Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)
Most polygynous male mammals exhibit little or no parental care or involvement raising young. Instead, they invest indirectly in their own morphological and physiological attributes which enhance their chance of reproduction. Such secondary morphological sex traits may contribute to differences in t...
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2848 |
| _version_ | 1848744066173370368 |
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| author | Thomas, H. Bateman, Bill Scantlebury, M. Bennett, N. |
| author_facet | Thomas, H. Bateman, Bill Scantlebury, M. Bennett, N. |
| author_sort | Thomas, H. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Most polygynous male mammals exhibit little or no parental care or involvement raising young. Instead, they invest indirectly in their own morphological and physiological attributes which enhance their chance of reproduction. Such secondary morphological sex traits may contribute to differences in the burrow architecture of fossorial mammals, such as the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus. Indeed, little is known about the seasonal changes in burrow architecture or differences in burrow configuration may differ between the sexes of subterranean African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). We excavated burrow systems of male and female B. suillus during the summer and the winter to investigate whether male burrow architecture reflected putative mate-seeking behaviour. We consider burrow geometry in response to mating strategies. Male burrow systems explored the environment more efficiently than females. This is presumably because of the increase in associated energetic costs of being a large male. Males produce more mounds indicating territorial behaviour even when it is energetically costly to dispose of soil onto the surface when the soil is less friable during the summer. Overall tunnel dimensions did not differ between the sexes. It appears that a change in season does not affect the geometry of the burrow system or tunnel dimensions in a climatically buffered environment. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:55:33Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-2848 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T05:55:33Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-28482018-03-29T09:05:21Z Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) Thomas, H. Bateman, Bill Scantlebury, M. Bennett, N. mate choice sexual selection energetics seasonality burrow structure Most polygynous male mammals exhibit little or no parental care or involvement raising young. Instead, they invest indirectly in their own morphological and physiological attributes which enhance their chance of reproduction. Such secondary morphological sex traits may contribute to differences in the burrow architecture of fossorial mammals, such as the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus. Indeed, little is known about the seasonal changes in burrow architecture or differences in burrow configuration may differ between the sexes of subterranean African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). We excavated burrow systems of male and female B. suillus during the summer and the winter to investigate whether male burrow architecture reflected putative mate-seeking behaviour. We consider burrow geometry in response to mating strategies. Male burrow systems explored the environment more efficiently than females. This is presumably because of the increase in associated energetic costs of being a large male. Males produce more mounds indicating territorial behaviour even when it is energetically costly to dispose of soil onto the surface when the soil is less friable during the summer. Overall tunnel dimensions did not differ between the sexes. It appears that a change in season does not affect the geometry of the burrow system or tunnel dimensions in a climatically buffered environment. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2848 10.3377/004.047.0222 Universiteit Stellenbosch * Department of Botany and Zoology restricted |
| spellingShingle | mate choice sexual selection energetics seasonality burrow structure Thomas, H. Bateman, Bill Scantlebury, M. Bennett, N. Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title | Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title_full | Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title_fullStr | Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title_short | Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) |
| title_sort | seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the cape dune mole-rat, bathyergus suillus (rodentia: bathyergidae) |
| topic | mate choice sexual selection energetics seasonality burrow structure |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2848 |