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：（1）个体动物在影响其生存和繁殖可能性的性状（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。 我还问一个物种的生活史的哪些组成部分（例如成年生存率，出生率）对其人口增长率的影响最大。(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，捕食者引起的伤害是否具有延迟的负面影响（例如，生长、繁殖或生存减少）？ 伤害的发生率是否随反捕食者特征（例如伪装）而变化？ 我们能发现不同的反捕食者特征之间的生存差异吗？(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？

My research focuses on life-history variation, population ecology, and behavioural ecology of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes). I propose four projects: (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, or survival)? Does the incidence of injury vary with anti-predator traits (e.g. camouflage)? Can we detect survival differences between 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?