Townsend D S, Palmer B, Guillette L J
Department of Biology, University of Scranton, Pennsylvania 18510.
Horm Behav. 1991 Sep;25(3):313-22. doi: 10.1016/0018-506x(91)90004-2.
Males of the Puerto Rican frog Eleutherodactylus coqui exhibit prolonged parental care (nest attendance and defense) of direct-developing eggs in nonaquatic nest sites. Earlier work showed that plasma androgen levels are significantly lower in males caring for eggs than in noncaring, calling males. In this study, we investigated the effects of elevated plasma androgens on parental care behavior by implanting either testosterone (T) or placebo (P) pellets in parental males brooding eggs in the field. Plasma androgen levels, assessed 4 days after pellet implantation, were six times higher in T males than in P males. Despite this increase, T males exhibited no changes in nest fidelity or brooding behavior. The results indicate that lower androgen levels, at least those corresponding to a decline in T during parental care, are not necessary to maintain parental behavior in this tropical frog.
波多黎各蛙类“考齐姬蛙”的雄性个体对非水生巢穴中直接发育的卵表现出长期的亲代抚育行为（守护巢穴并进行防御）。早期研究表明，照顾卵的雄性个体血浆雄激素水平显著低于不照顾卵、会鸣叫的雄性个体。在本研究中，我们通过在野外照顾卵的雄性亲代体内植入睾酮（T）或安慰剂（P）丸剂，来研究血浆雄激素水平升高对亲代抚育行为的影响。在植入丸剂4天后评估发现，植入T丸剂的雄性个体血浆雄激素水平比植入P丸剂的雄性个体高六倍。尽管雄激素水平有所升高，但植入T丸剂的雄性个体在巢穴忠诚度或孵卵行为方面没有变化。结果表明，较低的雄激素水平，至少是那些与亲代抚育期间睾酮水平下降相对应的雄激素水平，对于维持这种热带蛙类的亲代行为并非必要。
