Effect of Mass on Seasonal Survivorship of Northern Cotton Rats

We tested the possibility that mass differentially affects seasonal survivorship of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in Kansas. Because Kansas is on the northern margin of the range of this subtropical species, we expected that heavier animals might survive better, especially in winter. We calculated...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mammalogy 1993-11, Vol.74 (4), p.971-981
Main Authors: Campbell, Michael T., Slade, Norman A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age structure
Animal and plant ecology
Animal physiology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Autumn
Biological and medical sciences
Body size
Ecological life histories
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Life tables
Mammalia
Mammalogy
Population growth
Rats
Rodents
Seasons
Vertebrata
Winter
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Summary:We tested the possibility that mass differentially affects seasonal survivorship of cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in Kansas. Because Kansas is on the northern margin of the range of this subtropical species, we expected that heavier animals might survive better, especially in winter. We calculated seasonal survivorship using the Jolly-Seber model for a population of S. hispidus residing in northeastern Kansas and livetrapped since 1973. Gender did not affect survivorship, but year, season, and mass did. We found that the heaviest animals survived best only during spring and that cotton rats of intermediate mass survived best during winter. There was broad overlap in summer survivorship, and the lightest cotton rats survived best during autumn. Energy requirements may explain the patterns of survivorship, particularly during winter.
ISSN:0022-2372
1545-1542
1545-1542
0022-2372
DOI:10.2307/1382436