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Endocrine correlates of male mating strategies in the European badger
Journal
Journal of Zoology
Volume 241 Issue 2,Pages291-300 Published Online: 14Jul2009
Authors
Rosie Woodroffe 1 , D. W. Macdonald 2 and C. L.
Cheeseman 3 1 Department of Zoology, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ
2 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, South
Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS 3 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries &
Food, Worplesdon Laboratory, Guildford, Surrey GU3 3LQ
Abstract
In mammals, testosterone secretion is known to respond
rapidly to changes in males' immediate social environment. However, such
changes do not take testosterone levels below the baseline required to
maintain spermatogenesis, and so do not usually affect males' fertility.
In this paper, we show that individual males' patterns of testicular
activity reflect their social roles in a group-living carnivore, the
European badger (Melcs metes), leading to individual and population
differences in the seasonal patterns of both testosterone secretion and,
apparently, spermatogenesis. In one badger population, some males left
their natal groups to become breeding males in neighbouring territories.
These males had higher plasma testosterone levels, and appeared to sustain
spermatogenesis for a longer period, than males which remained in their
natal territories. In contrast, in a second (higher density) population,
males rarely transferred away from their natal territories, and appeared
not to defend access to groups of females. Instead, males made forays to
mate with females in neighbouring territories. In this population males
had a shorter period of testicular activity, and there were no differences
in testicular activity between immigrant and natal males.
Keywords
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