Title: MATE CHOICE IN BRANDT′S VOLES ( MICROTUS BRANDTI)
Abstract: The mate choice of Brandt′s voles Microtus brandti was investigated in the laboratory to study the mating system of this species. It was found that the female voles spent significantly more time visiting the partners than the strange males, but the male voles did not show any preference of the partners to the strange females. A female vole showed no difference in the copulatory behavior between an unfamiliar male and a familiar male which had copulated with her for 15 minutes, but she visited and fought the unfamiliar male significantly more than the familiar male. A male vole significantly preferred visiting and mating with an unfamiliar oestrous female to a familiar female which had copulated with him for 15 minutes. A female vole showed no difference in any behavior between an unfamiliar and unmated male and an unfamiliar male which had just mated with a no experimentative oestrous female vole. A male vole visited and mated with the unmated females significantly more than the females mated before the experiment. Based on these data, we suggested that the principal mating system of Brandt′s voles might be promiscuous and/or polygyny.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 5
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