Nonparental infanticide in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus: the influence of nutritional benefits

摘要: The infanticidal behaviour of wild-caught male and female Microtus pennsylvanicus was studied in captivity to examine the hypothesis that nonparental infanticide provides perpetrators with nutritional gains after cannibalizing their victims. Voles different breeding condition, age, sex were tested for toward unfamiliar vole house-mouse pups a neutral arena. Infanticide on relatively frequent among pregnant, less reproductively active (nonpregnant-nonlactating) immature females, almost absent lactating females. Most particularly non-breeding did not cannibalize pups. Pregnant females often attacked cannibalized A majority voles when exposed an pup place, at least half them Taken together, these results suggest are occasional but main motivation pupkilling meadow voles. In contrast, attainment benefits could be one benefit by