Seasonal acclimatization in the migratory hamster Cricetulus migratorius—the role of photoperiod

1. 1.|The migratroy hamster Cricetulus migratorius, a small nocturnal rodent, inhabits ecosystems characterized by dramatic seasonal fluctuations of ambient temperatures. The aim of this study was to assess seasonal acclimatization of its thermoregulatory system.

2. 2.|Heat production by means of oxygen consumption and body temperature in various ambient temperatures as well as non-shivering thermogenesis were measured in C. migratorius. The hamsters were acclimated to two different photoperiod regimes (16L:8D and 8L:16D) at a constant ambient temprature of 24°C. Overall thermal conductance was calculated for such hamsters.

3. 3.|The results of this study indicate that photoperiod manipulations adjust the thermoregulatory system of the migratory hamster mainly by affecting overall thermal conductance.

被毛在黑线仓鼠能量代谢、产热和体温调节中的作用

为阐明小型哺乳动物被毛的季节性变化及其在能量代谢和体温调节中的作用,测定了季节性驯化,以及不同光周期和温度驯化的黑线仓鼠的被毛重量、体温和能量收支。结果显示: (1)冬季黑线仓鼠的被毛重量和产热显著高于夏季;(2)短光照(8L∶16D)和低温(5℃ ) 对被毛生长的影响不显著; (3)与室温组(21℃ )相比,低温组(5℃ )摄入能、基础代谢率(BMR)、非颤抖性产热(NST) 、褐色脂肪组织细胞色素c 氧化酶活性和热传导率显著增加,而暖温组(30℃ )显著降低; (4)室温和低温下,剃毛导致摄入能、BMR、NST 和热传导率显著增加;结果表明:被毛的作用与环境温度有关,低温下被毛降低了能量需求,增强了动物应对低温环境的适应能力;被毛的适应性变化是独居的野生小型哺乳动物应对环境温度季节性波动的主要适应策略之一,在其能量代谢和体温调节中具有重要作用和意义。     

内蒙古库布齐沙地和呼和浩特平原黑线仓鼠种群繁殖特征的比较

为了解不同地理种群在适应当地栖息环境过程中的差异,于１９９６年利用直线夹地对内蒙古呼和浩特平原和由齐沙地环境,两个种群基因交流严重受阻的黑线仓鼠种群生殖特征进行了比较研究,结果表明,雌雄必比在平原环境较大,且秋季雌性明显增多,沙地环境全年维持稳定,平原环境雄性睾丸下降率在各季高于沙地环境近２０％。平原环境雌性在夏季性成熟率较高,沙地环境季最高。平原环境中雌性怀孕率为春、夏季较高,沙地环境仅在春季最高,且小胎仔（窝仔数少于４）所占缃例较高（１９．５％）,两个种群平均胎仔数分别为６．０（平原）和５．９（沙地）,这一结果说明不同地理种群生殖特性的差异受环境条件限制明显。     

非繁殖期大仓鼠对同种气味的反应和个体间的行为关系

在实验室通过对陌生成年大仓鼠（Ｃｒｉｃｅｔｕｌｕｓｔｒｉｔｏｎ）非繁殖期的气味偏好,性别选择和两鼠间的行为关系的实验研究表明,用Ｙ－型迷宫进行选择测试时,与空白组比较,大仓鼠了同种个体鼠垫的气味,在雌雄巢垫气味之间,雌鼠偏好雄性巢垫的气味,雄鼠不表现性别偏好,与空白组比较,被试鼠选择同种个体;在雌雄个体之间,雄性大仓鼠选择同性个体,雌性不表现性别偏好,在观察箱内,无论同性相遇还是异性相遇,两鼠间攻     

食物限制对黑线仓鼠免疫功能的影响

温带地区小型哺乳动物经常面临着食物资源的波动。食物对动物的免疫功能具有重要影响。将19只成年雄性黑线仓鼠(Cricetulus barabensis)随机分为自由取食组(n=9)和限食组(n=10)。注射植物血球凝集素(PHA)来测定细胞介导的免疫反应,用匙孔血蓝蛋白(KLH)免疫动物,然后测定抗KLH抗体的浓度以反映其体液免疫功能。旨在检验食物限制是否会抑制黑线仓鼠的细胞免疫和体液免疫功能。结果发现,与对照组相比,限食组黑线仓鼠具有较低的体重、体脂、脾脏鲜重、血清瘦素水平、免疫球蛋白Ig G和Ig M浓度。而限食对胸腺鲜重、白细胞数、皮质酮水平以及PHA反应没有显著影响。结果表明黑线仓鼠免疫系统的不同成分对限食反应存在差异,在食物资源短缺时,黑线仓鼠防御细胞外病原体的能力降低,从而导致生存能力的下降。     

EP-1不育剂对内蒙古沙地黑线仓鼠种群结构与繁殖的影响

2003年在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟浑善达克沙地进行了EP-1不育剂控制黑线仓鼠的野外实验,分析新型EP系列不育剂对黑线仓鼠种群结构和繁殖的影响。采用逐月夹线调查方法,监测EP-1不育剂对沙地黑线仓鼠种群结构与数量动态的作用。结果表明,投药区与对照区相比,不育剂对黑线仓鼠的性别比例没有影响,对照区域投药区相比雄性比例没有差异。投药区黑线仓鼠种群幼鼠比例下降,比对照区相比幼鼠比例下降40%—60%,持续时间达4个月以上。春季一次性投放EP-1不育剂,可实现对沙地黑线仓鼠整个繁殖季节的繁殖控制。此外,EP-1不育剂对沙地鼠类种群年龄结构与数量的作用成效,随着时间的推移逐渐下降,这可能跟沙地鼠类具有扩散迁移习性有关。     

甘肃仓鼠的分类地位

自1928年Allen发表采自甘肃卓尼的甘肃仓鼠(Cansumys canus)以来,对其分类地位的争论就没有停止,不同学者从形态学和生态学方面研究得出了不同的结论。为了确认Allen所命名的甘肃仓鼠的分类地位,本研究利用形态性状和遗传性状,比较研究了甘肃、宁夏标本(包括模式产地标本)与华北、东北大仓鼠标本共计169只。结果显示:甘肃、宁夏地区标本身体及头骨量度与大仓鼠指名亚种、东北亚种间大多无显著性差异;地理分布连续,其间无隔离,也无地理重叠;生态特征与华北、东北的大仓鼠相似;基于线粒体DNA D-loop区序列的遗传变异分析表明,甘肃、宁夏地区种群与大仓鼠东北亚种种群关系较大仓鼠东北亚种种群与指名亚种种群关系更近;单倍型演化关系显示,指名亚种种群和东北亚种种群分别独立地由甘肃种群单倍型衍生而来,并且三个种群单倍型之间的分歧较浅,没有形成种上的分歧程度。据此,甘肃、宁夏地区“甘肃仓鼠”应为大仓鼠甘肃亚种[Cricetulus triton canus(Allen),1928]。     

Effects of social conditions on adult and subadult female rat-like hamsters (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cricetulus triton</Emphasis>)

As a solitary species, rat-like hamsters (Cricetulus triton) still live in family groups before they become mature and leave their families for a solitary life. This study aimed to investigate by a laboratory experiment if housing conditions have a different effect on physiological aspects of immature and mature females. We found that paired caged adult females became significantly heavier than their original weights; whereas the singly caged did not show significant change in their body weight. Although the subadults body weights increased significantly compared to their initial weights in both paired or singly caged groups, significant changes in body weight did not occur between the two groups. Although spleen and adrenal gland sizes were not significantly different between the two adult groups, the cortisol levels were significantly elevated by paired caging. In subadults, the adrenal size of the singly caged group was larger than that in the paired caged group despite there being no significant difference in cortisol level. Flank glands became significantly larger in paired caged adults than in singly caged adults, and there were no significant differences in subadults between the two groups. Additionally, ovaries and uteri of the paired caged adult females were comparatively lighter than those of the singly caged group; in contrast, ovaries and uteri of the paired caged group were larger than those of the singly caged group in subadults, although progesterone and estradiol levels did not show significant differences between the two adult groups. These different changes in physiological traits caused by housing conditions indicated that paired caging depressed adults and facilitated subadults; isolation facilitated adults and depressed subadults.     

应用马尔可夫链模型预测长爪沙鼠和黑线仓鼠种群数量

依据1984～2004年21年在呼和浩特郊区对长爪沙鼠(Meriones unguiculatus)和黑线仓鼠(Cricetulus barabansis)种群数量动态的调查数据,结合优选法(0.618法),应用加权马尔可夫链预测模型,建立了长爪沙鼠和黑线仓鼠种群数量预测模型。应用此模型分别预测了长爪沙鼠和黑线仓鼠2004年的种群数量,预测值与实测值相符,预测准确。同时,预测了未来三年(2005～2007年)长爪沙鼠和黑线仓鼠的种群数量。结果表明,此方法计算简便、准确、可靠,为鼠类种群数量的预测提供了新的方法。     

环境温度和繁殖经历对黑线仓鼠哺乳期能量收支的影响

为探讨环境温度和繁殖经历对黑线仓鼠哺乳期能量收支的影响,将连续3次繁殖的黑线仓鼠暴露于温度梯度降低的条件下(30—0℃,1℃/4d),使初次、第2和3次繁殖的动物分别暴露于30—20℃、20—10℃、10—0C℃,测定了哺乳期能量收支。与初次繁殖的动物相比,第3次繁殖组动物的摄食量显著增加,静止代谢率、非颤抖性产热、褐色脂肪组织细胞色素c氧化酶(COX)活性和血清T3水平显著增加,而断乳时胎仔重显著降低。结果表明:(1)低温下繁殖的黑线仓鼠处于负能量平衡,在自身维持和哺育后代的能量分配之间存在权衡,低温下产热增加,繁殖输出减少;(2)黑线仓鼠可能感知环境温度的变化,在连续降低温度的条件下降低繁殖投资,符合"季节性投资假说"的预测。