Ll. Getz et B. Mcguire, A COMPARISON OF LIVING SINGLY AND IN MALE-FEMALE PAIRS IN THE PRAIRIEVOLE, MICROTUS-OCHROGASTER, Ethology, 94(4), 1993, pp. 265-278
We measured potential advantages of living singly as contrasted to in
male-female pairs in a free-living population of the prairie vole (Mic
rotus ochrogaster) in a high food habitat. Whereas adult females survi
ved longer when living in a pair than when living singly, adult males
survived longer when single and wandering throughout the study site th
an when paired. Estimated total number of offspring produced that surv
ived to adulthood and became reproductive was similar for paired femal
es (0.32 female and 0.36 male offspring/female) and females living sin
gly (0.34 female and 0.25 male offspring/female). There was no correla
tion between the proportion of unpaired adult males in the population
and either adult population density, adult sex ratio, or proportion of
females that were living singly. These results support the hypothesis
that living in pairs evolved in the original low food habitat of the
prairie vole and represents a basic behavioral trait that is retained
regardless of food resources in the habitats now occupied.