Breeding decisions and output are correlated with both temperature and rainfall in an arid-region passerine, the sociable weaver.

ABSTRACT: Animal reproductive cycles are commonly triggered by environmental cues of favourable breeding conditions. In arid environments, rainfall may be the most conspicuous cue, but the effects on reproduction of the high inter- and intra-annual variation in temperature remain poorly understood, despite being relevant to the current context of global warming. Here, we conducted a multiyear examination of the relationships between a suite of measures of temperature and rainfall, and the onset and length of the breeding season, the probability of breeding and reproductive output in an arid-region passerine, the sociable weaver (Philetairus socius). As expected, reproductive output increased with rainfall, yet specific relationships were conditional on the timing of rainfall: clutch productio

SUBMITTER: Mares R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5627122 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature