Data for lifetime reproductive success in S. fulvus

Data description for “Early predictors
of female lifetime reproductive success in a solitary hibernator: an evidence
for “silver spoon” effect”

Nina A. Vasilieva, Andrey V. Tchabovsky

The table contains data for lifetime
reproductive success of yellow ground squirrel females (Spermophilus fulvus), observed in the natural colony in
Saratovskaya oblast’, Russia, in the vicinity of village Dyakovka (50°43′88″N,
46°46′04″E).

COLUMNS DESCRIPTION:

Female
ID – female identity.

Litter
ID – the female’s natal litter identity.

Lifetime reproductive success predictors:

Date
of natal emergence – date of the first emergence of
the focal female from the natal burrow.

Weaning
weight, g – female body weight at the first
emergence from the natal burrow.

N
days between weightings – number of days between
the female weightings.

Weight
gain rate, g/day – early growth rate, the
difference between consecutive weightings divided by the number of days between
them (Ndays ≥15; the first weighing was the weaning weight).

Natal
litter size – size of the female natal litter at
the first emergence from the natal burrow.

Mean
distance to burrows of 20 nearest juveniles, m – average
distance from the female natal burrow to natal burrows of 20 nearest juveniles,
including the littermates; used as a measurement of juvenile local density.

Distance
to the village, m - the shortest distance (m) from
the female natal burrow to the nearest garden fence in the village adjacent to
the colony; used as a correlate of the potential negative human effect and
disturbance.

Adult
population density, ind/ha - the density of adult
animals (N animals per 1 ha); used as
a proxy for total population density within the colony in the year of female
birth

Amount
of rain in May-June, mm - the total precipitation
during May and June in the year of female birth.

Year - the year of female birth.

Lifetime reproductive success components:

Survival
to adulthood (0-no, 1-yes) – we considered the
female survived to adulthood if it was registered in
May after its first hibernation of later, i.e. it could potentially wean at
least one litter.

Lifespan - the number of full years between the female’s natal emergence and
disappearance from the colony.

N
weaned litters – the lifetime number of weaned
litters.

N
weaned offspring – the lifetime number of weaned
offspring (weanlings).

N
yearling offspring – the lifetime number of
offspring survived to maturation, i.e. the total number of offspring survived the
first hibernation.