自然环境下影响扬子鳄繁殖的环境因子

生态因子对生物的生长、发育、生殖和分布有着直接和间接的影响.在1998～2005年对扬子鳄繁殖研究中心内自然环境下鳄卵及其繁殖地环境因子进行调查,包括窝卵数、产卵时间、出壳时间、孵化期内温度、湿度的变化情况、雏鳄孵出后的存活数量以及巢区的植被盖度.调查发现天气状况直接影响母鳄产卵时间、卵的孵化质量与雏鳄的出壳数量.盖度相对大于0.5的窝巢中多数卵基本能正常发育,盖度小于0.5的窝巢中可能只有少数几枚卵发育正常.     

湾鳄人工孵化的初步研究

本文报道了１９９７～１９９８年湾鳄（Ｃｒｏｃｏｄｙｌｕｓｐｏｒｏｓｕｓ）的人工孵化工作,并通过对比试验确定了鳄卵孵化的最适温度、湿度以及最佳的覆盖巢材和鳄卵在孵化盘中的正确摆放方位。获得受精卵总孵化率为８６－８％。１　材料方法试验用卵取自深圳市野生动物园湾鳄产下的卵。将所有收集到的未破损的受精卵分成２组,一组为湾鳄在人工设置的产卵间内自然营巢产的卵,按母鳄产卵时自然摆放的方位放入盛卵盘内作为正放组;另一组为没有营巢环境而产于水泥地或草地上的滚动过的卵作为对照组。２　结　果２－１　１９９７年有３条…     

采用人工孵化及育雏等技术救助东方白鹳的初步探讨

2000年5～7月,在吉林向海国家级自然保护区对弃巢的东方白鹳(Ciconia boyciana)4枚卵进行人工孵化及育雏研究。在孵化期温度37．4～37．6℃,湿度45％～55％;出雏期温度37．2～37℃．湿度60％～65％,同时严格了翻卵、晾卵、通风、换气等技术指标,孵化成功率100％。在设定的温度、湿度、光照及保证食物供给的条件下进行育雏,对l～30日龄的幼雏进行连续的测量及观察,结果表明．幼雏生长发育与野生条件下自然育雏的幼雏生长发育基本相近。     

几种生态因子对曼氏无针乌贼野生和养殖卵孵化的影响

比较了曼氏无针乌贼野生卵和养殖卵的区别,研究了不同温度、盐度、孵化密度、卵类型对野生和养殖曼氏无针乌贼孵化率和孵化时间的影响.结果表明：野生卵的质量较佳,养殖卵则以黑色小卵的质量为佳.野生卵的最佳孵化温度为27 ℃～29 ℃,最佳孵化盐度为24.5～32.0;孵化密度对野生卵孵化率的影响不显著.养殖卵在19 ℃～29 ℃下的孵化率为6.7%～30.0%,高于33 ℃和低于17 ℃均不能孵化;在盐度19.5～32.0范围内孵化率为18.3%～25.0%,盐度低于17.0不能孵化;充气情况下,孵化密度对养殖卵的孵化率影响不显著,而不充气情况下影响显著.     

温度对扬子鳄卵发育及仔鳄组成的影响

在巢材温度保持相同下,采和２９℃、３１℃和３３℃３种温度对扬子鳄（Ａｌｌｉｇａｔｏｒ ｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）卵进行孵化。孵化时间随孵化温度长高而显著缩短。２９℃、３１℃和３３℃下的平均孵化时间为６４．６天、５５．４天和５０．１天,孵化的积温没有恒定值。初生仔鳄重与超始卵重呈直线回归,初生他鳄重不受孵化温度明显影响。孵化温度对初生他鳄剩余卵黄量或去卵黄鳄体有显著影响：随着孵化的升高,剩余卵黄量呈现增加,     

植被盖度对扬子鳄选巢和卵孵化的影响

于2002～2005年持续4年对自然和半自然环境下扬子鳄的87座巢内产卵与孵化情况进行观察,观察内容包括产卵时间、窝卵数、孵化期、孵化率等,同时对建巢处的植被盖度和植物种类进行观测。结果得出扬子鳄建巢所需的植被盖度适宜范围是63％～88％,鳄巢建在这种盖度范围内,巢内卵的自然孵化期缩短。     

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。     

人工繁殖区内扬子鳄的营巢生态

本文观察了扬子鳄在人工饲养环境中的营巢生态:一、30条产卵雌鳄的巢有28个建在人工投放的芒草上,2个自行取草建巢。二、六月中旬至下旬末为营巢期,周期为14.17±5.21天。营巢夜间进行,雌鳄单独完成。三、巢材除人工投放芒草外,随周围环境而异。四、巢体积、产卵数与雌鳄体长无相关性。五、卵堆温度恒定35℃,日温差仅1.4℃。六、每窝卵数为26.2±3.9枚。七、30条产卵鳄中的11条是抢巢产卵。     

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.     

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…     

Role for dopamine in malonate-induced damage in vivo in striatum and in vitro in mesencephalic cultures

Defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism have been implicated in the pathology of several neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, the reactive metabolites generated from the metabolism and oxidation of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) are thought to contribute to the damage to neurons of the basal ganglia. We have previously demonstrated that infusions of the metabolic inhibitor malonate into the striata of mice or rats produce degeneration of DA nerve terminals. In the present studies, we demonstrate that an intrastriatal infusion of malonate induces a substantial increase in DA efflux in awake, behaving mice as measured by in vivo microdialysis. Furthermore, pretreatment of mice with tetrabenazine (TBZ) or the TBZ analogue Ro 4-1284 (Ro-4), compounds that reversibly inhibit the vesicular storage of DA, attenuates the malonate-induced DA efflux as well as the damage to DA nerve terminals. Consistent with these findings, the damage to both DA and GABA neurons in mesencephalic cultures by malonate exposure was attenuated by pretreatment with TBZ or Ro-4. Treatment with these compounds did not affect the formation of free radicals or the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation resulting from malonate exposure alone. Our data suggest that DA plays an important role in the neurotoxicity produced by malonate. These findings provide direct evidence that inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase causes an increase in extracellular DA levels and indicate that bioenergetic defects may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative diseases through a mechanism involving DA.     

Changes in lactate dehydrogenase activity in chicken tissues in hyperthyreosis in ontogenesis

The lactate dehydrogenase activity in reactions of lactate oxidation and synthesis was studied in subfractions of the chicken brain, heart and liver at the embryonal, early postembryonal and adult stages of development after thyroxine administration. It has been shown that during embryogenesis thyroxine predominantly enhanced the rate of lactate oxidation in the mitochondrial tissues. A marked increase in the lactate synthesis was found in cytoplasm of the adult chicken tissues. Specificity of enzyme activity alterations was detected in the chicken brain during ontogenesis after thyroxine administration.     

Scurvy in capybaras bred in captivity in Argentine

In order to determine if the absence of vitamin C in the diet of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) causes scurvy, a group of seven young individuals were fed food pellets without ascorbic acid, while another group of eight individuals received the same food with 1 g of ascorbic acid per animal per day. Animals in the first group developed signs of scurvy-like gingivitis, breaking of the incisors and death of one animal. Clinical signs appeared between 25 and 104 days from the beginning of the trial in all individuals. Growth rates of individuals deprived of vitamin C was considerably less than those observed in the control group. Deficiency of ascorbic acid had a severe effect on reproduction of another population of captive capybaras. We found that the decrease in ascorbic acid content in the diet affected pregnancy, especially during the first stages. The results obtained suggest that it is necessary to supply a suitable quantity of vitamin C in the diet of this species in captivity.     

SSTR5 ablation in islet results in alterations in glucose homeostasis in mice

Somatostatin (SST) peptide is a potent inhibitor of insulin secretion and its effect is mediated via somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) in the endocrine pancreas. To investigate the consequences of gene ablation of SSTR5 in the mouse pancreas, we have generated a mouse model in which the SSTR5 gene was specifically knocked down in the pancreatic beta cells (betaSSTR5Kd) using the Cre-lox system. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that SSTR5 gene expression was absent in beta cells at three months of age. At the time of gene ablation, betaSSTR5Kd mice demonstrated glucose intolerance with lack of insulin response and significantly reduced serum insulin levels. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated a significant increase of insulin clearance in vivo at the same age. In vitro studies demonstrated an absence of response to SST-28 stimulation in the betaSSTR5Kd mouse islet, which was associated with a significantly reduced SST expression level in betaSSTR5Kd mice pancreata. In addition, betaSSTR5Kd mice had significantly reduced serum glucose levels and increased serum insulin levels at 12 months of age. Glucose tolerance test at an older age also indicated a persistently higher insulin level in betaSSTR5Kd mice. Further studies of betaSSTR5Kd mice had revealed elevated serum C-peptide levels at both 3 and 12 months of age, suggesting that these mice are capable of producing and releasing insulin to the periphery. These results support the hypothesis that SSTR5 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of insulin secretion in the mouse pancreas.