Population and behavioural ecology of snakes and lizards

我的研究重点是生活史的变化，种群生态学，和有鳞爬行动物（蜥蜴和蛇）的行为生态学。我提出了四个项目，每个项目都有多个问题：（1）个体动物在影响其生存和繁殖可能性的性状（例如大小）上存在差异。在这里，我想问的是，哪些特征对动物一生的繁殖成功影响最大。 我还想知道物种生活史的哪些组成部分（例如成年存活率、出生率）对其人口增长率影响最大。(2)实验室研究表明，交配时身体状况较好的雌性会较早生育。我们将在野外自由放养的蛇中测试这种效应，并确定所涉及的机制。我们还问是否有优势，以较早的出生（更好的生存后代，更频繁的繁殖母亲）。(3)动物经常受伤，这表明它们在与捕食者的遭遇中幸存下来。然而，捕食者造成的伤害是否会产生延迟的负面影响（例如，生长、繁殖、存活率降低）？伤害的发生率是否随反捕食者特征（例如伪装）而变化？我们能发现具有不同反捕食者特征的动物之间的生存差异吗？(4)在产卵物种中，雌性产卵前的体温可能对后代的发育很重要。如果是这样的话，那么在凉爽的气候中产卵的雌性是否会更长时间地保留卵子，以从雌性自身的体温调节中获得额外的优势？或者，雌性对巢址的温度有多挑剔？合适的筑巢地点是否会限制产卵物种的生存空间？最后，卵子保留时间的长短对生长和未来繁殖有什么影响？我使用现场和实验室的方法，包括：标记-再捕获分析（1，2，3）;种群矩阵分析（1）;无线电跟踪（2，4）;温度敏感无线电遥测（2，4）;温度制度的实验操作（2，4）;和动物及其背景的颜色模式的分光光度分析（3）。这项工作将大大有助于我们了解权衡的生活史特征和行为，以及它们如何影响人口动态，这是适用于保护。

My research focuses on life-history variation, population ecology, and behavioural ecology of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes). I propose four projects, each with multiple questions: (1) Individual animals vary in traits (e.g. size) that affect their likelihood of survival and reproduction. Here, I ask which traits most influence an animal's lifetime reproductive success. I also ask which components of a species' life history (e.g. adult survival, birth rate) have the greatest effect on its population growth rate. (2) Laboratory studies suggest that females in better condition when they mate give birth earlier. We will test this effect in free-ranging snakes in the field and determine the mechanisms involved. We also ask whether there are advantages to earlier birth (better survival of offspring, more frequent reproduction of mother). (3) Animals frequently have injuries, suggesting that they have survived an encounter with a predator. However, do predator-induced injuries have delayed negative effects (e.g. reduced growth, reproduction, survival)? Does the incidence of injury vary with anti-predator traits (e.g. camouflage)? Can we detect survival differences between animals with different anti-predator traits? (4) In egg-laying species, the female's pre-laying body temperature presumably is important for development of offspring. If so, do egg-laying females in cool climates retain eggs for longer to gain additional advantages from the female's own body temperature regulation? Alternatively, how selective are females about temperatures of nest sites? Could availability of suitable nest sites limit where egg-laying species can live? Finally, what are the consequences of length of egg retention for growth and future reproduction? I use both field and laboratory methods, including: mark-recapture analysis (1, 2, 3); population matrix analysis (1); radio-tracking (2, 4); temperature-sensitive radio-telemetry (2, 4); experimental manipulation of temperature regimes (2, 4); and spectrophotometric analysis of colour patterns of animals and their backgrounds (3). This work will contribute significantly to our understanding of tradeoffs in life-history traits and behaviour and how they influence population dynamics, which is applicable to conservation.