Influence of lymphoproliferative disease virus on behaviors of female eastern wild turkeys during reproductive periods

The wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) is a socially and economically important species, but local populations throughout broad areas of the species range have declined, primarily due to low reproductive success. Lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV) is a retrovirus that can cause disease in wild turkeys. Contemporary research suggests that LPDV is prevalent in wild turkeys. Whether LPDV is related to observed wild turkey population declines is unclear, but there is potential that the virus could cause direct and indirect effects on species demography. Our objectives were to evaluate whether LPDV infection in female wild turkeys influenced behaviors during reproductive periods, including during egg laying and incubation. We found that females infected with LPDV had greater average daily distances (+324 m) traveled during the egg laying period than non‐infected females. However, we failed to detect any biologically relevant relationships between infection with LPDV and rates of nest initiation or success, or female survival during incubation. Our findings suggest that LPDV may influence female behaviors during the reproductive period, but superficially these influences appear to have no negative influence on demography.