Reproductive ecology of the Montpellier snake, Malpolon monspessulanus (Colubridae), and comparison with other sympatric colubrids in the Iberian Peninsula.
Reproductive ecology of the Montpellier snake, Malpolon monspessulanus (Colubridae), and comparison with other sympatric colubrids in the Iberian Peninsula.
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DOI：
10.1643/ch-06-272
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发表时间：
2008-06-04
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
Santos, Xavier
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Feriche, Monica;Pleguezuelos, Juan M.;Santos, Xavier
温带蛇类的精子发生有两个周期，春季和夏季。在这两个周期中，交配发生在春季，尽管春季物种在交配前的春季产生精子，而夏季物种使用前一年夏天产生的精子。在这项研究中，我们描述了雄性和雌性Malpolon monspessulanus(游蛇科)的生殖周期，并将它们与以前发表的其他5种蛇的繁殖周期进行了比较，其中4种是春季蛇，1种是夏季蛇，它们生活在同一地区。我们还研究了伊比利亚半岛东南部雄性和雌性蛇在整个生殖过程中的两个精子发生周期的后果。春性物种的交配比夏季物种晚，因为雄性必须在交配前产生精子。然而，春季物种能够浓缩精子发生和卵黄发生过程，因此与夏季物种同时进行产卵。在这里，我们讨论在一个(春季物种)或两个(夏季物种)日历年完成整个生殖周期的优势。我们还发现，成熟的雄性孟氏支原体表现出睾丸体积相对于身体大小的减少。在精子竞争的情况下，预计会有较大的睾丸。孟氏支原体的交配系统(领地、配偶守卫、雄性[长冲刺]雄性战斗)并不意味着精子竞争，因此对该物种的雄性来说，投资于身体大小可能比投资于睾丸大小更有利。
Two spermatogenetic cycles, vernal and aestival, have been described in temperate colubrid snakes. In both cycles, mating occurs in the spring, although vernal species produce spermatozoa in spring, just before mating, while aestival species use spermatozoa produced the previous summer. In this study, we describe the reproductive cycles of male and female Malpolon monspessulanus (Colubridae), and compare them to previously published cycles of five other snake species, four vernal and one aestival, inhabiting the same area. We also examine the consequences of both spermatogenesis cycles over the entire reproductive processes of male and female snakes in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Vernal species mate later than do aestival species, as males must produce spermatozoa just prior to mating. However, vernal species are able to condense spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis processes, hence undertaking oviposition at the same time as aestival species. Here we discuss advantages of accomplishing the entire reproductive cycle in one (vernal species) or two (aestival species) calendar years. We also found that mature male M. monspessulanus exhibit decreased testes volume relative to body size. Large testes are expected in scenarios of sperm competition. The mating system of M. monspessulanus (territoriality, mate guarding, male[long dash]male combat) does not suggest sperm competition, hence it may be more advantageous for males of this species to invest in body size than in testes size.