Lu H, Wang J, Kang C, DU W. Maternal egg care enhances hatching success and offspring quality in an oviparous skink.
Integr Zool 2021;
17:468-477. [PMID:
34498390 DOI:
10.1111/1749-4877.12589]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Maternal egg-caring behavior can often be observed in oviparous scincid lizards. The expression of such behavior is predictably affected by the trade-off between its resultant costs and benefits for mothers and/or offspring, which has been investigated in only a few scincid species. Here, post-ovipositional Plestiodon chinensis females were treated to care for their egg clutches without interference, under simulated predation pressure, or to be care-deprived. Potential maternal costs and offspring benefits associated with egg-caring behavior were then evaluated by measuring changes in maternal body condition, egg mortality, and hatchling performance. Egg-caring behavior caused post-ovipositional females to participate less in outside-nest activity, eat less food, and show relatively poorer body conditions at egg hatching. By contrast, compared with care-deprived females, egg-caring females gained mass slightly faster, and achieved a similar body condition within a few months of hatching. Eggs that were cared for by their mothers were more likely to hatch and produced larger, faster-running and better-growing hatchlings with higher survival than uncared-for eggs. Simulated exposure to a potential predator had no distinct impact on maternal egg-caring behavior expression and offspring performance. These results indicated that marked benefits of offspring viability but minor maternal energy costs might play a decisive role in the occurrence of maternal egg-caring behavior in P. chinensis.
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