This dataset was compiled as the result of an investigation of the mating system of gray-sided voles (Myodes rufocanus) within a 3-ha outdoor enclosure from September 1992 to May 1994. The data (vole_data.csv) included information on estimated birth locations, assigned parents, and estimated birth and death dates for 920 individuals born within the enclosure. They were derived from 215 litters, among which 51 litters had multiple paternity.

It was also accompanied with capture and recapture data of all individuals for 30 trapping sessions (capture_data.csv), which were conducted for 3 days every 2 weeks, except for periods with deep snow cover, using live traps set at 300 trap stations in a 20 × 15-grid pattern with 10-m spacing (Figure_1.png). Traps were set at 0900 h and checked at 1400 h and 2000 h every day; all traps were closed after the check at 2000 h. The location of capture, body weight, and reproductive status of each vole were recorded throughout the study period.

Details of the methods used to assign parents were provided in our previous publications (Ishibashi & Saitoh, 2008a, 2008b; Ishibashi et al., 1998; Ishibashi et al., 1995). Because a few initial errors in parentage have been corrected in this database, the descriptions provided in Ishibashi and Saitoh (2008b) are the most useful for understanding the procedure used to establish parentage.

Header Information

For "vole_data.csv"

• IDvole: Identification number (ID) of each vole, assigned by toe clipping. Prefixes “F” and “M” denote females and males, respectively.
• DNA#: ID of each DNA sample, originating from the sampling tube number. Missing numbers indicate that tubes with these numbers were not used in sample collection, with the exception of DNA# 901 (IDvole: M23032), which belonged to an intruder from outside the enclosure and was excluded from the dataset.
• Sex: 0: Female; 1: Male.
• Natalsite_X and Natalsite_Y: Estimated activity center (a weighted average of capture points) for the mother at or around the offspring birth date. For example, the natal site of IDvole F11014 (DNA# 401) was located at the X, Y coordinate code 7.8-6.8, based on a 20 × 15 trap-station grid arrangement (Figure_1.png).
• IDmother: Identity of the assigned mother. Founders introduced into the enclosure were assigned numbers lower than 400.
• IDfather: Identity of the assigned father. Founders introduced into the enclosure were assigned numbers lower than 400.
• Datecopu: Estimated copulation date (Y/M/D), which was assumed to be 19 days before the estimated birth date.
• Datebirth: Estimated birth date (Y/M/D).
• Datedeath: The day after the last capture, selected for convenience (Y/M/D).
• Lifespan: Duration (days) between the estimated birth and death dates.
• IDrepro: Tentative litter serial number (range: 1–215).
• Spmp: 0: Offspring from a single-paternity litter; 1: Offspring from a multiple-paternity litter.
• IDmp: Tentative serial number for a multiple-paternity litter (range: 1–51). Offspring from a single-paternity litter were assigned IDmp = 0.
• Remarks: Notable information on the individual.

For "capture_data.csv"

• Serial#: Tentative serial number assigned for convenience (range: 1–4,166).
• IDsession: Number of the trapping session, where 0 indicates the introduction of founders (range: 0–30).
• Date: Date (Y/M/D) of the first day of a 3-day trapping session, or of founder introduction (for IDsession = 0). Associated with IDsession numbers 0–30.
• IDvole: ID of each vole, assigned by toe clipping.
• DNA#: ID of each DNA sample, originating from the sampling tube number.
• Sex: 0: Female; 1: Male.
• Datebirth: Estimated birth date (Y/M/D).
• Age: Age (days).
• BW: Body weight (g).
• Repro1: Diagnosis of reproductive state #1. In females, determined by the presence (3), unclear status (2), or absence (1) of the vaginal opening. In males, determined by the presence (3), unclear status (2), or absence (1) of testicular drop.
• Repro2: Diagnosis of reproductive state #2. In females, classified as pregnant (3), unclear (2), or not pregnant (1).
• Repro3: Diagnosis of reproductive state #3. In females, classified as lactating (3), unclear (2), or not lactating (1).
• Site1: Capture point on the afternoon of the first day of trapping. For example, Site1 = 215 indicates that the vole was captured at a trap set at point 02-15 on the afternoon of the first day.
• Site2: Capture point on the night of the first day.
• Site3: Capture point on the afternoon of the second day.
• Site4: Capture point on the night of the second day.
• Site5: Capture point on the afternoon of the third day.
• Site6: Capture point on the night of the third day.
• Site7, Site8, and Site9: Second or third capture point during a round of trap checks. Voles often entered a trap just after release.
• CapNo: Number of captures during a trapping session.
• ActCent_X and ActCent_Y: Estimated coordinates of the activity center during a trapping session.
• HRL: Home range length, determined as the largest geographical distance between two capture points.
• Remarks: Notable information on the individual.

Figure Caption

Figure_1.png

Diagram of the experimental enclosure. Dots indicate trap stations located at 10-m intervals in the X and Y directions (N = 300). Dotted line indicates an old forest path. The undergrowth consisted of two bamboo species, Sasa senanensis (no shading) and S. kurilensis (irregular shading). An open area at the center of the enclosure was created by cutting bamboos (rectangular shaded area). The positions of four trap stations (01-01, 01-15, 20-01, and 20-15) are indicated as reference points. Asterisk indicates point 7.8-6.8.

References

• Ishibashi, Y., & Saitoh, T. (2008a). Effect of local density of males on the occurrence of multimale mating in the gray-sided vole (Myodes rufocanus). Journal of Mammalogy, 89, 388–397. doi:10.1644/07-MAMM-A-036.1
• Ishibashi, Y., & Saitoh, T. (2008b). Role of male-biased dispersal in inbreeding avoidance in the grey-sided vole (Myodes rufocanus). Molecular Ecology, 17, 4887–4896. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03969.x
• Ishibashi, Y., Saitoh, T., Abe, S., & Yoshida, M. C. (1998). Kin-related social organization in a winter population of the vole Clethrionomys rufocanus. Researches on Population Ecology, 40, 51–59. doi:10.1007/BF02765221
• Ishibashi, Y., Saitoh, T., Abe, S., & Yoshida, M. C. (1995). Polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the grey red-backed vole Clethrionomys rufocanus bedfordiae. Molecular Ecology, 4, 127–128. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.1995.tb00200.x