Journal of Zoology最新文献

{"title":"A comparative phylogenetic approach for the evolution of melanism in elapid snakes supports the Bogert's rule","authors":"F. Storniolo,&nbsp;M. Mangiacotti,&nbsp;S. Scali,&nbsp;M. A. L. Zuffi,&nbsp;R. Sacchi","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70021","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70021","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Melanism is a common trait in vertebrates. While in endotherms, melanism has been primarily associated with the protection against oxidative stress caused by incoming UV radiation, in ectotherms, it is far less understood. Bogert's rule, the most widely supported biogeographical framework explaining the occurrence of melanism in reptiles, states that melanistic individuals should be favoured thanks to faster heating rates. It has led to the formulation of the Thermal Melanism Hypothesis to explain the evolution and maintenance of melanism in ectotherms. Although some support for this hypothesis exists, it is not broadly accepted, and the importance of the thermal advantage as an evolutionary driver of melanism in ectotherms needs to be specifically addressed. Melanism is common in squamate reptiles, where it occurs at various extents depending on the considered taxonomic level. Such variability opens the use of a phylogenetic comparative approach to test whether climatic conditions, by pivoting thermal advantage, could drive the evolution of melanism in reptiles. By focusing on the snake family Elapidae, we firstly reconstructed the evolutionary history of melanism and, subsequently, tested whether climate affects the frequency of melanism. Ancestral state reconstruction estimated that the ability to express melanism is the ancestral condition of elapid snakes. Furthermore, we found statistically significant effects of both average diurnal temperature and precipitation on the probability of a species to be melanistic, so that melanism is more frequent in colder and wetter climates. Melanism in Elapidae seems to be highly correlated with colder temperatures, so that it is most likely favoured compared with normal colourations to boost thermoregulation under less favourable conditions. Although broad-scale conclusions still must be drawn for squamates, with this research, we provide additional support for the TMH in ectotherms as a key adaptive interpretation of this phenotypic trait in wild populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"289-297"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70021","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risky behavior of Asian black bears differs between sex and season in a landscape fragmented by roads","authors":"S.-Y. Baek,&nbsp;A. Zedrosser,&nbsp;K. Yamazaki,&nbsp;Y. Goto,&nbsp;N. Takekoshi,&nbsp;S. Koike","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70022","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the trade-off between resource acquisition and risk avoidance is crucial in behavioral ecology. Differences in parental investment and reproductive success between males and females can result in intersexual variations in the trade-off between resource acquisition and risk-taking. Roads, a major cause of habitat fragmentation, pose significant mortality risks to animals. We investigated the sex and seasonal differences in road-crossing behavior and home ranges of Asian black bears (<i>Ursus thibetanus</i>), as an example of risk-taking behavior of mammals in a fragmented landscape, in the Ashio-Nikko Mountains, Japan, from 2005 to 2023. Using GPS relocation data, we analyzed the frequency of road crossings and home range sizes and applied integrated step selection analysis to assess road-crossing avoidance in relation to sex, season, road type, and time of day. Bears generally avoided crossing roads, indicating that roads act as movement barriers. During the mating season, males crossed all types of roads and had larger home ranges, whereas females did not cross main and minor roads. During the hyperphagia season, both sexes crossed all road types and had larger home ranges compared to the mating season. Our findings suggest that sex- and season-specific risk-taking behavior of bears relates to mate and food acquisition: males take more risks to search for mates during the mating season compared to females. Bears crossed gated minor roads most frequently, followed by minor roads and main roads, with crossings occurring more often at night than during the day across all road types. These results suggest bears perceive and respond differently to risks of roads, which are linked to the level of human activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 4","pages":"339-351"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70022","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144905335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatially explicit camera trap-based lion monitoring in Tanzania's Selous–Nyerere landscape","authors":"C. E. Searle,&nbsp;P. Strampelli,&nbsp;S. N. Parsais,&nbsp;L. Haule,&nbsp;K. Olesyapa,&nbsp;N. D. Salum,&nbsp;G. Hape,&nbsp;M. Elisa,&nbsp;D. Mathayo,&nbsp;D. Ikanda,&nbsp;S. Mtoka,&nbsp;A. L. Lobora,&nbsp;A. Oriol-Cotterill,&nbsp;A. J. Dickman","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70019","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent years have seen the emergence of spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) modeling as the recommended tool to monitor lion populations. In this study, we apply this method to camera trap data collected within Tanzania's Selous–Nyerere landscape, which is considered one of the species' few remaining strongholds in Africa. We estimated lion population density through SECR modeling of camera trap data from seven sites within Nyerere National Park (NP) and Selous Game Reserve (GR), the largest protected areas in the complex, to examine variation in lion population density. Our findings reveal lion population densities ranging from 0.33 (95% CIs: 0.12–0.91) lions over 1 year of age per 100 km² in the dry eastern Miguruwe sector of Selous GR to 6.27 (95% CIs: 4.18–9.39) individuals over 1 year per 100 km² in the prey-rich lakes area of the Matambwe sector of Nyerere NP. Dry season lion density in the system appears to be primarily driven by prey availability, which is itself principally determined by the productivity of miombo woodlands. However, evidence of human impacts and lower than expected densities at some sites suggest that anthropogenic pressure may be affecting Selous–Nyerere's lion population, particularly in areas close to boundaries. We show that camera trap-based monitoring combined with SECR can be a valuable tool to monitor lion populations in remote areas, particularly as it allows for simultaneous monitoring of other large carnivores, provides insights into wider mammal communities, aids the identification of threats, and can form the basis of sustainable offtake quotas. Our findings also demonstrate the importance of direct monitoring to understand how carnivore populations are faring and inform evidence-based conservation management.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"256-267"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70019","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The dynamics of cave roost use by bats in the central Himalayas of Nepal: implications for conservation","authors":"S. Baniya,&nbsp;K. Neupane,&nbsp;M. Thaker,&nbsp;V. R. Goswami,&nbsp;V. Ramachandran","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70018","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The seasonal use of caves by bats can be attributed to physiologically demanding activities like mating and reproduction in spring and torpor in winter. Cave use, however, varies within and across species and can depend on the physical and microclimatic conditions of the caves. Understanding the current patterns and predictors of cave use is therefore crucial to develop a reference for assessing the response of bats to future changes in climatic conditions. We quantified the diversity and abundance of bats in 41 caves that varied in structure and temperature across a seasonal (mid-winter, late-winter and early-spring) and an elevational (400–2700 m above sea level) gradient in the central Himalayas. Richness and abundance of bat species exhibited seasonal variation, with more species and individuals present in caves during early-spring (<i>n</i> = 15) compared to mid-winter (<i>n</i> = 9). Species richness declined linearly with elevation in mid-winter but remained relatively similar until 900 msl and then declined in late-winter and early-spring. Species such as <i>Hipposideros armiger</i> (20.14 ± 1.60°C in spring and 17.97 ± 0.88°C in mid-winter), <i>Rhinolophus affinis</i> (19.98 ± 1.76°C in spring and 16.18 ± 3.09°C in mid-winter) and <i>Rhinolophus cf. pusillus</i> (19.55 ± 1.64°C in spring and 15.43 ± 2.87°C in mid-winter) preferred warmer microclimates within caves during early-spring compared to mid-winter. The season- and species-specific cave use that we report here suggests that even minor fluctuations in cave temperatures could potentially alter the composition of bat communities inside caves. Prioritization assessment based on a bat cave vulnerability index indicates that different caves must be protected based on their specific usage patterns and the abundance of species they support at various times. Overall, we highlight the importance of studying cave-dwelling bats in climate-vulnerable areas such as the Himalayas where species richness is high to help understand and predict the responses of animals to climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 4","pages":"303-319"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70018","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144905427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Turning trade-offs: hummingbird power reserves are used to decrease turning radius or increase turning velocity","authors":"P. S. Segre,&nbsp;R. Dakin,&nbsp;D. L. Altshuler","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70014","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Hummingbirds use their extreme maneuverability to defend territories and win competitions. In theory, a bird can tap into its muscular power reserves to perform complex maneuvers, with the size of the power reserves dictating the maximum maneuvering performance. To test the link between power reserves and maximum maneuvering performance, we used load-lifting trials to measure the power reserves of Anna's hummingbirds (<i>Calypte anna</i>). Based on these estimates, we calculated the theoretical maximum arcing turn performance. Finally, we used thousands of arcing turns measured with an automated tracking system to evaluate whether maximum turning ability aligned with the theoretical predictions. The maximum turning performance of the hummingbirds closely matched the maximum predicted by their power reserves, even though individual performance maximums were not correlated with individual power reserves. Therefore, our evidence that power reserves underlie maximum performance is mixed: it is in the aggregated turns across all individuals that the large-scale patterns of maximal performance begin to emerge. Because they limited turning performance, power reserves also created a trade-off between radius and velocity. As large free-flight datasets continue to be explored, it is likely that we will continue to find associations between burst power and maximal maneuvering performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"201-206"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hybridization patterns and evolutionary clues in broad-snouted caiman and yacare caiman: Insights from phylogeographic and ecological analyses","authors":"G. Pacheco-Sierra,&nbsp;P. Amavet,&nbsp;P. Siroski,&nbsp;C. Piña,&nbsp;C. Patrón-Rivero,&nbsp;C. Yáñez-Arenas","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70013","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Our study explores the dynamics of introgressive hybridization between two sympatric crocodilian species, <i>Caiman latirostris</i> and <i>Caiman yacare</i>, shedding light on the ongoing genetic exchange. Hybrid individuals exhibit a notable absence of distinct boundaries between parental and hybrid forms, potentially influenced by factors like limited dispersal potential or unexplored extrinsic variables. Despite sympatric coexistence, the species occupy distinct ecological niches, limiting hybridization. Climatic factors, particularly during autumn and winter, may further impact migration and energy allocation, contributing to the observed introgression pattern. Significantly, the prevalence of individuals with hybrid index values indicates introgressive hybridization between <i>C. yacare</i> and <i>C. latirostris</i> populations, supported by ecological niche models that found wide areas with potential for hybridization across much of their distribution. The range of hybrid index values suggests gene flow and the transfer of adaptive traits through hybridization. The divergence between <i>C. yacare</i> and <i>C. latirostris</i>, approximately 26 million years ago, aligns with geological and climatic changes during the Oligocene. Furthermore, our findings support a directional radiation pattern in <i>C. latirostris</i> populations from south to north, influenced by climatic changes and ecological niche shifts. This study revealed the dynamics of introgressive hybridization between <i>C. yacare</i> and <i>C. latirostris</i>, emphasizing the complex interplay of ecological, temporal, and environmental factors in shaping genetic patterns and evolutionary history.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"214-230"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intraspecific variation and detectability of iridescence in the dorsal coloration of a wall lizard","authors":"J. Abalos,&nbsp;F. de la Cruz,&nbsp;G. Pérez i de Lanuza,&nbsp;E. Font","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70016","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Iridescence refers to the optical property of surfaces for which the reflected wavelengths depend on viewing geometry. Although iridescence underlies some of the most striking animal colours, the sensory stimulation elicited by iridescent spectral shifts in relevant observers has seldom been explored. Wall lizards (genus <i>Podarcis</i>), with remarkable intraspecific colour variation and possible iridescence, offer a unique opportunity to investigate how these traits interact to shape overall colour appearance. Here, we set out to study iridescence in <i>Podarcis liolepis</i> in two localities in which lizards differ in dorsal coloration: the València Botanical Garden (EB) and La Murta Natural Park (LM). To determine the presence of angle-dependent reflectance, we measured dorsal coloration at three different configurations (0°, 60° and 90° angles between incident light and observer location) in 87 lizards of either sex and used visual modelling to determine their detectability when viewed by conspecifics, raptors and humans. Our results show that <i>P. liolepis</i> dorsal coloration varies chromatically with sex and locality and also shows iridescence (i.e. reflectance peaks at shorter wavelengths with increasing viewing angle). Lizards from EB are brown dorsally, whereas most lizards from LM, especially males, show a green dorsal background coloration, reflectance peaking at shorter wavelengths in lizards from LM compared to lizards from EB. Angle-dependent shifts in peak location are smaller in LM males than in other groups, yet iridescence appears more pronounced (i.e. larger chromatic distances between viewing angles) in LM than in EB due to greater overlap between the involved waveband and receiver cone sensitivities. Additionally, <i>P. liolepis</i> dorsal iridescence may be more noticeable to humans and raptors than to lizards. Our findings suggest that intraspecific colour variation influences iridescence detectability across observers, underscoring the need for objective colour quantification and visual modelling to assess the ecological consequences of animal coloration.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"239-255"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740072","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aging cheetahs using gum-line recession and evaluation of expert-based aging techniques","authors":"B. Cristescu,&nbsp;A. F. Basto,&nbsp;M. Laincz,&nbsp;N. Bornman,&nbsp;L. Marker","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70017","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Accurate aging is a useful tool in wildlife management, providing critical information for population dynamics research, age-specific limiting factors, and conservation efforts. Many methods used to age mammalian carnivores are either invasive, expensive, or inconvenient to use in the field. In felids, the gum-line recession has been found to accurately estimate the age of female mountain lions and tigers. In contrast, expert-based aging techniques used on cheetahs (<i>Acinonyx jubatus</i>) can only categorize adults into broad age classes. We assessed whether the gum-line recession of the upper canine teeth provides reliable information for aging cheetahs by using measurements on cheetahs of known age (<i>n</i> = 37) in sex-specific linear models. We found a significant positive relationship between gum-line recession and known age for both female (<i>n</i> = 21) and male cheetahs (<i>n</i> = 16), and we contribute herein sex-specific regression models that can be used to age the animals based on the gum-line measurements collected during handling. In addition, we compared expert-derived age categories assigned to cheetahs of unknown age (<i>n</i> = 23) to the ages estimated by the gum-line recession models. Expert-based aging produced similar results to gum-line recession for some individuals, but the ages of other individuals were underestimated by biologists, particularly for older cheetahs. Our data show that gum-line recession measurements provide biologists with a reliable, minimally invasive, and convenient technique to age cheetahs in the field, and we encourage validation of this technique in other field-intensive projects involving felid capture.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"207-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population genetics and the role of dispersal barriers in the Antarctic springtail Kaylathalia klovstadi (Collembola, Isotomidae)","authors":"S. Boschi,&nbsp;C. Cucini,&nbsp;E. Cardaioli,&nbsp;F. Frati,&nbsp;F. Nardi,&nbsp;A. Carapelli","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70012","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Isolation and extreme environmental conditions have significantly impacted terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity in Antarctica, with glacial cycles further limiting animal diversity to a small number of species. Among these, springtails are relatively abundant, though their taxonomic diversity remains low. Antarctic glaciers may serve as major dispersal barriers, leading to high levels of genetic divergence among isolated populations. In Victoria Land (continental Antarctica), the Tucker Glacier has been proposed as an example of such a barrier; however, different species or taxa may respond differently to the same geographical features. In this study, we tested whether geographic distance, major glacier tongues, and seawater channels influence the distribution of <i>Kaylathalia klovstadi</i> (Collembola; Isotomidae) in Northern Victoria Land. We conducted mitochondrial DNA haplotype analysis on fragments of cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 (<i>cox1</i>) and ATP synthase 6 (<i>atp6</i>) in 62 individuals from six <i>K. klovstadi</i> populations. Our analysis provides new insights into the genetic diversity and distribution patterns of <i>K. klovstadi</i> by incorporating additional sampling sites, specimens, and molecular markers. We challenge previous views regarding the role of the Tucker Glacier as a significant physical barrier to springtail dispersal in Northern Victoria Land. Our findings suggest that the impact of physical barriers on the genetic diversity of Antarctic Collembola, including the species studied here, requires a more careful evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 2","pages":"109-120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive females of a cooperatively breeding rodent are in better body condition when living in large groups","authors":"K. T. Finn,&nbsp;A. K. Janse Van Vuuren,&nbsp;T. Süess,&nbsp;D. W. Hart,&nbsp;N. C. Bennett,&nbsp;M. Zöttl","doi":"10.1111/jzo.70015","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jzo.70015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cooperation and group living have been suggested to facilitate survival in varying environments and under challenging conditions. However, group living may also be associated with costs, particularly in species where individuals within groups may compete for limited resources. The costs and benefits of cooperative group living on cooperatively breeding mammals in varying environments remain unclear. Here, we use data collected from wild, cooperatively breeding Natal mole-rats (<i>Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis</i>) inhabiting a seasonally varying environment to assess whether body condition changes between seasons and whether these changes are contingent upon group size. We demonstrate that the body condition of reproductive females improved with increasing helper number during both the benign summer and the harsher winter seasons. However, the body condition of other group members showed little dependency on group size or season. Only when including one extremely large group did the body condition of non-breeders weakly, albeit significantly, change depending on group size and seasonality. These results suggest that larger group sizes may yield some benefits for non-breeding group members during winter and may invoke some costs during summer. Group living in Natal mole-rats is likely promoted by a combination of collective foraging, thermoregulatory benefits, and potentially some indirect fitness benefits through improved body condition of the breeding female.</p>","PeriodicalId":17600,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Zoology","volume":"326 3","pages":"231-238"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jzo.70015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144740230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}