Unsuitability of the Northern Bobwhite as a Model Species for the Assessment of Reproductive Behavior in Toxicological Studies

Abstract

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is used in numerous wildlife toxicity studies, however no published reports could be located that mention the measurement of reproductive behavior in this species. Changes in reproductive behavior can be potentially more sensitive to environmental contaminant exposures and less resilient than more traditional physiological responses. Male bobwhite copulatory behaviors were measured similarly to those that are well established for use in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Time to initiate mating, time to achieve a successful copulation, the number of mating attempts, and the number of successful copulations were recorded daily for four consecutive days over a period of 3 min for each male/female pair of birds per day. When females were introduced to male cages, males were more occupied with shows of aggression towards neighboring males than attempts to mate with the female sharing their space. Only one male successfully mated with a female over the entire 4 days of the test. Future attempts at assessing reproductive behavior in this species may be more successful if birds are separated from the rest of the group when paired. The Japanese quail seems to be a more appropriate species for overall reproductive tests due to: willingness of males to copulate in the presence of other males, consistent egg laying ability, and the short time required for embryonic development and reproductive maturity.