Present Status of Protection on Chinese Alligator' s Population and Habitat

扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis)是我国特有的古老而珍稀的爬行动物,现阶段野生扬子鳄的分布区域进一步萎缩,成为彼此孤立的点状,残存栖息地的生态环境趋于恶化,野生鳄数量估计为120 ～150条,老年化程度高.扬子鳄的保护管理依据现实状况及时加以调整,加大了野外保护力度,逐步改善野生鳄的栖息生境,实施野外放归工程,初步遏制了野生鳄数量迅速下滑的局面.人工饲养种群数量已逾10 000条,当前人工饲养繁殖的重点是管理好有限的遗传多样性资源.扬子鳄的研究主要涉及形态学、解剖学、组织胚胎学、生态学、生理生化、细胞及分子生物学,人工饲养繁殖技术等方面.营养生理和保护遗传学的应用研究有待加强.     

建议开展扬子鳄保护遗传学和开发利用研究

扬子鳄是一种人工饲养繁殖成功的濒危野生动物。１９９２年获ＣＩＴＥＳ成员大会批准,允许子二代鳄的商业性开发利用。作者分析了我国扬鳄保护、养殖现状和扬子鳄群体的跗特征,认为一方面扬子鳄野生资源仍受到威胁,另一方面随着饲养各群数量的增加,养殖费用不断增长,扬子鳄在潜在经济价值也示能实现。鉴于此,提出加强动用现代生物技术对扬鳄保护遗传学和开发利用研究的建议。     

人工养殖的扬子鳄适应自然环境的能力

为了复壮扬子鳄野生种群数量,实施养殖扬子鳄放归自然是重要途径之一.通过对人工养殖扬子鳄进行野外放归的试验研究,以探明其在野外环境下活动情况和适应能力.2007年6～11月,采用无线电遥测跟踪、望远镜观察和夜间辅助灯光望远镜观察等方法,对健康的4条5.5年龄和3条2.5年龄的人工养殖扬子鳄在自然环境下活动情况进行观察;在2008和2009年的5月,将这些鳄重捕后测量它们的大小并察看生长情况.结果显示:扬子鳄的释放初期经历了过渡期和争夺领域期2个阶段,20天后处于不同的区域内,具领域特征和营建洞穴行为,能够安全越冬;逐渐恢复野生习性,自我保护的警惕性提高,逃避威胁的能力加强;小龄鳄生长明显,大龄鳄没有明显生长,这与它们所处环境的食物种类有关;鳄性成熟后,能够成功繁殖.总之,人工养殖扬子鳄能够适应相应的自然环境,能够正常生活、生存和繁衍.     

影响扬子鳄产蛋量的因素分析

1997～2006年对安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心内的扬子鳄亲本、F1代和F2代繁殖鳄群体在冬眠环境条件、采食量、年龄等方面进行观察,对各代繁殖鳄的年产蛋数量进行统计。用SPSS11.0软件中的one-way ANOVA方法分析比较人工饲养鳄各代群体之间及人工饲养鳄与野生鳄群体之间年产蛋数量的变化关系,结果显示区域内扬子鳄所建造的洞穴数量和其所建造洞穴的质量决定着圈养鳄的冬眠质量,鳄的冬眠质量影响到鳄体内的性腺系统正常发育,最终影响扬子鳄次年能否参加产蛋;年采食量影响鳄的产蛋数量。通过第1、2、5年间产蛋量F值检验(F值=4.866,P=0.009<0.05),得出圈养条件下扬子鳄的产蛋数量是随着产龄的增加而呈增长的趋势。     

扬子鳄的保护遗传学研究进展

保护遗传学是主要研究与灭绝风险相关的遗传因素以及如何利用遗传学管理方法降低物种灭绝风险的科学,是保护生物学和分子遗传学的交叉学科.近几十年来,遗传学研究在生物多样性保护的理论和实践中发挥着越来越重要的作用.本文回顾了AFLP、mtDNA D-loop、RAPD、微卫星DNA、MHC等DNA分子标记技术在扬子鳄的样品采集、生物多样性、个体鉴定、繁殖管理、野外放归等保护遗传学方面研究所取得的一些进展.对扬子鳄保护的工作提出了建议:重建扬子鳄的谱系;加大对扬子鳄的放归力度;加强饲养种群之间的基因交流;借鉴密河鳄的管理经验.     

扬子鳄的越冬管理

扬子鳄(Ａｌｌｉｇａｔｏｒｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ)是我国特有的珍稀爬行动物。安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心经过20年的发展,现有扬子鳄8000余条,是国内外驯养、繁殖扬子鳄的最大种群基地。冬眠是扬子鳄适应寒冷气候的一种生理现象,其越冬管理的好坏直接影响到幼鳄的成活率和成鳄的繁殖率,故其越冬技术一直很受重视,并不断得以完善,现将其总结,供引种扬子鳄饲养者参考。由于不同年龄扬子鳄的生理特点和管理要求不同,所以将扬子鳄的越冬管理分成当年孵出鳄、2-6龄鳄和成鳄3个年龄段来叙述。1　当年孵出鳄的越冬管理当年孵出的幼鳄,身体各器官的功能尚…     

人工孵化扬子鳄

扬子鳄属爬行纲、鳄目、鼍科,为我国特产,与大熊猫同列一类保护动物。分布于我国长江中下游的一些省份,主产于安徽南部。过去完全靠野外自然繁殖,加上人为的破坏,数量已大为减少。1979年国家在皖南建立了自然保护区和繁殖研究中心。科学家们用室内恒温孵化法,人工孵化扬子鳄成功。三年多的时间内,共孵化出幼鳄387条,成活率达百分之六十以上。左图     

自然条件下人工辅助扬子鳄卵孵化的研究

提高自然条件下扬子鳄卵的孵化率 ,不仅可以节省人工室内孵化所需的大量人力、物力 ,还有助于野外扬子鳄自然种群的恢复和扩大 ,具有重要的现实意义。我们于 1 990年 7月～ 9月对此进行了探索 ,并初获成效 ,现报道如下。1　材料和方法1 1　扬子鳄卵的获得　取安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心饲养的繁殖鳄当年所产的全部鳄卵作实验研究对象。1 .2　实验方法⑴孵化用窝巢的准备　选择野外阳光充足、靠近水源的一平坦处 ,人工筑成 1× 1 的窝巢。巢底垫以杂草 ,其上放置厚约 1 0～ 1 4ｃｍ的苔藓 ,再堆放约 5ｃｍ杂草。窝巢上方搭一活动木棚 ,棚顶…     

人工条件下越冬扬子鳄的繁殖

2003年11月~2004年9月在安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心,观察了人工养殖的成年扬子鳄(Alligatorsinensis)在饲养池和模拟自然生态环境的繁殖区中越冬后的繁殖行为。结果表明,在与扬子鳄自然洞穴的温度和水分条件相似但其他条件相差很大的人工环境中冬眠的扬子鳄具有繁殖能力。越冬后,这些鳄只能在具备其栖息地环境特点的场地成功繁殖,但不能在不具备这种环境特点的场地成功繁殖。本研究拓展了扬子鳄的人工繁殖技术,为扬子鳄人工繁殖场地的兴建提供参考资料。     

扬子鳄:中国的也是世界的

扬子鳄是目前我国现存的唯一特产鳄种,被列为国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物,世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)更是将扬子鳄列为全球23种鳄鱼中最濒危的鳄类。扬子鳄有着顽强的生命力,曾与恐龙共同生活过一亿多年并延续至今便是最好的明证。但是,自20世纪中叶以来,随着人类活动影响的逐渐加剧,其种群数量和分布地域呈急速锐减的态势。扬子鳄.这一珍贵的孑遗物种徘徊在了灭绝的边缘。1980年,在精心饲养条件下,扬子鳄产下了中国第一批幼鳄,成为人工饲养条件下繁殖成功的先例。1982年安徽省扬子鳄     

野生扬子鳄种群动态变化及致危因素

1998—2003年,采用问卷调查、走访居民、夜间灯光照射计数等方法,对可能有野生扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis)分布的安徽省、浙江省和江苏省的45个地点进行了调查。结果发现：目前野生扬子鳄呈点状分布在至少23个地点,个体总数约120条,主要集中分布在安徽扬子鳄国家级自然保护区内。通过连续调查和对比分析表明：自20世纪50年代扬子鳄数量急剧下降(从5000—6000条下降为120条),但1998年至今其数量保持相对稳定(120条),种群的致危因素主要是栖息地破坏、人为捕杀、环境污染、自然灾害、繁殖力低等。在不同时期导致数量下降的因素不同：1950—1990年问,主要是由于栖息地丧失、人为捕杀等;目前的主要致危因素是缺乏适宜的自然栖息地,环境污染和遗传多样性丧失是潜在的致危因素。旱灾对野生扬子鳄生存的影响并不明显。     

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) weight gain in captivity and implications for captive reptile body condition

The body condition of an animal is an indicator of health status and is dependent upon many factors, some of which can vary between wild and captive settings. Despite this, there have not been many studies on how captivity affects body condition relative to wild animal populations. This study explores the body condition of captive and wild American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) because reptiles are frequently overlooked in studies of captive animal health and because alligators are well-represented in captivity. We collected body condition data from 209 captive alligators and 935 wild alligators throughout Florida and southeastern Georgia and compared the relationships between body condition and body length for each group. We found that captive alligators exhibited significantly higher body condition values as they aged, and that this result was driven by the difference between captive and wild males. Body condition values for captive juveniles did not differ from wild juveniles, but they differed when comparing adults. Our results suggest that factors such as diet and movement rates play major roles in determining alligator body condition and that body condition may be an important metric for monitoring captive alligator health, especially for older adult males.     

AFLP Analysis of genetic variation on captive‐bred chinese alligators: an application to select individuals for release

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered species in China. Wild populations of Chinese alligator are on the edge of extinction. Through a release program, some captive‐bred alligators will be selected and released into the wild to supplement and renew natural populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic variation of captive‐bred Chinese alligators by AFLP markers and to select individuals with maximally different genetic backgrounds for release. Forty‐three captive‐bred alligators of the second filial generation from the Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction (ARCCAR) were surveyed using four primer combinations, yielding 117 AFLP markers. According to AFLP fingerprints, six samples had distinctly different band patterns compared to other samples. When the six samples were removed from the analysis, there were 19 monomorphic loci and 98 polymorphic loci yielding 84% polymorphic loci. Moreover, the genetic similarity (GS) among 37 samples varied from 0.13–0.97, and the average was 0.7503±0.0064 standard error (SE). When the six samples were included, the GS value among the 43 samples declined and varied from 0.06–0.97, and the average was 0.6523±0.0079 SE. Based on a cluster analysis using UPGMA, a dendrogram of the 43 alligators was constructed. According to the cluster analysis and gender of the 43 samples, eight Chinese alligators with very different genetic backgrounds were selected and suggested for release with two groups in the future. Zoo Biol 0:1–12, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Study on the current population and habitat of the wild Chinese alligator ( Al ligator sinensis )

A survey of wild Chinese Alligator was conducted from July to August 1999 and from August to September 2000 by direct counting after dark (20 z00pm) using headlamps or a 12v portable spotlight. At each site visited , the authors mapped the ponds using laser rangefinder and compass , characterized the physical nature of the ponds and vegetation , and conducted interviews with local residents. The location of all sites was recorded using a hand2held GPS. There are 26 sites in 5 counties that were surveyed where wild Chinese Alligators still exist in Anhui province , including 13 designated conservation sites of the National Chinese Alligator Reserve. The current wild alligator populations mainly exist in the best type of habitat , which totals 17.4 ha with estimated populations of 50.7 % in 1999 and 40.0 % in 2000. This can be compared with the other two types of habitat , which total 22. 0 ha and 19. 0 ha , with their estimated population numbers of 24.0 % in 1999 and 30.9 % in 2000 , and 25.3 % in 1999 and 29.1 % in 2000 respectively. The average ecological densities of the alligators in the two years were 1.3 ind. / ha and 1.8 ind. / ha , with an estimated population of 145 individuals. However , the population has been evidently divided into 18 isolated small local populations with different numbers of individuals. We suggest that habitat should be restored and captive-reared alligators should be reint roduced into the area to rebuild a viable population.     

Microsatellite analysis of genetic diversity in the Chinese alligator (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alligator sinensis</Emphasis>) Changxing captive population

Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered species endemic to China. In this study, the extent of genetic variation in the captive alligators of the Changxing Reserve Center was investigated using microsatellite markers derived from American alligators. Out of 22 loci employed, 21 were successfully amplified in the Chinese alligator. Sequence analysis showed loci in American alligators had a bigger average size than that of the Chinese alligators and the longest allele of an individual locus almost always existed in the species with longer stretch of repeat units. Eight of the 22 loci were found to be polymorphic with a total of 26 alleles present among 32 animals scored, yielding an average of 3.25 alleles per polymorphic locus. The expected heterozygosity (H _E) ranged at a moderate level from 0.4385 to 0.7163 in this population. Compared to that in the American alligators, a lower level of microsatellite diversity existed in the Changxing population as revealed by about 46% fewer alleles per locus and smaller H _E at the homologous loci. The average exclusion power and the ability to detect shared genotypes and multiple paternity were evaluated for those markers. Results suggested that when the polymorphic loci were combined, they could be sensitive markers in genetic diversity study and relatedness inference within the Chinese alligator populations. The level of genetic diversity present in the current Changxing population indicated an important resource to complement reintroductions based on the individuals from the other population. In addition, the microsatellite markers and their associated diversity characterized in this population could be utilized to further investigate the genetic status of this species.     

扬子鳄种群MHC Ⅱ类B基因第3外元多态性分析

分析了取自安徽宣城野生种群、安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心和浙江长兴养殖种群的14条扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元的多态性。在这些扬子鳄样本中共检测到34个单倍型,每个亚种群内检测到的单倍型数量分别为15,9和10个,与其他一些动物如哺乳动物和鲤科鱼类相比,扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元多态性较高。另外,非同义替换率显著小于同义替换率,这可能表明扬子鳄种群MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元的多态性不是由平衡选择保持的。Tajima的中性检测拒绝了扬子鳄MHCⅡ类B基因第3外元多态性是由遗传漂变引起的零假设。D=-0．401也暗示了扬子鳄种群中存在较多的稀有变异。同时我们也分析了核苷酸多样性和系统发生关系,结果表明扬子鳄的3个种群遗传多样性无显著性差异。     

Chronic incidental lead ingestion in a group of captive-reared alligators (Alligator mississippiensis): possible contribution to reproductive failure

An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) breeding facility using male and female alligators raised from artificially incubated eggs was established in 1975. These alligators first reproduced at 6 years of age as compared to 10-12 years in wild alligators, but the eggs produced showed a lower hatching rate than those collected from the wild. By age 21 reproduction had failed almost completely. The alligators were sacrificed and tissues collected at necropsy from 44 captive and 15 wild animals and assayed for metals. Results showed that captive alligators had significantly higher tissue levels of lead than wild alligators. Cadmium did not differ between wild and captive and selenium was 50% higher in wild than captive alligator kidneys. Bone lead in captive alligators was 252,443 +/- 20,462 ng/g. High yolk lead was suggested as a probable cause for early embryonic death in alligator eggs. The high tissue lead levels in captive alligators was attributed to long-term consumption of nutria (Myocastor coypus) meat contaminated with lead shot. Liver, ovary, and testis were assayed for lipid peroxidation using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. Captive alligators had 3.6 fold increased TBA-reactive materials in the liver tissue compared to wild. Lipid peroxidation was strongly suspected as having been enhanced by consumption of rancid nutria meat containing lead.     

野生扬子鳄种群及栖息地现状研究

1999年7～8月及2000年8～9月,利用GPS、激光测距仪等,采用夜间灯光照射计数方法,对 有野生扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis)存在的安徽省宣州、泾县、广德、郎溪、南陵等5 县市的26个地点进行了调查,包括扬子鳄国家级自然保护区的13个指定保护点。结果发现： 目前野生扬子鳄主要生存在第一类栖息地（1999年50.7%、2000年40.0%）,面积为17.38 hm²;其他两类栖息地的野生扬子鳄分布比率较小（各为1999年24.0%、2000年30.9%、1999 年25.3% 、2000年29.1%）,面积分别为22.04hm²、19.03hm²。两年的平均生态密度分别为1.28条/hm²和1.79条/hm²,野生扬子鳄种群数量为145条。其种群已明显分为至少18个数 量不等且相互隔离的地方种群。建议恢复足够大的栖息地,并放饲养鳄于其中以重新 建立有效野生种群。     

Very Low Population Structure in a Highly Mobile and Wide-Ranging Endangered Bird Species

The loss of biodiversity following fragmentation and degradation of habitat is a major issue in conservation biology. As competition for resources increases following habitat loss and fragmentation, severe population declines may occur even in common, highly mobile species; such demographic decline may cause changes within the population structure of the species. The regent honeyeater, Anthochaera phrygia, is a highly nomadic woodland bird once common in its native southeast Australia. It has experienced a sharp decline in abundance since the late 1970s, following clearing of large areas of its preferred habitat, box-ironbark woodland, within the last 200 years. A captive breeding program has been established as part of efforts to restore this species. This study used genetic data to examine the range-wide population structure of regent honeyeaters, including spatial structure, its change through time, sex differences in philopatry and mobility, and genetic differences between the captive and wild populations. There was low genetic differentiation between birds captured in different geographic areas. Despite the recent demographic decline, low spatial structure appears to have some temporal consistency. Both sexes appear to be highly mobile, and there does not seem to be significant genetic differentiation between the captive and wild populations. We conclude that management efforts for survival of this species, including habitat protection, restoration, and release of captive-bred birds into the wild, can treat the species as effectively a single genetic population.     

Rapid genetic and morphologic divergence between captive and wild populations of the endangered Leon Springs pupfish,Cyprinodon bovinus

The Leon Springs pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus) is an endangered species currently restricted to a single desert spring and a separate captive habitat in southwestern North America. Following establishment of the captive population from wild stock in 1976, the wild population has undergone natural population size fluctuations, intentional culling to purge genetic contamination from an invasive congener (Cyprinodon variegatus) and augmentation/replacement of wild fish from the captive stock. A severe population decline following the most recent introduction of captive fish prompted us to examine whether the captive and wild populations have differentiated during the short time they have been isolated from one another. If so, the development of divergent genetic and/or morphologic traits between populations could contribute to a diminished ability of fish from one location to thrive in the other. Examination of genomewide single nucleotide polymorphisms and morphologic variation revealed no evidence of residual C. variegatus characteristics in contemporary C. bovinus samples. However, significant genetic and morphologic differentiation was detected between the wild and captive populations, some of which might reflect local adaptation. Our results indicate that genetic and physical characteristics can diverge rapidly between isolated subdivisions of managed populations, potentially compromising the value of captive stock for future supplementation efforts. In the case of C. bovinus, our findings underscore the need to periodically inoculate the captive population with wild genetic material to help mitigate genetic, and potentially morphologic, divergence between them and also highlight the utility of parallel morphologic and genomic evaluation to inform conservation management planning.