Offspring survival changes over generations of captive breeding

Captive Breeding of Birds

Generations in captivity increases behavioral variance: considerations for captive breeding and reintroduction programs

Long-term maintenance of captive populations followed by release of captive animals into the wild is one of many approaches to endangered species conservation. To assess captivity’s effects on behavior, a simulated predator was presented and response behaviors measured in oldfield mice, Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. The animals tested were from four populations collected from Ocala National...

Captive Breeding and Gene Banks

Today, our planet is in a state of crisis and many of its natural resources have been destroyed by human activities. One of the principle aims of conservation biology is to promote concrete management programs to limit any further increase in the number of extinct and threatened species and ecosystems. Different approaches may be followed to maintain the world’s biodiversity: the in situ approa...

Captive breeding of Dipsochelys giant tortoises

The Seychelles Giant Tortoise Conservation Project captive breeding programme for the Seychelles tortoises Dipsochelys arnoldi and D. hololissa is described. Successful hatching occurred in 2002 and the reasons for this success discussed. Important factors are enclosure design, social structure and the use of artificial incubation. Methods for sexing hatchlings are discussed. There may be great...

Carry-over effect of captive breeding reduces reproductive fitness of wild-born descendants in the wild.

Supplementation of wild populations with captive-bred organisms is a common practice for conservation of threatened wild populations. Yet it is largely unknown whether such programmes actually help population size recovery. While a negative genetic effect of captive breeding that decreases fitness of captive-bred organisms has been detected, there is no direct evidence for a carry-over effect o...