如何提高扬子鳄二龄幼鳄的保存率

扬子鳄一龄幼鳄室內饲养成活率现已达到世界先进水平?溆做彝馑茄4媛室恢逼?1985年为38%,1986年为20%。与美国密河鳄的二龄幼鳄保存率均在80%左右相差甚大。为此,1987年6月至1988年6月对如何提高扬子鳄二龄幼鳄保存率做了重点观察,结果如下。     

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…     

人工驯养下扬子鳄的生长规律

研究结果表明扬子鳄在饲养条件下的生长具有一定的规律性。饲养群体中,5龄以前的鳄生长速率较快,其中在2龄前生长速率最快,在5龄至7龄间生长速率明显减慢;鳄体长与体重之间呈正相关,两者在体长小于50cm时呈直线相关,体长大于50cm时呈曲线相关。不同性别的扬子鳄年生长状况不同,从5龄开始雌雄鳄体重出现显著差异,雄鳄重于雌鳄;从6龄开始雌雄鳄在体长方面的生长速率出现差异,雄鳄生长明显快于雌鳄;达到10龄后,雌雄鳄在体长和体重方面的增长均明显减慢,达到15龄时两者的体形已相差悬殊,雄性大于雌性。由von Berta-lanffy生长模型分析,雌鳄达到25龄而雄鳄达到35龄后,各自的体长几乎停止生长,雌鳄平均最大体长为173cm,雄鳄平均最大体长为219cm。在人工越冬下,除第一次越冬外,扬子鳄在越冬室内的冬眠中体况无明显变化,体能明显消耗出现在户外冬眠过程中。本研究为扬子鳄的科学化饲养提供理论依据。     

湾鳄人工饲养的几个常用技术操作

以成都动物园人工饲养的7条湾鳄Crocodylus porosus Schneider为对象,介绍了在人工饲养条件下经常会用到的抓捕、采血、性别鉴定等技术操作及其意义,为湾鳄的人工饲养管理提供一定的实践依据.     

树鼩(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)的繁殖

本文讨论了40对树鼩笼养条件下的繁殖。雌雄1:1配对饲养,受孕率为58.1％,每窝产仔2—6只,平均3.48±0.8只,初生幼仔体重均值为10.30±1.2克,35日龄断奶体重均值为59.1±17.6克。正常怀孕期41—45天。在半人工哺乳情况下,新生儿的成活率为74.3％。在与某些灵长类资料比较后,我们认为,树鼩的繁殖特性与灵长类有别。     

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。     

国际上活鳄的贸易与人工饲养

目前能进行国际贸易的鳄有１２ 种, 但它们只能被允许在某些国家和不同控制方式下的出口贸易。鳄类的人工饲养在世界上是一种新型产业, 它有二种饲养方式, 但都必须具备种群、食物、资金和技术四个基本要素。饲养技术的关键是对鳄生活习性的了解, 本文对几种鳄的栖息地和繁殖特点作了介绍。     

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。     

中国扬子鳄（Aligator sinensis）物种资源现状

１９９４年８～９月,对安徽扬子鳄国家级自然保护区扬子鳄资源进行了抽样调查,见到有鳄活动痕迹的洞口１０４个,用光点计数法实见鳄７７条,访问法计数为２５３条,由此分析保护区内有鳄６６７～７４０条,其种群年龄锥体为上宽下窄,反映出扬子鳄在野外生存形势严峻。该年,安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心存鳄４３７６条,其中种鳄２４８条,孵化幼鳄１５４２条,其它不等龄鳄２５８６条,种群年龄锥体为上窄下宽,是一个迅速增长的种群,生存形势良好     

中国扬子鳄(Alligator sinensis)物种资源现状

1994年8～9月,对安徽扬子鳄国家级自然保护区扬子鳄资源进行了抽样调查,见到有鳄活动痕迹的洞口104个,用光点计数法实见鳄77条,访问法计数为253条,由此分析保护区内有鳄667～740条,其种群年龄锥体为上宽下窄,反映出扬子鳄在野外生存形势严峻。该年,安徽省扬子鳄繁殖研究中心存鳄4376条,其中种鳄248条,孵化幼鳄1542条,其它不等龄鳄2586条,种群年龄锥体为上窄下宽,是一个迅速增长的种群,生存形势良好。     

Effects of Different Rearing Strategies and Ages on Levels of Natural Antibodies in Saliva of the Philippine Crocodile

The endemic Philippine crocodile(Crocodylus mindorensis) is a relatively small, critically endangered freshwater crocodile. In a head start program, crocodile hatchlings are caught in the wild, reared in captivity, and released back into the wild after two years. The current study aimed to determine optimal rearing strategies of Philippine crocodile hatchlings, including identification of possible diseases during rearing, and studying the effect of ages on natural antibody(NAb) levels. Thirty Philippine crocodiles were divided into two groups, half were reared with a hiding board, and half without the hiding board. Both groups received three different kinds of diets: meat, shrimp, or a combination of both. Saliva samples of the crocodiles were taken three times over a period of three months to test for NAb levels. Saliva samples were also taken from older crocodiles and crocodiles from different locations. NAb titres were compared to sheep red blood cells. Each time saliva samples were taken, a health check was done. The results showed that crocodiles would prefer the hiding board, and neither housing nor diet could affect the level of NAb titres in saliva. A positive correlation was found between NAb titres and body size, weight and age. Wild hatchlings had higher NAb titres than the hatchlings born in captivity, but the difference diminished with ageing. Five different diseases were found.     

Maternal effects on progeny size, number and body color in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria: Density- and reproductive cycle-dependent variation

The effects of rearing density and maternal age on the progeny size, number and coloration of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, were investigated. Isolated-reared females deposited smaller, but more eggs than crowd-reared females. The former produced smaller and more eggs with age, whereas the latter showed a tendency to produce larger and fewer eggs over time. A similar tendency was also observed with virgin females, indicating that mating or the presence of males was not important. The first egg pod produced by each mated crowd-reared female contained significantly smaller and more eggs than did the subsequent egg pods. The former often produced many green hatchlings (0-100%) characteristic of solitarious forms, whereas the egg pods deposited after the first pod produced predominantly black hatchlings typical of gregarious forms. Adults were highly sensitive to a shift in rearing density and quickly modified the quality and quantity of their progeny depending on the density encountered. The number of eggs per pod was influenced not only by the mother's rearing density but also by rearing density of the grandmother. The present results demonstrated that the characteristics of progeny are influenced not only by the crowding conditions experienced by the mother and grandmother but also by the mother's reproductive cycle.     

Effect of hatching time on time to first feed intake,organ development,enzymatic activity and growth in broiler chicks hatched on-farm

The conventional commercial hatcheries used today do not allow the newly hatched chicks to consume feed or water. Combined with natural variation in hatching time, this can lead to early hatched chicks being feed-deprived for up to 72 h before being unloaded at the rearing site. This study investigated the effects of hatching time on time to first feed intake and development of organs, digestive enzymes and productivity in terms of growth and feed conversion ratio in chicks hatched on-farm. Chicks were divided into three hatching groups (early, mid-term and late), and assessed over a full production cycle of 34 days. The results revealed that chicks remain inactive for a considerable amount of time before engaging in eating-related activities. Eating activity of 5% (i.e. when 5% of birds in each hatching group were eating or standing close to the feeder) was recorded at an average biological age (BA) of 25.4 h and a proportion of 50% birds with full crop was reached at an average BA of 30.6 h. Considering that the hatching window was 35 h in this study, the average chick probably did not benefit from access to feed and water immediately post-hatch in this case. At hatch, mid-term hatchlings had a heavier small intestine (30.1 g/kg bw) than both early (26.4 g/kg bw) and late (26.0 g/kg bw) hatchlings. Relative length of the small intestine was shorter in late hatchlings (735 cm/kg bw) than in mid-term (849 cm/kg bw) and early (831 cm/kg bw) hatchlings. However, the relative weight of the bursa fabricii was greater in mid-term (1.30 g/kg bw) than in early hatchlings (1.01 g/kg bw). At hatch, late hatchlings were heavier than early and mid-term hatchlings (P < 0.05), but by 3 days of age early hatchlings were heavier than mid-term and late hatchlings (P < 0.01). The only effect persisting throughout the study was a difference in the relative weight of the small intestine, where late hatchlings had heavier intestines than early hatchlings (P < 0.05). Thus, while there were differences between hatching groups, this study showed that the hatchlings seemed capable of compensating for these as they grew.     

Demography of takahe (

The last remaining natural population of the critically endangered takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is confined to the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland, New Zealand. This mainland population contains about half of the c.?300 remaining takahe and benefits from one of the costliest recovery programmes in the country. Management activities include deer culling, stoat trapping, nest manipulation (e.g. removal of infertile eggs) and captive rearing of chicks. To determine what effect this intensive management has had on the recovery of the Fiordland takahe population, we modelled 25 years of survival and breeding success data as a function of environmental factors (e.g. precipitation, temperature, beech seedfall, tussock flowering) and specific management activities (egg manipulation, captive rearing, stoat control). Annual adult survival, estimated at 78% (credibility interval (CI) = 75?81%), is significantly increased to 85% (76?92% CI) in presence of stoat trapping, but is still low relative to introduced takahe populations on offshore islands and other large New Zealand bird species in predator-free environments. This suggests that the harsh environment of Fiordland may be suboptimal habitat in terms of survival for takahe. On the other hand, reproductive output in Fiordland is similar to that for introduced island populations, and is improved even further by management. Number of chicks per pair fledged with nest manipulation and captive rearing is estimated at 0.66 compared with 0.43 in the absence of nest management. The difference is explained mainly by low fledging success in the wild, especially for double clutches, which justifies the practice of removing one of two viable eggs and transferring it to a captive-rearing facility. The results of this study indicate that current management activities such as stoat trapping and captive rearing have a strong positive effect on population growth of the Murchison Mountains takahe population.     

The development of behavioral defenses: a mechanistic analysis of vulnerability in red-eyed tree frog hatchlings

I examined the development and effectiveness of behavioral defensesof red-eyed tree frog hatchlings, Agalychnis callidryas, against predatoryshrimp Macrobrachium americanum. Arboreal eggs of A. callidryashatch early if attacked by egg predators and later if undisturbed,producing tadpoles that enter the water at different developmentalstages. Older hatchlings survive better than young hatchlings withaquatic predators, including shrimp. Hatchlings respond to shrimpby both increasing activity and avoiding the bottom microhabitat.Older hatchlings are more active and, in the presence of shrimp,avoid the bottom more than young hatchlings. These ontogeneticchanges in behavior improve survival. Specifically, the likelihoodof fleeing from shrimp increases with hatchling age, and fleeingis an effective defense. In contrast to results from experimentswith odonates, immobility does not reduce risk of shrimp attack, thusthere is no trade-off between fleeing and motionless crypsis.Shrimp spend most of their time on the bottom, where attacksare more often successful. Avoidance of the bottom microhabitatby tadpoles therefore improves survival. Evasive maneuvers alsofunction in defense, but evasiveness does not change with age.Morphology may limit microhabitat use by younger hatchlings.Failure to flee may reflect unresponsiveness to disturbance,which would reduce unnecessarily early hatching and limit exposureof young A. callidryas to aquatic predators.     

Captive breeding for reintroduction: influence of management practices and biological factors on survival of captive kaki (black stilt)

An important component of the restoration strategy for the critically endangered kaki or black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) is captive breeding for release. Since 1981 1,879 eggs were collected from wild and captive pairs, with birds laying up to four clutches. Eggs were incubated artificially and most chicks reared by hand until released as juveniles (about 60 days) or sub‐adults (9–10 months). Because survival in captivity is a significant determinant of the number of birds available for release, we wished to identify sources of variation in mortality to assess potential impacts of management on productivity. Hatchability was 78% for captive‐laid eggs and 91% for wild‐laid eggs. Survival of hatched eggs was 82% by 10 months of age for both wild and captive birds. Most egg mortality occurred early in incubation and around hatching: the timing of mortality was unaffected by whether birds were captive or wild, hybrid or pure kaki, or when eggs were laid. Heavier hatchlings showed higher initial survival, as did chicks from wild parents. Hatchlings from fourth‐laid eggs showed lowest survival, even though hatchling mass tended to increase with hatch order. Survival of chicks subjected to major health interventions was 69% after 4 months. No differences in survival were found between different genders, hybrids and pure kaki, hand‐reared or parent‐reared birds, chicks hatching early or late in the season, different seasons, different‐sized groups of chicks, chicks reared in different brooders, juveniles kept in different aviaries, and chicks from subsequent clutches. Birds subjected to minor health interventions were equally likely to survive as healthy chicks (82%). Survival was high despite aggressive management (quadruple clutching and collecting late in the season). Differences between captive and wild birds suggest further improvements could be made to captive diet. Wide variation in hatchability between parent pairs substantiates the practice of breaking up poorly performing pairs. Zoo Biol 0:1–16, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Age and size thresholds for pupation and developmental polymorphism in the browntail moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), under conditions that either emulate diapause or prevent it

Size and age thresholds for pupation are important life history traits of insects. They are the ultimate consequences of the underlying physiological mechanism that optimize resource allocation. Such thresholds may have a plastic response under time-varying environmental conditions, developmental polymorphism (i.e., plasticity in the number of instars before pupation) being a common strategy adopted by insects to overcome this challenging situation. In this study, we systematically explore the variables related with both age and size thresholds for pupation and developmental polymorphism in the browntail moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), by rearing a group of caterpillars under conditions that either emulate larval diapause or prevent it. As an innovative approach, we evaluated the importance of predictor variables by means of generalized linear modeling in a multi-model inference framework. Our results show that (i) rearing conditions affect fitness, (ii) rearing conditions, size of hatchlings, size and age at maturity and sex are related to the number of instars before pupation, and (iii) there are both age and size thresholds for pupation which differ between sexes and between larvae reared under different conditions. Results are discussed in the context of lepidopteran plasticity in life history traits and its relationship with optimal molting strategies.     

Mountain pasturing of rearing stock reduces the culling risk as dairy cows

Alpine transhumance or droving livestock to mountainous areas during summer months is highly relevant for Austrian agriculture but also for other countries in Alpine regions. Access of rearing stock to mountain pastures is often claimed to be beneficial with respect to health and longevity, but the robust evidence is scarce. Therefore, its effect was tested by including it in the routine genetic evaluation data set for longevity. Alpine transhumance records from 2004 to 2013 were used. After several plausibility checks and restriction to animals with sire and dam known, records of 871 287 dual-purpose Fleckvieh cows sired by 9953 bulls were available. Data were analysed by means of survival analysis accounting for the time-dependent fixed effects of region-year-season, relative performance within herd, change of herd size, and Alpine pasturing of cows, the fixed effects age at first calving and Alpine pasturing of rearing stock, the random time-dependent effect of herd-year and the random genetic effects of sire and maternal grandsire. Fleckvieh cows that had access to Alpine pasture during their rearing period at least once for a minimum of 60 days had functional longevity that was nearly 2 months prolonged compared with cows that had always stayed on the farms as calves or heifers. In a more detailed analysis, the lowest relative culling risk among the significant estimates was observed for cows that had been Alpine pastured in years 1 and 3; it was about 15% below that of cows that never had access to mountain grazing. Evidence for the beneficial effect of Alpine pasturing of rearing stock on the animals’ later fitness, indicated by longevity, could thus be provided.     

Demographics of Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina): Implications for Conservation and Management of Long-lived Organisms

SYNOPSIS. A study of common snapping turtles conducted from1975 through 1992 in southeastern Michigan provided sufficientdemographic data to examine how life history characteristicsmay constrain population responses of long-lived organisms.Females reached sexual maturity between 11 and 16 years of age.Minimum reproductive frequency was less than annual (0.85),and nest survivorship over 17 years ranged from 0 to 64% andaveraged 23%. Survivorship of yearlings had to be estimatedsince hatchlings can pass through the mesh on traps. Actualsurvivorship of juveniles was over 0.65 by age 2 and averaged0.77 between the ages of 2 and 12 years. Annual survivorshipof adult females ranged from 0.88 to 0.97. A life table forthe population resulted in a cohort generation time of 25 years.Population stability was most sensitive to changes in adultor juvenile survival, and less sensitive to changes in age atsexual maturity, nest survival or fecundity. An increase inannual mortality of 0.1 on adults over 15 years of age withno density-dependent compensation would halve the number ofadults in less than 20 years. The results from the present study indicate that life historytraits of long-lived organisms consist of co-evolved traitsthat severely constrain the ability of populations to respondto chronic disturbances. Successful management and conservationprograms for long-lived organisms will be those that recognizethat protection of all life stages is necessary. Without protectionof adults and older juveniles, programs that protect nests andheadstart hatchlings have a low probability of success. Carefullymanaged sport harvests of turtles or other long-lived organismsmay be sustainable; however, commercial harvests will certainlycause substantial population declines