LECTURE 20 - Parental Care (Mammals)

Question 1

Parental care starts with this.

Answer 1

Choosing the right habitat.

Question 2

Describe the habitat frogs and toads choose? Why?

Answer 2

Frogs and toads leave their eggs in the habitat.

prefer temporary or ephemeral ponds because here are no fish.

Question 3

Name the animal that lays eggs in rotting logs. Why are rotting logs good habitats?

Answer 3

Smooth green snakes

High humidity and concealment

Question 4

How do butterflies determine which plant to lay eggs on?

Answer 4

The right plant for food for their babies.

Question 5

Eggs of most ____, ____ and ____ are not guarded.

Answer 5

Insects, amphibians and reptiles

Question 6

Walking stick eggs have a ____ on its end to make sure they end up in ant storage.

Answer 6

Capitulum (edible food cap)

Question 7

Northern Water and Garter Snakes hold eggs internally until they hatch. This is called _____.

Answer 7

Ovoviviparity

Question 8

Female Red Backed Salamanders ____ their eggs until they hatch.

Answer 8

Guard

Question 9

Female wolf spiders carry their eggs around in an _____ _____.

Answer 9

Egg sac held by the spinnerettes.

Carry the babies on their backs until they are ready to leave

Question 10

What do female nursery web spiders do for their young?

Answer 10

Carry an egg sac in their jaws and will build a nursery web.

Question 11

Small internal investment from ___ ____ and ____

Answer 11

Insects, amphibians and reptiles

Question 12

Describe when males guard the young.

Answer 12

Bass + Bluegill Sunfish 
Giant Waterbugs (female will glue the babies to the male so it cant fly)

Question 13

Larger animals provide more ____ ____ both ___ and _____

Answer 13

Parental investment

internally + externally

Question 14

Describe the difference between precocial and altricial.

Answer 14

Precocial = ready to run 
Altricial = grubby

Question 15

Describe moose’s parental investment

Answer 15

• 8 month gestation with placental connection
• young are born precocial
• parental care = protect and feed
• protect their young for 1 year
• total investment = 20 months

Question 16

in 95% of mamales ___ provide the care

Answer 16

females

Question 17

Wolves and foxes exhibit ____ -____

Answer 17

biparental care

Question 18

Wolves are ___ ____ and cooperatively raise their pups

Answer 18

Social animals

Question 19

What is a rendezvous site?

Answer 19

Site where the pups are moved too and where they stay while the adults hunt. One adult is always watching the pups.

Question 20

Black bear babies are born very _____

Answer 20

altricial

Question 21

How long do baby black bears stay with their mom

Answer 21

1.5 years

Question 22

Male black bears will do waut to make the mom go into mating again. WHy?

Answer 22

Kill the young

So they can pass on their own genes

Question 23

Black bears mate in june and give birth in january with only a 2 month gestation this is due to ___________ ____.

Answer 23

delayed implantation

Question 24

Why is delayed implantation good for black bears?

Answer 24

Allows them to mate when it is more convenient for them and not when they need to put on a lot of weight for winter.

Question 25

Opossums have a ___ day gestation.

Answer 25

13 day

Question 26

Many ____ display delayed implantation

Answer 26

Carnivores

Question 27

What holds the egg and sperm and dosen’t let it attch to the uterus walls?

Answer 27

Blastocyst

Question 28

Name the two animals we learned that use delayed implantation.

Answer 28

Black Bears + Fishers

Question 29

How do bats/bees and paper wasps create the same effect of delayed implantation?

Answer 29

Delayed fertilization

Question 30

What is delayed fertilization?

Answer 30

Where they store the sperm and only fertilize the egg when needed.

Question 31

Bumblebees and paperwasps are ___ ___ and exhbit ___ ___ for their young.

Answer 31

social insects

group care

Question 32

Describe oppossums brood reduction strategy. Why do they do this?

Answer 32

Can have as many as 20-50 babies
Highly Altricial and will climb into the marsupium (pouch)
Have to compete for the 13 nipples.
Many babies die and only the strongest survive.

Genetic selection and ensures only the strongest are invested in.

Question 33

Why will eagles lay two eggs when one is the optimum number? The larger one often kills the other one what is this called?

Answer 33

As an insurance policy also a form of brood reduction.

Siblicide

Question 34

What will muskrats do to ensure there is enough food for their babies in the area? What is this called?

Answer 34

Kill their neighbors babies / Infanticide

Question 35

How do Tree Swallows also showcase infanticide?

Answer 35

When they lose their mate they will let their new mate kill their young.

Question 36

What is the Bruce Effect? What animal uses this strategy?

Answer 36

When the mother will kill their babies when they smell the scent or urine of a strange male.

Female Voles