In captivity, females of both species began reproduction in early
February. These captives had been kept for several months at a
temperature of 21 degrees Centigrade, and on a daily photoperiod of 15
hours. Some captive males had enlarged, scrotal testes in January; the
extended photoperiod and warm temperature probably influenced the
breeding condition. In both species testes of wild males caught in
autumn after late September and on through the winter were abdominal,
except for one male of _P. maniculatus_ which had enlarged, scrotal
testes on October 15.
Dates at which different animals arrived at breeding condition varied,
in part owing to subadults (young of the year) appearing in the catch
from early summer to late autumn. Some adult females appeared to be
pregnant or lactating throughout much of the summer and early autumn,
whereas other females, that were caught a number of times, apparently
reproduced only once in the summer.
Some females may fail to breed even though they are mature enough to do
so. One female of _P. truei_ captured eight times (August 30 to
September 20) was a juvenile when first caught, and was classed as young
(in postjuvenal molt) on September 10. She did not reproduce in her
first breeding season, unless she did so after September 20, which is
unlikely. Another female of _P. truei_ was an adult when first caught,
and was caught 12 times (August 21 to October 25). At no time were her
mammae enlarged and she was not lactating or pregnant. It is improbable
that she reproduced earlier in the season, for teats of mice that have
reproduced earlier usually are enlarged to such a degree that previous
parturition is clearly indicated. It was surprising to catch a female,
of any age, 12 times in two months without sign of reproductive
activity.
Only one female of _P. maniculatus_ did not show reproductive activity.
She was a juvenile on July 19 when first caught; a subadult on August 28
when caught the third time, and an adult on October 23 when caught the
fifth time.
Burt reported a rest period of a month or more in the summer, in
Michigan, during which many females of _P. leucopus_ did not reproduce.
They began to breed again in late summer at about the time when young of
the year began reproducing (Burt, 1940:17, 19). Abundant mast was
correlated with reproductivity in autumn, according to Jameson
(1953:54), who thought that "food is a basic determinant of the autumn
reproduction" of _P. leucopus_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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