Photodestruction of Polyvinylpyrrolidone in Aqueous Solutions of Metal Nitrates
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Comments parental
the
behaviour
use in
of the squamate
term
"Brooding"
to
describe
reptiles
Louis A. Somma Departmentof Zoology,223 Bartram Hall, Universityof Florida, Gainesville,Florida 32611, USA
The use of the term "brooding" and associated terminology, in reference to parental behaviour in squamate reptiles, has been historically inconsistent. It is the purpose of this note to review the use of terms used to describe parental care of eggs, define the term "brooding", and recommend a common application of this term for future workers in this field. Campbell and Quinn (1975) suggested that the term "brooding" should only be used in reference to thermoregulation of the clutch such as shivering thermogenesis in pythons (Valenciennes, 1841; Dowling, 1960; Hutchison et al., 1966; Vinegar et al., 1970; Harlow and Grigg, 1984). Presumably, this definition is similar to that used for avian egg incubation (Welty, 1982). Schmidt and Inger (1957) rejected the use of "brooding" to describe egg attendance in the lizard genus Eumeces for similar reasons but were also doubtful of the use of the term "guarding" because egg defence had not been established. The term "guarding" has been considered more appropriate for describing egg attendance in the Asiatic cobra, Naja naja, because of its obvious ability to protect its eggs from predators (Campbell and Quinn, 1975). Consequently, it is expected that these authors would apply this term to all venomous snakes that remain with their developing eggs including the elapids (Wasey, 1892; Wall, 1921; Oliver, 1956; Leakey, 1969; Tryon, 1979), some viperids (Pope, 1929; Smith, 1943; Leakey, 1969) and a few colubrids (Sweeney, 1971: FitzSimons, 1974). While Campbell and Quinn (1975) do not address what term should be used for lizards and snakes in which no known function for egg attendance has been determined, Tinkle and Gibbons (1977) prefer to use
90 for these situations. This would include egg attendance in the anguid "egg-guarding" and scincid lizards (Noble and Mason, 1933; Greene and Dial, 1966; Wang, 1966; Fitch, 1970; Langerwerf, 1984), and many snakes in the families Colubridae (Wall, 1938; Meade, 1940; Fukada, 1965) and Lepto1921; Pope, 1929; Kopstein, Furthermore, Campbell and Quinn (1975) do not 1964). typhlopidae (Hibbard, should be used in reference to physiological functions discuss whether "brooding" other than thermoregulation such as hydroregulation of developing eggs and embryos (Somma, 1985). Peters ( 1 964) states that brooding behaviour need not have a thermoregulatory function to be correctly applied, and defines brooding as "the act of staying with and perhaps caring for or incubating the egg mass". Carpenter and Ferguson (1977) use brooding to describe the behaviour of any female that remains with her eggs after oviposition. Presumably, this would also apply to male parental behaviour. Since these authors provide the most comprehensive interpretation of brooding behaviour, it is herein recommended as having the most appropriate application in herpeto
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