J 2022

One or two pups-optimal reproduction strategies of common noctule females

ZUKALOVA, Katerina; Veronika SEIDLOVA; Vladimir PIACEK; Monika NEMCOVA; Michal PRIBYL et. al.

Základní údaje

Originální název

One or two pups-optimal reproduction strategies of common noctule females

Autoři

ZUKALOVA, Katerina (garant); Veronika SEIDLOVA; Vladimir PIACEK; Monika NEMCOVA; Michal PRIBYL; Jiri PIKULA a Jan ZUKAL (203 Česká republika, domácí)

Vydání

BMC Zoology, London, BioMed Central, 2022, 2056-3132

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

10613 Zoology

Stát vydavatele

Velká Británie a Severní Irsko

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 1.600

Kód RIV

RIV/00216224:14310/22:00127748

Organizační jednotka

Přírodovědecká fakulta

UT WoS

000777394700001

EID Scopus

2-s2.0-85127534592

Klíčová slova anglicky

Gestation; Progesterone; Body weight; Embryo resorption; Chiroptera

Štítky

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno
Změněno: 11. 1. 2023 11:44, Mgr. Marie Novosadová Šípková, DiS.

Anotace

V originále

Background The success of animal reproduction is impacted by a trade-off between energetic costs and mortality associated with immediate vs. future reproductive attempts. The reproductive strategies of European insectivorous bats differ from common mammalian standards due to the use of delayed fertilisation. Phenology of bat reproduction, including length of pregnancy, which may vary in the same species at different latitudes, between years at the same site or between individuals within a colony, is influenced by ecological conditions. To assess factors influencing the course of pregnancy, we evaluated levels of blood progesterone in 20 female common noctule bats Nyctalus noctula. The bats were individually tagged and randomly divided into two groups with different hibernation ending points (i.e. a control group vs. a treatment group with one-week longer hibernation). Following emergence from hibernation, the bats were kept in a wooden box at a stable temperature of 22 degrees C. Results The majority of females gave birth to a single neonate (65%), but one female aborted her pups 2 days before the first successful births of other females. Based on development of progesterone concentration, we were able to define a number of different reproduction strategies, i.e. females with single offspring or twins, and females with supposed resorption of one embryo (embryonic mortality after implantation of the developing fertilised egg). Progesterone levels were much higher in females with two embryos during the first part of gestation and after birth. Progesterone levels were at their highest mid-gestation, with no difference between females carrying one or two foetuses. Length of gestation differed significantly between the two groups, with the longer hibernation (treatment) group having a roughly two-day shorter gestation period. Conclusions Female N. noctula are able to manipulate their litter size to balance immediate and future reproduction success. The estimated gestation length of approx. 49-days appears to be standard for N. noctula, with females optimising their thermoregulatory behaviour to keep the length of gestation as close to the standard as possible.