Reproductive activity of male edible dormice (<i>Glis glis</i> L., 1766) in the peripheral population

Abstract

The edible dormouse is a dendrobiont hibernating rodent breeding once a year. A peculiarity of the species biology is regular reproduction failure in non-mast years. In the center of the area it occurs due to the lack of male reproductive activity. In the studied population on the eastern periphery of the dormouse area previous studies proved the decisive role of mass resorption of embryos at females in the process. The dynamics of males reproductive activity and its impact on the reproduction were not considered previously in detail. In this work the periodicity and intensity of reproductive activity of males, depending on the age and phase of population cycle, was studied. Reproductive activity of the overwhelming majority of males was annually observed, the proportion of individuals not involved in reproduction did not exceed 6,7%. The age differences in the timing of beginning of the reproduction were revealed: yearlings came the first in the activity state and after them two-year and three-year and older individuals became active. The minimal duration of the mating period was observed in yearling males, the maximal in two-year, which were also characterized by the longest individual periods of reproductive activity. As a result of sharp fluctuations in the population age structure two-year males are the most important group in reproduction, but the three-year and older individuals in mast years are also able to ensure the reproduction of the population. The characteristic feature of reproduction was noted at yearling males: they began reproduction depending on body weight. Fluctuations in the male reproductive activity during the active period do not play a significant role in the regulation of reproduction. Shorter duration of reproductive activity of yearling animals in the years of reproduction failure is compensated by the later beginning of reproduction of three-year and older individuals. Nonsynchronous participation in breeding of males of different age groups provides the involvement in reproduction of maximal number of animals.