A Population Study of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) in Northeastern Kansas — John Shaqi
A Population Study of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) in Northeastern KansasMartin, Edwin Perry
Science
A Population Study of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster) in Northeastern Kansas
Martin, Edwin Perry
Microtus
Of the multiple captures, 66 per cent involved both sexes. The
correlation coefficient between the percentage of captures involving
both sexes and the level of reproductive activity was 0.58. Among those
pairs of individuals caught together more than once, 61 per cent were
composed of both sexes. Among those pairs taken together three or more
times 76 per cent were male and female and among those pairs taken
together four or more times 80 per cent were male and female. When adult
voles stayed together any length of time their relationship usually
appeared to be connected with sex. Family groups were also noted, as
pairs were often trapped which seemed to be mother and offspring. A
lactating female would sometimes enter a trap even after it had been
sprung by a juvenile, presumably her offspring, or a juvenal vole would
enter a trap after its mother had been captured. Such family groups
persisted only until the young voles had been weaned.
The youngest female known to be gravid was 26 days old and weighed 28
grams. During summer most of the females were gravid before they were
six weeks old, although females born in October and after were often
more than 15 weeks old before they became gravid. The youngest male
known to be fecund was approximately six weeks old. Male fecundity was
determined as described by Jameson (1950). Difference in the age of
attainment of sexual maturity serves to reduce the mating of litter
mates (Hamilton, 1941:7) and has been noticed in various species of the
genus _Microtus_ by several authors (Bailey, 1924:529; Hatfield,
1935:264; Hamilton, _loc. cit._; Leslie and Ransom, 1940:32).
For 35 females, each of which was caught at least once each month for
ten consecutive months or longer, the mean number of litters per year
was 4.07. Certain of the more productive members of the group produced
11 litters in 16 months. _M. ochrogaster_ seems to be less prolific than
_M. pennsylvanicus_. Bailey (1924:528) reported that one female meadow
vole delivered 17 litters in 12 months. Hamilton (1941:14) considered 17
litters per year to be the maximum and stated that in years when the
vole population was low the females produced an average of five to six
litters per year. In "mouse years" the average rose to eight to ten
litters per year. During this study several females delivered two or
more litters in rapid succession. This was noted more frequently in
spring and early summer than in other parts of the year. Those females
which produced two or three litters in rapid succession in spring and
early summer often did not litter again until fall. Post-parous
copulation has been observed in _M. pennsylvanicus_ by Bailey (1924:528)
and Hamilton (1940:429; 1949:259) and probably occurs also in _M.
ochrogaster_.
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