Improved nutritional status may promote an \"asset protection\" reproductive strategy in male rock lizards

Investing in the current reproduction requires diverting energy resources from other metabolic functions, which may compromise future reproduction and lifespan. To solve this trade-off, an individual may consider its labile state to decide how much to invest in current reproduction. We tested experimentally whether the \"state quality\" of male rock lizards influences their reproductive strategies. To improve the nutritional status of males before the mating season, we captured and supplemented experimental males (N = 20) with dietary vitamin D3 (an essential nutrient for lizards) and had a control group of males (N = 20). Then, we released all these males and females (N = 31) in a large semi-natural outdoor enclosure where lizards could interact and mate freely during the mating period. Activity levels of males did not vary between treatments, but supplemented males started fewer intrasexual agonistic interactions and made fewer mating advances to females. When the mating season ended, w...当前繁殖的能量投入，需从其他代谢功能中调配能量资源，这可能会损害个体未来的繁殖能力与寿命。为解决这一繁殖权衡难题，个体可依据自身的动态生理状态，确定当前繁殖的能量投入规模。我们通过实验验证了雄性岩蜥的"状态质量"是否会影响其繁殖策略。为在交配季前提升雄性个体的营养状况，我们捕获了20只雄性作为实验个体，为其补充膳食维生素D3（dietary vitamin D3，蜥蜴必需的营养物质），并设置了包含20只雄性的对照组。随后，我们将所有雄性与31只雌性一同放归至大型半自然室外围场，使蜥蜴可在交配期内自由互动与交配。实验结果显示，两组雄性的活动水平并无显著差异，但补充了维生素D3的雄性，其种内对抗性互动频次更低，对雌性的求偶尝试也更少。当交配季结束时，[原文未完成]