艾鼬气味对根田鼠社会行为和繁殖的影响  

EFFECTS OF STEPPE POLECAT(MUSTELA EVERSMANNI) ODOR ON SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND BREEDING OF ROOT VOLES(MICROTUS OECONOMUS)

作　　者：王振龙[1] 刘季科[2] 

机构地区：[1]曲阜师范大学生物学系,山东曲阜273165 [2]浙江大学生命科学学院,杭州310012

出　　处：《动物学报》2002年第1期20-26,共7页ACTA ZOOLOGICA SINICA

基　　金：国家自然科学基金资助项目 (No .3870 345 )~~

摘　　要：在实验室条件下 ,主要测定艾鼬 (Mustelaeversmanni)气味对根田鼠 (Microtusoeconomus)社会行为、繁殖特征及性激素水平作用的格局 ,并探讨艾鼬气味使根田鼠产生繁殖迟滞的机制。结果表明 ,艾鼬气味对根田鼠一般动作、探究、自我修饰及婚配行为的频次具有显著的抑制作用 (P <0 0 5 ) ,而对各种行为累积时间的作用则产生明显的性别差异。艾鼬气味可提高雄体及雌体一般动作及雌体亲密行为的累积时间 ;对雄体自我修饰行为 ,以及雌体攻击、探究及自我修饰行为的累积时间有显著的降低作用 (P <0 0 5 )。艾鼬气味能显著制约根田鼠对食物的摄入 (P <0 0 5 ) ,并使其体重显著 (P <0 0 1)降低。在艾鼬气味条件下 ,82 %的配对根田鼠产生显著的繁殖迟滞 ,其雄体附睾精子计数、雌体卵巢指数及胚胎重量极显著地减低 (P <0 0 1) ,相应地 ,雌体血清孕酮显著地提高 (P <0 0 1)。This study was aimed at determining how olfactory cues of mustelids affect the social behavior, foraging, reproduction and sexual hormones of root voles (Microtus oeconomus). We predicted that the presence of the odor from the main predator, the steppe polecat (Mustila eversmanni) would cause delayed breeding and changed mating behavior in root voles. We carried out the study from April to December 1997 using live-trapped voles and steppe polecats. We carrid out the experiment in two main arenas (size: 40 cm×40 cm×40 cm) for three days first and then in breeding cages for 15 days. The test subjects were 34 female-male pairs of voles, 17 experimental and 17 control. We examined the mating and foraging behavior (the frequency and amount of food eaten) in response to the diluted urine and feces filtration from the steppe polecat. During the study, we sprayed the sawdust in the experimental arenas with the predator odor daily. We sprayed the control arenas daily with distilled water. On the 18 th- day when the behavioral bioassay was completed, the voles were killed and weighted, and the reproductive stage of females, the weight of female ovaries, the number of embryos, the number of sperm, and the weight of the male testes and epididymis were measured. We found that the root voles delayed breeding and significantly lowered the frequency of copulation after being exposed to the predator odor. Comparing with the control, attacking behavior decreased whereas amicable interactions increased in both males and females. Females also significantly increased the level of general activity and frequency and time spent in investigation upon the presence of the steppe polecat odor. Also, the presence of the steppe polecat odor lowered the amount of food intake and body weight in the vole. The ovary index and litter weight decreased in females, whereas in males the sperm count in epididymis decreased significantly.

关 键 词：艾鼬 根田鼠 社会行为 繁殖迟滞 捕食风险 气味 

分 类 号：Q959.83[生物学—动物学]