Table 2 Schedule of experimental steps and faecal sampling during each experimental run
Experimental day | Experimental steps | Faecal sampling |
|---|---|---|
0 | voles paired in laboratory | Â |
3 | males removed | Â |
12 | pregnant females released into enclosures for habituation | Â |
15 | treatment animals (NP, RC, C) added to enclosures | b: baseline, prior to the experiment |
18 | females equipped with radio tags | I: sample under treatment conditions, prior to parturition |
19-21 | parturition, nest site identification by radio telemetry | Â |
22-24 | detection of nest entrances by fogging, activity measurements by automatic transponder reading antennas | Â |
24 | burrow characteristics and offspring parameter | II: sample under treatment, with nestlings |