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Galindo-Lalana C, Hoelzl F, Zahn S, Habold C, Cornils JS, Giroud S, Smith S. Seasonal variation in telomerase activity and telomere dynamics in a hibernating rodent, the garden dormouse ( Eliomys quercinus). Front Physiol 2023; 14:1298505. [PMID: 38074328 PMCID: PMC10698472 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1298505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Telomere dynamics in hibernating species are known to reflect seasonal changes in somatic maintenance. Throughout hibernation, the periodic states of rewarming, known as inter-bout euthermia or arousals, are associated with high metabolic costs including shortening of telomeres. In the active season, if high energetic resources are available, telomere length can be restored in preparation for the upcoming winter. The mechanism for telomere elongation has not been clearly demonstrated, although the action of the ribonucleoprotein complex, telomerase, has been implicated in many species. Here we tested for levels of telomerase activity in the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) at different seasonal time points throughout the year and across ages from liver tissues of male juveniles to adults. We found that telomerase is active at high levels across seasons (during torpor and inter-bout euthermia, plus in the active season) but that there was a substantial decrease in activity in the month prior to hibernation. Telomerase levels were consistent across age groups and were independent of feeding regime and time of birth (early or late born). The changes in activity levels that we detected were broadly associated with changes in telomere lengths measured in the same tissues. We hypothesise that i) telomerase is the mechanism used by garden dormice for maintenance of telomeres and that ii) activity is kept at high levels throughout the year until pre-hibernation when resources are diverted to increasing fat reserves for overwintering. We found no evidence for a decrease in telomerase activity with age or a final increase in telomere length which has been detected in other hibernating rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Galindo-Lalana
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Hoelzl
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandrine Zahn
- University of Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
| | - Caroline Habold
- University of Strasbourg, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jessica S. Cornils
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvain Giroud
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Energetics Lab, Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, United States
| | - Steve Smith
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Míguez S, Torre I, Arrizabalaga A, Freixas L. Influences of Maternal Weight and Geographic Factors on Offspring Traits of the Edible Dormouse in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051223. [PMID: 37240868 DOI: 10.3390/life13051223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The main goal of this study was to analyze the reproductive patterns of edible dormouse (Glis glis) populations in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula using an 18-year period of data obtained from nest boxes collected between 2004 and 2021. The average litter size in Catalonia (Spain) was 5.5 ± 1.60 (range: 2-9, n = 131), with litter sizes between 5 and 7 pups as the more frequent. The overall mean weight in pink, grey and open eyes pups was 4.8 g/pup, 11.7 g/pup and 23.6 g/pup, respectively. No differences in offspring weights between sexes were found in any of the three age groups. Maternal body weight was positively associated with mean pup weight, whereas no correlation between the weight of the mothers and litter size was found. The trade-off between offspring number and size was not detected at birth. Regarding litter size variation across the geographic gradient (and their climatic gradient associated) from the southernmost populations of the Iberian Peninsula located in Catalonia to the Pyrenees region in Andorra, no evidence to suggest that geographic variables affect litter size was found, discarding (1) an investment in larger litters to compensate shorter seasons related to higher altitudes or northern latitudes, and (2) variation in litter size related to weather changes (e.g., temperature and precipitation) along latitudinal and/or altitudinal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ignasi Torre
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Antoni Arrizabalaga
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Lídia Freixas
- BiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, C/Francesc Macià 51, E-08402 Granollers, Spain
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Jurczyszyn M. Main functions of loud vocalization in populations of edible dormouse Glis glis. ACTA ZOOL ACAD SCI H 2023. [DOI: 10.17109/azh.69.1.73.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to determine when, during summer activity, males and females of the edible dormouse most often used loud calls. On this basis, an attempt was made to determine the main purpose of the emission of these calls. It was assumed that 1) if males have the most of loud calls in July, their emissions may be related primarily to the mating behaviour (which takes place during this period), and if they have the most of loud calls in August, their emissions are most likely concerned defence of food resources, 2) in females, most of this vocalization would occur in August due to the need to defend their food resources and 3) in both sexes, more vocalization would occur in the year of good beech fruit crop (when the dormice would reproduce) than in the year of no crop (when the dormice would not reproduce). To check these assumptions, the number of loud calls and “performances” (series of loud calls) emitted by the animals from two wild populations tracked by telemetry was noted. The mean number of “performances” and loud calls in males and females was higher in August than in July (when beech fruits ripen), but significant differences were found only for “performances”. Both males and females had significantly more “performances” and loud calls in the mast/breeding year than in the non-mast/non-breeding year. It seems that males and females use loud calls mainly to defend important resources and are, therefore, most often heard during the mast year.
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Ruf T, Bieber C. Physiological, Behavioral, and Life-History Adaptations to Environmental Fluctuations in the Edible Dormouse. Front Physiol 2020; 11:423. [PMID: 32431626 PMCID: PMC7214925 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The edible dormouse (Glis glis, formerly Myoxus glis) is a small arboreal mammal inhabiting deciduous forests in Europe. This rodent shows behavioral and physiological adaptations to three types of environmental fluctuations: (i) predictable seasonal variation in climate and food resources (ii) unpredictable year-to-year fluctuation in seed-production by trees and (iii) day-to-day variation in ambient temperature and precipitation. They cope with seasonally fluctuating conditions by seasonal fattening and hibernation. Dormice have adjusted to tree-mast fluctuations, i.e., pulsed resources, by sensing future seed availability in spring, and restricting reproduction to years with at least some seed production by beech and oak trees, which are a crucial food-resource for fast-growing juveniles in fall. Finally, dormice respond to short-term drops in ambient temperature by increased use of daily torpor as well as by huddling in groups of up to 24 conspecifics. These responses to environmental fluctuations strongly interact with each other: Dormice are much more prone to using daily torpor and huddling in non-reproductive years, because active gonads can counteract torpor and energy requirements for reproduction may prevent the sharing of food resources associated with huddling. Accordingly, foraging activity in fall is much more intense in reproductive mast years. Also, depending on their energy reserves, dormice may retreat to underground burrows in the summers of non-reproductive years, causing an extension of the hibernation season to up to 11.4 months. In addition to these interactions, responses to environmental fluctuations are modulated by the progression of life-history stages. With increasing age and diminishing chances of future reproduction, females reproduce with increasing frequency even under suboptimal environmental conditions. Simultaneously, older dormice shorten the hibernation season and phase-advance the emergence from hibernation in spring, apparently to occupy good breeding territories early, despite increased predation risk above ground. All of the above adaptions, i.e., huddling, torpor, hibernation, and reproduction skipping do not merely optimize energy-budgets but also help to balance individual predation risk against reproductive success, which adds another layer of complexity to the ability to make flexible adjustments in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ruf
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Tissier ML, Réale D, Garant D, Bergeron P. Consumption of red maple in anticipation of beech mast‐seeding drives reproduction in eastern chipmunks. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1190-1201. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Denis Réale
- Département des Sciences Biologiques Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal QC Canada
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie Université de Sherbrooke Sherbrooke QC Canada
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Vekhnik VA. Effect of food availability on the reproduction in edible dormice (Glis glis L., 1766) on the eastern periphery of the range. MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00425-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Bieber C, Turbill C, Ruf T. Effects of aging on timing of hibernation and reproduction. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13881. [PMID: 30224823 PMCID: PMC6141465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32311-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Small hibernators are long-lived for their size because seasonal dormancy greatly reduces predation risk. Thus, within a year, hibernators switch between states of contrasting mortality risk (active season versus hibernation), making them interesting species for testing the predictions of life-history theory. Accordingly, we hypothesized that, with advancing age and hence diminishing reproductive potential, hibernators should increasingly accept the higher predation risk associated with activity to increase the likelihood of current reproductive success. For edible dormice (Glis glis) we show that age strongly affects hibernation/activity patterns, and that this occurs via two pathways: (i) with increasing age, dormice are more likely to reproduce, which delays the onset of hibernation, and (ii) age directly advances emergence from hibernation in spring. We conclude that hibernation has to be viewed not merely as an energy saving strategy under harsh climatic conditions, but as an age-affected life-history trait that is flexibly used to maximize fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Bieber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - Christopher Turbill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
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Trout RC, Brooks S, Lim J, Rozycka D, Grimsey P, Grimsey M, Griffiths L. Movements by edible dormice (Glis glis) to their hibernation site and implications for population control. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v67.i2.a4.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger C. Trout
- Holtside, Batts Corner, Dockenfield, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4EX, U.K.; e-mail: edibledormouse@hotmail
| | - Sarah Brooks
- 19 Teal Close, Walkington, East Yorkshire HU17 8TW, U.K
| | - Jasmine Lim
- 13 Orchard Court, The Orchard, Sallins Road, Naas, Co. Kildare W91 X5T1, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Peter Grimsey
- Arula, Bowstridge Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, HP8 4RD, U.K
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Flexibility is the key: metabolic and thermoregulatory behaviour in a small endotherm. J Comp Physiol B 2018; 188:553-563. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1140-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Cornils JS, Hoelzl F, Huber N, Zink R, Gerritsmann H, Bieber C, Schwarzenberger F, Ruf T. The insensitive dormouse: reproduction skipping is not caused by chronic stress in Glis glis. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.183558. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.183558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Entire populations of edible dormice (Glis glis) can skip reproduction in years without mast seeding of deciduous trees (particularly beech or oak seed), because juveniles require high caloric seeds for growth and fattening prior to hibernation. We hypothesized that, in mast failure years, female dormice may be forced to spend larger amounts of time foraging for low-quality food, which should increase their exposure to predators, mainly owls. This may lead to chronic stress, i.e., long-term increased secretion of Glucocorticoids (GC), which can have inhibitory effects on reproductive function in both female and male mammals. We monitored reproduction in free-living female dormice over three years with varying levels of food availability, and performed a supplemental feeding experiment. To measure stress hormone levels, we determined fecal GC metabolite (GCM) concentrations collected during the day, which reflect hormone secretion rates in the previous nocturnal activity phase. We found that year-to-year differences in beech mast significantly affected fecal GCM levels and reproduction. However, contrary to our hypothesis, GCM levels were lowest in a non-mast year without reproduction, and significantly elevated in full-mast and intermediate years, as well as under supplemental feeding. Variation in owl density in our study area had no influence on GCM levels. Consequently, we conclude that down-regulation of gonads and reproduction skipping in mast-failure years in this species is not caused by chronic stress. Thus, in edible dormice, delayed reproduction apparently is profitable in response to the absence of energy-rich food in non-mast years, but not in response to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S. Cornils
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Hoelzl
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Huber
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Zink
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanno Gerritsmann
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Schwarzenberger
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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JURCZYSZYN M, MARCHEWKA A, CZAPRACKA A, KARMIŃSKA L. Changes in body mass of postweaning juveniles of the edible dormouse,Glis glis (L.), in captivity. TURK J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.3906/zoo-1704-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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13
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Vekhnik VA. The Edible Dormouse (Glis glis, Gliridae, Rodentia) in the Periphery of Its Distribution Range: Body Size and Life History Parameters. BIOL BULL+ 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359017090163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Fitness consequences of peak reproductive effort in a resource pulse system. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9335. [PMID: 28839275 PMCID: PMC5571191 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09724-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The age trajectory of reproductive performance of many iteroparous species features an early - life increase in performance followed by a late - life senescent decline. The largest contribution of lifetime reproductive success is therefore gained at the age at which reproductive performance peaks. Using long term data on North American red squirrels we show that the environmental conditions individuals encountered could cause variation among individuals in the “height” and timing of this peak, contributing to life history variation and fitness in this population that experiences irregular resource pulses. As expected, high peak effort was positively associated with lifetime reproductive output up to a high level of annual effort. Furthermore, individuals that matched their peak reproductive effort to an anticipated resource pulse gained substantial fitness benefits through recruiting more offspring over their lifetime. Individual variation in peak reproductive effort thus has strong potential to shape life history evolution by facilitating adaptation to fluctuating environments.
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Hoelzl F, Cornils JS, Smith S, Moodley Y, Ruf T. Telomere dynamics in free-living edible dormice (Glis glis): the impact of hibernation and food supply. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:2469-74. [PMID: 27535986 PMCID: PMC5004978 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.140871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We studied the impact of hibernation and food supply on relative telomere length (RTL), an indicator for aging and somatic maintenance, in free-living edible dormice. Small hibernators such as dormice have ∼50% higher maximum longevity than non-hibernators. Increased longevity could theoretically be due to prolonged torpor directly slowing cellular damage and RTL shortening. However, although mitosis is arrested in mammals at low body temperatures, recent evidence points to accelerated RTL shortening during periodic re-warming (arousal) from torpor. Therefore, we hypothesized that these arousals during hibernation should have a negative effect on RTL. Here, we show that RTL was shortened in all animals over the course of ∼1 year, during which dormice hibernated for 7.5–11.4 months. The rate of periodic arousals, rather than the time spent euthermic during the hibernation season, was the best predictor of RTL shortening. This finding points to negative effects on RTL of the transition from low torpor to high euthermic body temperature and metabolic rate during arousals, possibly because of increased oxidative stress. The animals were, however, able to elongate their telomeres during the active season, when food availability was increased by supplemental feeding in a year of low natural food abundance. We conclude that in addition to their energetic costs, periodic arousals also lead to accelerated cellular damage in terms of RTL shortening. Although dormice are able to counteract and even over-compensate for the negative effects of hibernation, restoration of RTL appears to be energetically costly. Highlighted Article: Telomeres in edible dormice shorten over the hibernation season, but these long-lived rodents are able to fully restore telomeres during summer if food supply is sufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Hoelzl
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Jessica S Cornils
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Steve Smith
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
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Bieber C, Cornils JS, Hoelzl F, Giroud S, Ruf T. The costs of locomotor activity? Maximum body temperatures and the use of torpor during the active season in edible dormice. J Comp Physiol B 2017; 187:803-814. [PMID: 28321493 PMCID: PMC5486539 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1080-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Measuring T b during the active season can provide information about the timing of reproduction and the use of short bouts of torpor and may be used as a proxy for the locomotor activity of animals (i.e., maximum T b). This kind of information is especially important to understand life-history strategies and energetic costs and demands in hibernating mammals. We investigated T b throughout the active season in edible dormice (Glis glis), since they (i) have an expensive arboreal life-style, (ii) are known to show short bouts of torpor, and (iii) are adapted to pulsed resources (mast of beech trees). We show here for the first time that maximum T b's in free-living active dormice (during the night) increase regularly and for up to 8 h above 40 °C, which corresponds to slight hyperthermia, probably due to locomotor activity. The highest weekly mean maximum T b was recorded 1 week prior to hibernation (40.45 ± 0.07 °C). At the beginning of the active season and immediately prior to hibernation, the mean maximum T b's were lower. The time dormice spent at T b above 40 °C varied between sexes, depending on mast conditions. The date of parturition could be determined by a sudden increase in mean T b (plus 0.49 ± 0.04 °C). The occurrence of short torpor bouts (<24 h) was strongly affected by the mast situation with much higher torpor frequencies in mast-failure years. Our data suggest that locomotor activity is strongly affected by environmental conditions, and that sexes respond differently to these changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Bieber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jessica S Cornils
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Hoelzl
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sylvain Giroud
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
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Cornils JS, Hoelzl F, Rotter B, Bieber C, Ruf T. Edible dormice ( Glis glis) avoid areas with a high density of their preferred food plant - the European beech. Front Zool 2017; 14:23. [PMID: 28428805 PMCID: PMC5397747 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0206-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous species, especially among rodents, are strongly affected by the availability of pulsed resources. The intermittent production of large seed crops in northern hemisphere tree species (e.g., beech Fagus spec.,oak Quercus spec., pine trees Pinus spec.) are prime examples of these resource pulses. Adult edible dormice are highly dependent on high energy seeds to maximize their reproductive output. For juvenile dormice the energy rich food is important to grow and fatten in a very short time period prior to hibernation. While these erratic, often large-scale synchronized mast events provide overabundant seed availability, a total lack of seed production can be observed in so-called mast failure years. We hypothesized that dormice either switch territories between mast and non-mast years, to maximize energy availability or select habitats in which alternative food sources are also available (e.g., fleshy fruits, cones). To analyze the habitat preferences of edible dormice we performed environmental niche factor analyses (ENFA) for 9 years of capture-recapture data. Results As expected, the animals mainly used areas with high canopy closure and vertical stratification, probably to avoid predation. Surprisingly, we found that dormice avoided areas with high beech tree density, but in contrast preferred areas with a relatively high proportion of coniferous trees. Conifer cones and leaves can be an alternative food source for edible dormice and are less variable in availability. Conclusion Therefore, we conclude that edible dormice try to avoid areas with large fluctuations in food availability to be able to survive years without mast in their territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Cornils
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Hoelzl
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Rotter
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Čanády A, Mošanský L, Krišovský P. Sexual size monomorphism and body variation in the fat dormouse Glis glis in Slovakia. Biologia (Bratisl) 2016. [DOI: 10.1515/biolog-2016-0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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19
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Telomeres are elongated in older individuals in a hibernating rodent, the edible dormouse (Glis glis). Sci Rep 2016; 6:36856. [PMID: 27883035 PMCID: PMC5121655 DOI: 10.1038/srep36856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere shortening is thought to be an important biomarker for life history traits such as lifespan and aging, and can be indicative of genome integrity, survival probability and the risk of cancer development. In humans and other animals, telomeres almost always shorten with age, with more rapid telomere attrition in short-lived species. Here, we show that in the edible dormouse (Glis glis) telomere length significantly increases from an age of 6 to an age of 9 years. While this finding could be due to higher survival of individuals with longer telomeres, we also found, using longitudinal measurements, a positive effect of age on the rate of telomere elongation within older individuals. To our knowledge, no previous study has reported such an effect of age on telomere lengthening. We attribute this exceptional pattern to the peculiar life-history of this species, which skips reproduction in years with low food availability. Further, we show that this “sit tight” strategy in the timing of reproduction is associated with an increasing likelihood for an individual to reproduce as it ages. As reproduction could facilitate telomere attrition, this life-history strategy may have led to the evolution of increased somatic maintenance and telomere elongation with increasing age.
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Selonen V, Wistbacka R. Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate future resource abundance. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:51. [PMID: 27842537 PMCID: PMC5109687 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background One way to cope with irregularly occurring resources is to adjust reproduction according to the anticipated future resource availability. In support of this hypothesis, few rodent species have been observed to produce, after the first litter born in spring, summer litters in anticipation of autumn’s seed mast. This kind of behaviour could eliminate or decrease the lag in population density normally present in consumer dynamics. We focus on possible anticipation of future food availability in Siberian flying squirrels, Pteromys volans. We utilise long-term data set on flying squirrel reproduction spanning over 20 years with individuals living in nest-boxes in two study areas located in western Finland. In winter and early spring, flying squirrels depend on catkin mast of deciduous trees. Thus, the temporal availability of food resource for Siberian flying squirrels is similar to other mast-dependent rodent species in which anticipatory reproduction has been observed. Results We show that production of summer litters was not related to food levels in the following autumn and winter. Instead, food levels before reproduction, in the preceding winter and spring, were related to production of summer litters. In addition, the amount of precipitation in the preceding winter was found to be related to the production of summer litters. Conclusions Our results support the conclusion that Siberian flying squirrels do not anticipate the mast. Instead, increased reproductive effort in female flying squirrels is an opportunistic event, seized if the resource situation allows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesa Selonen
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - Ralf Wistbacka
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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Gazárková AH, Adamík P. Timing of breeding and second litters in edible dormouse (Glis glis). FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v65.i2.a12.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anežka Holcová Gazárková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17. listopadu 50, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, Purkrabská 2, 771 40 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17. listopadu 50, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Feeding in an unpredictable environment: yearly variations in the diet of the hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius. MAMMAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-016-0280-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Hoelzl F, Bieber C, Cornils JS, Gerritsmann H, Stalder GL, Walzer C, Ruf T. How to spend the summer? Free-living dormice (Glis glis) can hibernate for 11 months in non-reproductive years. J Comp Physiol B 2015; 185:931-9. [PMID: 26293446 PMCID: PMC4628641 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-015-0929-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Edible dormice are arboreal rodents adapted to yearly fluctuations in seed production of European beech, a major food source for this species. In years of low beech seed abundance, dormice skip reproduction and non-reproductive dormice fed ad libitum in captivity can display summer dormancy in addition to winter hibernation. To test whether summer dormancy, that is, a very early onset of hibernation, actually occurs in free-living dormice, we monitored core body temperature (Tb) over ~12 months in 17 animals during a year of beech seeding failure in the Vienna Woods. We found that 8 out of 17 dormice indeed re-entered hibernation as early as in June/July, with five of them having extreme hibernation durations of 11 months or more (total range: 7.8-11.4 months). Thus, we show for the first time that a free-living mammal relying on natural food resources can continuously hibernate for >11 months. Early onset of hibernation was associated with high body mass in the spring, but the distribution of hibernation onset was bimodal with prolonged hibernation starting either early (prior to July 28) or late (after August 30). This could not be explained by differences in body mass alone. Animals with a late hibernation onset continued to maintain high nocturnal Tb's throughout summer but used short, shallow torpor bouts (mean duration 7.44 ± 0.9 h), as well as occasional multiday torpor for up to 161 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Hoelzl
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jessica S Cornils
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanno Gerritsmann
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabrielle L Stalder
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Chris Walzer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
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Trout RC, Brooks S, Morris P. Nest box usage by old edible dormice (Glis glis) in breeding and non-breeding years. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v64.i4.a5.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger C. Trout
- Rabbitwise-plus Consultancy, Holtside, Batts Corner, Dockenfield, Farnham, Surrey, GU 10 4EX, U.K.
| | - Sarah Brooks
- 12 Greenacre Drive, Wyke, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD12 9DH, U.K
| | - Pat Morris
- West mains, London Road, Ascot Berkshire, SL5 7DG , U.K
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Juškaitis R, Augutė V. The fat dormouse, Glis glis, in Lithuania: living outside the range of the European beech, Fagus sylvatica. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v64.i4.a3.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vita Augutė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Marteau M, Sarà M. Habitat preferences of edible dormouse,Glis glis italicus: implications for the management of arboreal mammals in Mediterranean forests. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v64.i2.a7.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurizio Sarà
- Department of Biological, Chemical Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Palermo University, Italy
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Juškaitis R, Baltrūnaitė L, Augutė V. Diet of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) on the northern periphery of its distributional range. MAMMAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-015-0213-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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28
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Immediate or lagged responses of a red squirrel population to pulsed resources. Oecologia 2014; 177:401-11. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3148-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Bieber C, Lebl K, Stalder G, Geiser F, Ruf T. Body mass dependent use of hibernation: why not prolong the active season, if they can? Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Bieber
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of Veterinary Medicine Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna Austria
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Karin Lebl
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of Veterinary Medicine Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna Austria
| | - Gabrielle Stalder
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of Veterinary Medicine Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna Austria
| | - Fritz Geiser
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Thomas Ruf
- Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of Veterinary Medicine Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna Austria
- Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 Australia
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Lebl K, Rotter B, Kürbisch K, Bieber C, Ruf T. Local environmental factors affect reproductive investment in female edible dormice. J Mammal 2011. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-225.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Lebl K, Bieber C, Adamík P, Fietz J, Morris P, Pilastro A, Ruf T. Survival rates in a small hibernator, the edible dormouse: a comparison across Europe. ECOGRAPHY 2011; 34:683-692. [PMID: 23447711 PMCID: PMC3573868 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06691.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how local environmental factors lead to temporal variability of vital rates and to plasticity of life history tactics is one of the central questions in population ecology. We used long-term capture-recapture data from five populations of a small hibernating rodent, the edible dormouse Glis glis, collected over a large geographical range across Europe, to determine and analyze both seasonal patterns of local survival and their relation to reproductive activity. In all populations studied, survival was lowest in early summer, higher in late summer and highest during hibernation in winter. In reproductive years survival was always lower than in non-reproductive years, and females had higher survival rates than males. Very high survival rates during winter indicate that edible dormice rarely die from starvation due to insufficient energy reserves during the hibernation period. Increased mortality in early summer was most likely caused by high predation risk and unmet energy demands. Those effects have probably an even stronger impact in reproductive years, in which dormice were more active. Although these patterns could be found in all areas, there were also considerable differences in average survival rates, with resulting differences in mean lifetime reproductive success between populations. Our results suggest that edible dormice have adapted their life history strategies to maximize lifetime reproductive success depending on the area specific frequency of seeding events of trees producing energy-rich seeds.
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