Nonparental infanticide in meadow voles, <i>Microtus pennsylvanicus</i>

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dc.contributor.authorEbensperger, LA
dc.contributor.authorBotto-Mahan, C
dc.contributor.authorTamarin, RH
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T01:31:19Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T01:31:19Z
dc.date.issued2000
dc.description.abstractThe infanticidal behaviour of wild-caught male and female Microtus pennsylvanicus was studied in captivity to examine the hypothesis that nonparental infanticide provides perpetrators with nutritional gains after cannibalizing their victims. Voles of different breeding condition, age, and sex were tested for their behaviour toward unfamiliar vole and house-mouse pups in a neutral arena. Infanticide on unfamiliar vole pups was relatively frequent among pregnant, less frequent among reproductively active (nonpregnant-nonlactating) and immature females, and almost absent in lactating females. Most infanticidal females, particularly non-breeding and immature females, did not cannibalize the pups. Pregnant females often attacked and cannibalized vole and house-mouse pups. A majority of breeding male voles were infanticidal when exposed to an unfamiliar pup in an unfamiliar place, and at least half of them cannibalized their victims. Taken together, these results suggest that nutritional gains are an occasional but not the main motivation of pup-killing behaviour in female meadow voles. In contrast, the attainment of nutritional benefits could be one main benefit of infanticide by male meadow voles.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.issn0394-9370
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/97038
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000087893600004
dc.issue.numero2
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final160
dc.pagina.inicio149
dc.revistaEthology ecology & evolution
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectinfanticide
dc.subjectcannibalism
dc.subjectMicrotus pennsylvanicus
dc.subject.ods13 Climate Action
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.odspa13 Acción por el clima
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.titleNonparental infanticide in meadow voles, <i>Microtus pennsylvanicus</i>
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen12
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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