尖吻蝮幼蛇开口率的影响因素研究

目的了解人工养殖的不同体重尖吻蝮初生幼蛇对不同种类、重量食物的选择性,分析影响尖吻蝮幼蛇开口率的因素。方法将刚孵化出的尖吻蝮幼蛇按体重抽样分组,分别投入棘胸蛙幼蛙、多疣壁虎和小白鼠进行饲喂,统计不同体重的幼蛇对不同食物的偏好性、幼蛇对不同特征食物的选择性以及不同食物的损耗率。结果尖吻蝮幼蛇总开口率达98.33%,不同食物的开口率有显著性差异;在不同食物的分组开口实验中,投喂幼蛙的幼蛇开口率达95.0%,投喂壁虎的幼蛇开口率达60.0%,投喂乳鼠的幼蛇开口率仅15.0%。不同初生体重的幼蛇投喂壁虎、乳鼠的开口率差异显著,而投喂幼蛙的开口率差异无显著性。结论初生体重对幼蛇的进食能力有显著影响,尖吻蝮幼蛇开口食物应以幼蛙为主,壁虎为辅。     

尖吻蝮人工养殖灌喂技术研究

目的探讨采用灌喂器人工灌喂尖吻蝮技术的可行性。方法采用湖南京湘源蛇类养殖有限公司自主研制的灌喂器人工灌喂尖吻蝮,观察记录随机抽取的30条尖吻蝮幼蛇及30条尖吻蝮成蛇在机器灌喂后每条幼蛇的体重数据,每3个月测量1次,观察12个月统计尖吻蝮的体重增长情况,并与常规灌喂方法饲养的尖吻蝮进行比较。结果灌喂器饲养的尖吻蝮幼蛇成活率为86.67%,平均体重达（482.39±40.19）g;灌喂器饲养的尖吻蝮成蛇成活率为96.67%,平均体重达（1346.13±117.51）g。而同期常规灌喂技术饲养的尖吻蝮幼蛇全部死亡,尖吻蝮成蛇成活率为76.67%,平均体重（878.56±82.39）g。结论人工灌喂器饲养的尖吻蝮幼蛇及成蛇的体重增长快速,成活率高,值得推广。     

温度和卵大小对尖吻蝮幼蛇孵化及存活率影响的研究

目的研究尖吻蝮（Dienagkistrodon acutus）幼蛇成活率低的原因,观察不同温度条件和不同卵大小对尖吻蝮幼蛇的孵化、幼体特征、转化率、幼蛇存活率的影响。方法将不同窝尖吻蝮蛇卵按产卵日期相差不超过1天分为同一组,每组随机选择不同的温度进行孵化,采用隔水式恒温培养箱进行控温,以常温孵化作为对照试验,幼蛇出壳后采集相关试验数据并进行分析。在环境条件、养殖模式和养殖方法相同情况下对幼蛇饲养3个月,然后统计各组成活率。结果尖吻蝮幼体的孵化和幼体特征及存活率与孵化温度条件有明显相关性,孵化温度越高,孵化期越短,畸形率越高,蛇卵重量转化为幼体体重的转化率越低,3月龄幼蛇存活率越低。较大的尖吻蝮蛇卵孵出的幼蛇个体较大,生存力较强,存活率较高。结论尖吻蝮幼蛇的存活率与孵化温度条件及蛇卵重量大小有明显相关性,较适宜的孵化温度为24-26℃,蛇卵越大幼蛇存活率越高。     

尖吻蝮幼蛇就地和异地人工养殖研究

目的研究尖吻蝮（Deinagkistrodon acutbus）幼蛇在人工养殖过程中的技术难关,探讨尖吻蝮幼蛇生长缓慢的原因,以提高幼蛇的成活率和生长率。方法采用湖南省永州市野生尖吻蝮种蛇产卵孵化的幼蛇,在原产地永州与非原产地广西南宁进行幼蛇的人工饲养对比实验,观察在不同地域人工饲养的尖吻蝮幼蛇的生长速度。结果尖吻蝮幼蛇在本地及异地人工饲养均获得成功,尤其以南宁人工饲养的幼蛇最为明显,2010年9月饲养至2011年8月,幼蛇均重从（13．8±1．8）g增长至（198．8±80．6）g,最重的个体体重达350g。两地饲养的幼蛇均可自行捕食中华蟾蜍、老鼠及活小鸡、鸭苗,仅用1年时间将野生尖吻蝮子代幼蛇人工饲养成功。结论尖吻蝮幼蛇在本地及异地人工饲养是可行的。     

尖吻蝮和舟山眼镜蛇初生幼体的捕食性攻击行为

毒蛇捕食行为通常可以分为3个阶段:攻击前、攻击和攻击后阶段,其中攻击阶段在整个行为过程中起着决定性的作用。用数码摄像机拍摄了4个体温下尖吻蝮和舟山眼镜蛇幼体捕食小白鼠的行为过程,通过分析10个行为变量来比较两者捕食性攻击模式的差异并检测温度对攻击行为的影响。两种蛇对猎物产生明显不同的攻击反应。攻击前,尖吻蝮感应猎物能力相对较弱,头部移动速度缓慢,准备时间较长;攻击时,尖吻蝮头部移动速度显著大于舟山眼镜蛇;攻击注毒后两种蛇均释放猎物,尖吻蝮头部回缩至攻击前状态的时间间隔相对较短。体温显著影响两种蛇的攻击行为。在检测的温度范围内,两种蛇都在28℃体温条件下感应猎物能力达到最好;温度效应对尖吻蝮攻击速度的影响显著,但对舟山眼镜蛇不显著。不同蛇类捕食行为模式以及对体温变化反应的差别可能主要与其利用感觉器官、生境条件上的种间差异有关。     

乌梢蛇的人工孵化与冬眠前的人工饲养

室内人工孵化乌梢蛇卵16 7枚。平均卵重10 . 4 1g ,孵化出幼蛇14 2条,孵化率85 % ,其中11枚未受精,受精率93. 5 %。对幼蛇做了形体度量,挑选活泼健康的幼蛇98条,平均体重6 . 2 6±0 . 89g ,随机分成3组进行人工饲养,一组为群体饲养,另两组为单个饲养。开口饲料采用两种处理,一种是人工填喂瘦猪肉,另一种是饲喂活幼体泽蛙。饲养时间为冬眠前两个月。群体饲养组冬眠前平均增重率达4 0. 4 % ,单个饲养组平均增重率达4 6. 5 % ,未达差异显著(P >0 . 0 5 )。结果表明,活幼体泽蛙是乌梢蛇幼蛇良好的开口饲料     

尖吻蝮幼蛇饲养技术

尖吻蝮又名蕲蛇、祁蛇、五步蛇、棋盘蛇,喜生活在１００～１３５０ｍ高山区,唯我国特有品种。近年来,因大肆捕捉,野生资源大为减少,难以满足社会需求。因此,发展人工养蛇,特别养幼蛇,具有广阔发展前景。现介绍尖吻蝮孵化和幼蛇人工饲养技术：１孵化尖吻蝮为卵生蛇...     

蛇的食性

自然界中蛇类的食物十分丰富.蛇主要吃活的动物,包括从低等的无脊椎动物如蚯蚓、蛞蝓、蛇、鸟、鱼、蛙、蜥蜴以及昆虫等,甚至小型兽类.蛇吃植物非常少见,但曾有人了见到蟒蛇吃芒果或番茄.研究蛇的食性,有利于为饲养蛇供应食料.蛇的种类很多,各种蛇所摄取的食物也不相同.有的蛇是狭食性的,专吃某一种或几种食物.例如翠青蛇吃蚯蚓;钝头蛇吃陆生软体动物;乌梢蛇吃蛙;眼镜王蛇专吃蛇或蜥蜴;眼镜蛇、蝰蛇嗜吃鼠类;尖吻蝮(五步蛇)、蝮蛇(土公蛇)等不但吃鼠、蛙、还捕食鸟类;银环蛇喜吃蟮鱼、泥鳅:金环蛇以鱼、蜥蜴、蛇为食;烙铁头以蜥蜴、鼠类和鸟为食;竹叶青以蛙、晰蜴和鼠类为食;海蛇均以鱼类为食;白花锦蛇和黑     

尖吻蝮仔蛇的人工模拟生态养殖试验

目的通过建立一个适应于尖吻蝮仔蛇生长发育的稳定的多功能生态系统的人工模拟生态养殖蛇场,以最大限度地降低仔蛇的饲料成本,从而达到降低人工养殖尖吻蝮蛇的成本。方法选取一个室外围墙式养蛇场作为试验基地。设计为适应于蛇、蛙、昆虫、蚯蚓、小杂鱼等动物生长繁衍的人工模拟生态环境,建立一个稳定的多功能蛇场生态系统,以尖吻蝮蛇100条,在试验以前随机抽取10条测量其体重和体长,并以活体动物饲料喂养法和科学饲养管理法进行试验养殖,并在进入第一、第二次冬眠前均随机抽取10条蛇仔测其体重和体长。结果本次试验与本蛇场室内人工饲养尖吻蝮仔蛇相比,不仅在体重、体长和肥满度方面均相差不大,而且仔蛇的存活率还有所提高。结论表明该人工模拟生态养殖蛇场能够满足尖吻蝮仔蛇生长发育的需要,达到了预期的目的。     

乌梢蛇血清的抗出血因子:一个有前途的抗蛇毒药物原料

用柱层析和聚丙烯酰胺凝胶盘状电泳法,从乌梢蛇血清中分离纯化了一个抗出血因子。用SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法测得其分子量大约为65 kD;测定了五种蝮亚科蛇毒(尖吻蝮、竹叶青蛇、原矛头蝮、哈扑和短尾蝮)的最小出血剂量和乌梢蛇血清中抗出血因子对这五种蛇毒的抗出血活性;还测定了七种蛇毒(除上述五种毒蛇外,还包括圆斑蝰和银环蛇)的半数致死量,以及抗出血因子对中毒小鼠的治疗作用。结果显示:从乌梢蛇血清中提纯的抗出血因子的抗蛇毒活性,不仅可以抵抗它的捕食者尖吻蝮的蛇毒,而且还可以抵抗具出血活性的其它蛇毒;但它对不具出血活性的银环蛇毒的致死抑制作用不明显。该抗出血因子不仅在体外实验表现出强的中和出血毒素的活性,而且在体内实验中亦表现出对中毒小鼠良好的治疗作用,因而可能成为新的抗蛇毒药物的有前途的原料。乌梢蛇血清对血循毒的中和能力的获得,可能归因于尖吻蝮与乌梢蛇之间捕食与被捕食相互作用的关系。     

守瓜属甲虫的取食行为与寄主植物葫芦素种类的关系

黄足黄守瓜和黄足黑守瓜是两个非常相似的守瓜属甲虫,但它们对寄主的选择性和取食行为却完全不同.黄足黄守瓜先用口器在黄瓜或南瓜叶面划圈,然后取食圈内叶组织,但却不取食丝瓜、苦瓜和西瓜,而黄足黑守瓜则只取食丝瓜,且不发生划圈取食行为.研究表明,这两种甲虫的寄主选择性及取食行为与瓜类作物合成的葫芦素种类显著相关.黄瓜和南瓜在黄足黄守瓜取食后能诱导合成抑制取食的葫芦素Ⅰ,使得黄守瓜只能先划圈阻断葫芦素Ⅰ在叶面的迁移才能取食圈内叶组织.而苦瓜和西瓜本身就合成抑制取食的葫芦素D,使得甲虫不选择这两种瓜类作物取食.丝瓜则合成刺激甲虫取食的葫芦素B和E,使得黑守瓜能直接取食.本研究表明,守瓜属甲虫对寄主植物合成的特定次生物质的味觉响应机制在其寄主选择和取食行为方面起着重要作用.     

Zoophytophagous pentatomids feeding on plants and implications for biological control

Zoophytophagous insects can feed on a variety of prey, plants and plant products. By studying the interactions between predatory hemipterans and plants harbouring the prey of these insects, scientists have started to establish two potential outcomes: (1) positive effects like the enhancement of their life history characteristics by acquiring plant contents; and (2) negative effects mediated by plant resistance to herbivores or prey ingesting secondary plant metabolites. Despite this research, there is a lack of information about the feeding sites of predatory hemipterans on their host plants, what they ingest from plants, and whether they cause damage to their host plants. The results presented here indicate that the xylem is one of the feeding sites of predatory hemipterans on plants. The dissection of predators that fed on plants with marked vessels and testing insects for the presence of Cry protein constitutively expressed in the cytoplasm of plant cells revealed that bugs are not able to acquire cytoplasm contents from the plant cell. In addition, we demonstrate that systemic insecticide circulating inside plants from soil applications contaminates these predators. Our results are discussed in the context of zoophytophagous feeding behaviour exhibited by predatory hemipterans and the use of systemic insecticides for the conservation of natural enemies. This interaction contradicts the concept of ecological selectivity obtained for natural enemies through the placement of systemic insecticide in the soil as a selective method of deploying chemical control and predatory hemipteran conservation within the integrated pest management framework.     

The impact of plant secondary compounds on primate feeding behavior

The recent literature on plant secondary compounds and their influence on primate feeding behavior is reviewed. Many studies of nonhuman primates document the extreme selectivity that primates, particularly herbivorous species, demonstrate in their food choice. Until quite recently investigators interpreted this to mean that herbivorous primates were not food limited. This view has been challenged in the past 10 years by researchers concentrating on the primate–plant interaction. Chemical analyses have demonstrated that plant parts are of varying quality due to differences in nutrient and secondary compound content. The assumption that all leaves (or fruits, flowers, and insects) are potential foods of equal value to the primates eating them is refuted. The observed selectivity and preferences of primates for specific plant or insect species and parts are now viewed as strategies for dealing with the nutrient and secondary compound content variation in these foods.     

Phytoseiid predator of whitefly feeds on plant tissue

Predatory mites of the family Phytoseiidae feed on herbivorous mites and insects but they also use a variety of non-prey food items, such as pollen and nectar. Plant tissue is another potential food source. We investigated whether plant feeding occurs in the two phytoseiids Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot) and Typhlodromips swirskii (Athias-Henriot), which are natural enemies of whiteflies. These predatory mites can suppress populations of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) on isolated plants and are candidates for biological control of this pest. Both species can be reared on a diet of pollen, but E. scutalis requires a leaf tissue substrate, suggesting that this species might feed on plant tissue. To test this hypothesis, we applied a systemic insecticide (aldicarb) to cucumber plants and assessed the survival of predatory mites on leaves from insecticide-treated plants and untreated plants, both in presence and absence of pollen. The survival of T. swirskii was not affected by the presence of systemic insecticide in the plant. However, the survival of E. scutalis on leaves from insecticide-treated plants was 10 times lower than on leaves from untreated plants. Since the two species showed similar sensitivity to the insecticide when applied in a slide-dip test, this suggests that E. scutalis ingested insecticide through feeding on the leaf tissue. Mortality on treated leaves was observed both in absence and presence of pollen, suggesting that plant feeding is indispensable for E. scutalis. The extent to which plants are used as food by E. scutalis requires further analysis.     

Preference for protected feeding sites by larvae of the willow-feeding leaf beetle Galerucella lineola

1. Free-living insects are often thought of as more vulnerable to environmental hazards than concealed insects, such as galling or mining insects. The possibility that larvae of the free-living leaf beetle Galerucella lineola seek out existing plant structures and thereby become partly concealed was explored.
2. Neonate larvae of G. lineola frequently feed in rolled-in margins of young leaves of their host plant, Salix viminalis . In addition to nutritional benefits from feeding on young leaves, larvae may also gain protection against adverse weather conditions and general predators by feeding in the leaf rolls. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to test these hypotheses.
3. Artificial shelters were constructed and cohorts of neonate larvae were placed on experimental plants. In all experiments, larvae preferred to feed in shelters, even when shelters were constructed on mature leaves.
4. In one of the experiments, fewer larvae disappeared when shelters were provided. In a predator exclusion experiment, however, no differences in predator-inflicted mortality on G. lineola were found between shelter-containing shoots and control shoots.
5. A laboratory experiment showed increased protection from desiccation when shelters were present; growth rate was higher for larvae feeding on plants with shelters.
6. Thus, free-living insects may not always be as exposed to environmental hazards as is often assumed. In particular, young larvae may take advantage of preformed structures on their host plant and feed in a concealed microhabitat. Because mortality, in general, is high during early instars, shelter-seeking behaviour may increase survival significantly. The existence of preformed shelters may therefore be a plant characteristic that should be considered when exploring the environmental risks associated with the free-living habit.     

昆明滇蛙的取食策略

目前国内研究两栖类食性选择或偏好多未考虑蛙胃内不同食物的丰盈程度与栖境不同食物资源是否存在相关性.在分析了采自昆明白龙寺和昆明石林西街口的494只滇蛙(Rana pleuraden)的食性的同时,分析了采自对应栖境中的食物资源组成.结果表明,滇蛙的食物成份与食物资源相具有稳定性,主要类群均为直翅目、同翅目、半翅目、鞘翅目、双翅目、鳞翅目、膜翅目和蛛形纲等8类.但又存在变异性,不同产地、不同年份和不同月份之间的蛙标本胃内的食物成分各类群的比例均不相同.主要食物成份与食物资源相的差异显著性分析、相关性分析和选择性分析等方面的结果均支持或证明:滇蛙对食物具有选择性或取食偏好.栖境的食物资源相与蛙胃内的食物成分不存在相关性(白龙寺:r=0.077,P=0.575;西街口:r=-0.086,P=0.500).直翅目(Ei＜-0.35)和同翅目(Ei＜-0.37)昆虫是滇蛙取食时回避的食物,而对鞘翅目、鳞翅目、膜翅目和蛛形纲等4个类群(Ei＞0.45)具有明显偏好.     

Insect pheromones

The evidence for intraspecies chemical communication in insects is reviewed, with emphasis on those studies where known organic compounds have been implicated. These signal-carrying chemicals are known as pheromones. There are two distinct types of pheromones, releasers and primers. Releaser pheromones initiate immediate behavioral responses in insects upon reception, while primer pheromones cause physiological changes in an animal that ultimately result in a behavior response. Chemically identified releaser pheromones are of three basic types: those which cause sexual attraction, alarm behavior, and recruitment. Sex pheromones release the entire repertoire of sexual behavior. Thus a male insect may be attracted to and attempt to copulate with an inanimate object that has sex pheromone on it. It appears that most insects are rather sensitive and selective for the sex pheromone of their species. Insects show far less sensitivity and chemospecificity for alarm pheromones. Alarm selectivity is based more on volatility than on unique structural features. Recruiting pheromones are used primarily in marking trails to food sources. Terrestrial insects lay continuous odor trails, whereas bees and other airborne insects apply the substances at discrete intervals. It appears that a complex pheromone system is used by the queen bee in the control of worker behavior. One well-established component of this system is a fatty acid, 9-ketodecenoic acid, produced by the queen and distributed among the workers. This compound prevents the development of ovaries in the workers and inhibits their queen-rearing activities. In addition, the same compound is used by virgin queen bees as a sex attractant.     

Psychological Stress on Female Mice Diminishes the Developmental Potential of Oocytes: A Study Using the Predatory Stress Model

Although the predatory stress experimental protocol is considered more psychological than the restraint protocol, it has rarely been used to study the effect of psychological stress on reproduction. Few studies exist on the direct effect of psychological stress to a female on developmental competence of her oocytes, and the direct effect of predatory maternal stress on oocytes has not been reported. In this study, a predatory stress system was first established for mice with cats as predators. Beginning 24 h after injection of equine chorionic gonadotropin, female mice were subjected to predatory stress for 24 h. Evaluation of mouse responses showed that the predatory stress system that we established increased anxiety-like behaviors and plasma cortisol concentrations significantly and continuously while not affecting food and water intake of the mice. In vitro experiments showed that whereas oocyte maturation and Sr²⁺ activation or fertilization were unaffected by maternal predatory stress, rate of blastocyst formation and number of cells per blastocyst decreased significantly in stressed mice compared to non-stressed controls. In vivo embryo development indicated that both the number of blastocysts recovered per donor mouse and the average number of young per recipient after embryo transfer of blastocysts with similar cell counts were significantly lower in stressed than in unstressed donor mice. It is concluded that the predatory stress system we established was both effective and durative to induce mouse stress responses. Furthermore, predatory stress applied during the oocyte pre-maturation stage significantly impaired oocyte developmental potential while exerting no measurable impact on nuclear maturation, suggesting that cytoplasmic maturation of mouse oocytes was more vulnerable to maternal stress than nuclear maturation.     

Study of inheritance of feeding potential in natural populations of predatory coccinellid Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant using isofemale strains

The ability to feed on the prey is of great concern for the predatory insects, especially with regard to predatory coccinellid, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, which is mass reared and released into the field in large numbers to control the target pests. The variability associated with feeding potential is partly influenced by the genetic background of the insects and partly due to the environment, but the genetic basis of this trait is not yet fully understood in C. montrouzieri. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic basis of variation and heritability of this quantitative trait in natural populations of C. montrouzieri through isofemale heritability and parent–offspring regression. The regression analyses indicated that there was a significant linear relationship between progeny and their mothers for feeding potential.