison (Bison bison), of Sarcocystis hirsuta in cattle (Bos taurus), and of Sarcocystis tenella in sheep (Ovis aries) were more similar to columns (S. hofmanni), straps (S. hominis), stalked polyhedrons (S. hirsuta), or cylinders (S. tenella).