Experimental Hybridization of the New World Quail (Odontophorinae)
1971; Oxford University Press; Volume: 88; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/4083879
ISSN1938-4254
Autores Tópico(s)Ecology and biodiversity studies
ResumoALTHOUGH the surprisingly high capacity for hybridization among species of the odontophorine genera Colinus, Callipepla, and Lophortyx has been recognized for some time (Gray, 1958), no systematic attempt has been made to produce and study such hybrid combinations.Those that have occurred have resulted under natural conditions or have been fortuitously produced by game breeders who were interested neither in the hybrids themselves nor in determining their relative fertility.As a result, the only positive information so far available on the fertility of hybrids among this group is that of Shore-Baily (1913), who obtained a brood of Fs hybrids from an original cross between a male Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) and a female California Quail (Lophortyx californica).These secondgeneration birds died before their fertility could be determined.Hubbard (1966) reported a possible back-cross hybrid involving Scaled Quail backcrossed to Gambel's Quail (Lophortyx gambelii) taken in New Mexico.To my knowledge, no other case of successful hybridization beyond the first generation has been reported, although hybrid females of various intergeneric combinations have been known to produce eggs (Johnsgard, 1970).To gain more satisfactory information on the possible fertility of such hybrids, and to study behavioral and morphological features of these birds, an effort has been made to breed interspecific hybrid combinations involving all of the North American species of these three genera.These include the Scaled Quail, Gambel's Quail, California Quail, Elegant or Douglas Quail (Lophortyx douglasii), and Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus).Also as the hybrid combination has twice been reported to occur in nature, the Mountain Quail (Oreortyx picta) was crossed with the California Quail.All birds were kept indoors in rooms provided with 17-hour photoperiods and temperatures ranging from about 70 to 80.øF.Two types of cages were used with equal success, including standard wood and wire-bottom quail breeding pens measuring 24 X 24 X 72 inches, and entirely open welded wire cages approximately 18 X 14 X 48 inches.Nest boxes were also provided, but the birds rarely used them.Eggs were collected daily, placed temporarily under cool storage in plastic bags, and set in an incubator at weekly intervals.The incubator was a forced-air model of commercial size with automatic turning, set for dry bulb and wet bulb readings of 99.3-
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