Erfahrungsbericht über die Haltung und deutsche Erstzucht der Borneo-Flussschildkröte (Orlitia borneensis Gray, 1873) im Zoo Dresden

Dresden Zoo bred successfully the Malaysian giant turtle (Orlitia borneensis) in summer 2012. This was the first successful breeding of this species in Germany.Little is known about biology and behaviour of this large river turtle and keeping and especially breeding of this endangered species in captivity is a rarity. In order to create optimal breeding conditions Dresden Zoo rebuilt an enclosure for the turtles in 2010. An area with soil and sand was built for the expected egg deposition. After arranged matings one female dug a nest on this area and buried her eggs. Nine eggs were secured and transferred into an incubator in a box filled with a 1:1 mixture of vermiculite and water. The average temperature was 29 °C. After problems with the temperature regulation the damaged incubator had to be replaced. Because of an estimated incubation period of 3–4 months, one egg was opened on day 127 of incubation. A live hatchling with a big yolk sac was fetched. Because of the non-reabsorbed yolk sac the hatchling was further incubated. On day 154 of incubation all eggs were manually opened and the hatchlings were fetched. All of these hatchlings showed a non-reabsorbed yolk sac and were incubated onwards in a box with wet paper towel until the yolk sac was completely reabsorbed. After that the hatchlings were housed solitarily in a box with water of approximately 4 cm height and a small land area. Two days after housing food was offered for the first time. All hatchlings accepted the offered food consisting of herbal as well as of animal products and later turtle pellets and self-made turtle jelly.Though little is known about breeding this species, the breeding success of Dresden Zoo demonstrates a possible approach to this topic. But there are still things to optimize. For example the manual hatching is something that should be avoided in future. Fertilization and hatching rate of 100% are promising and up to date eight out of nine hatchlings are still alive.     

酒红朱雀的繁殖生态初步报道

2012年6月至8月期间,在甘肃莲花山国家级自然保护区发现3巢酒红朱雀(Carpodacus vinaceus).巢呈碗状,筑于小云杉(Picea asperata)或小灌木上,距地面高1.5～1.9 m.卵的大小为(21.06 ±0.59)mm ×(14.81±0.26)mm,重(2.32±0.08)g(n =6).雌鸟单独孵卵,雌雄共同育雏,孵卵期约14 d,育雏期约13 d.     

补光对越冬灰仓鼠体重、主要器官指数及精子数量的影响

目的研究补光对灰仓鼠(Cricetulus migratorus)越冬时脏器器官的影响。方法室温下将其分为自然光照组和补充光照组,分别在第0、30、48和150天时测定动物的体重和脏器器官的重量,应用涂片法检查精子的数量。结果自然光照时,精子数量在冬至时变化不大,但冬至后第18天,灰仓鼠的睾丸系数降到最低值,精子数量仅为422枚,第150天时恢复到正常繁殖状态,精子数量达到7440枚。其他脏器指数在冬至时最高,第150天时最低。补充光照后,雌雄鼠体重高峰值时间均比自然光照组提前100 d,各器官指数变化与体重变化情况相类似,但睾丸和子宫系数维持稳定,精子数量未发现减少。结论在自然光照时越冬灰仓鼠的脏器指数逐渐下降,第150天时脏器指数达至最高值,睾丸指数在冬至后第18天下降到最低值,处于非繁殖状态。补充光照后,越冬灰仓鼠的精子数量和子宫指数变化不大,一直维持繁殖状态。     

珠子参地上部分氨基酸测定及营养评价

对珠子参茎、叶、花的氨基酸组成与含量进行测定和营养评价分析。结果表明,珠子参茎、叶、花中均含有17种常见氨基酸,氨基酸总量分别为3.73%,14.80%和8.72%;珠子参的茎中必需氨基酸与总氨基酸的比值(E/T)为0.39,必需氨基酸与非必需氨基酸的比值(E/N)为0.64,叶中E/T为0.41,E/N为0.71,花中E/T为0.39,E/N为0.63,氨基酸配比较为合理;珠子参茎、叶、花中蛋氨酸+胱氨酸均为第一限制氨基酸;珠子参茎、叶、花中均含有γ-氨基丁酸,含量分别为0.12%,0.26%和0.16%,叶片中γ-氨基丁酸的含量最高。     

Gamete production patterns,ploidy, and population genetics reveal evolutionary significant units in hybrid water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus)

The European water frog Pelophylax esculentus is a natural hybrid between P. lessonae (genotype LL) and P. ridibundus (RR). It reproduces through hybridogenesis, eliminating one parental genome from its germline and producing gametes containing the genome of the other parental species. According to previous studies, this elimination and transmission pattern is very diverse. In mixed populations, where only diploid hybrids (LR) live in sympatry and mate with one or both parental species, the excluded genome varies among regions, and the remaining genome is transmitted clonally to haploid gametes. In all‐hybrid populations consisting of diploid (LR) and triploid (LLR and/or LRR) frogs, diploid individuals also produce gametes clonally (1n in males, 2n in females), whereas triploids eliminate the genome they have in single copy and produce haploid gametes containing the recombined other genome. However, here, too, regional differences seem to exist, and some triploids have been reported to produce diploid gametes. In order to systematically study such regional and genotype differences in gamete production, their potential origin, and their consequences for the breeding system, we sampled frogs from five populations in three European countries, performed crossing experiments, and investigated the genetic variation through microsatellite analysis. For four populations, one in Poland, two in Germany, and one in Slovakia, our results confirmed the elimination and transmission pattern described above. In one Slovakian population, however, we found a totally different pattern. Here, triploid males (LLR) produce sperm with a clonally transmitted diploid LL genome, rather than a haploid recombined L genome, and LR females clonally produce haploid R eggs, rather than diploid LR eggs. These differences among the populations in gamete production go along with differences in genomotype composition, breeding system (i.e., the way triploids are produced), and genetic variation. These differences are strong evidence for a polyphyletic origin of triploids. Moreover, our findings shed light on the evolutionary potential inherent to the P. esculentus complex, where rare events due to untypical gametogenetic processes can lead to the raise, the perpetuation, and the dispersion of new evolutionary significant lineages which may also deserve special conservation measures.     

A recipe for postfledging survival in great tits Parus major: be large and be early (but not too much)

Survival of juveniles during the postfledging period can be markedly low, which may have major consequences on avian population dynamics. Knowing which factors operating during the nesting phase affect postfledging survival is crucial to understand avian breeding strategies. We aimed to obtain a robust set of predictors of postfledging local survival using the great tit (Parus major) as a model species. We used mark–recapture models to analyze the effect of hatching date, temperatures experienced during the nestling period, fledging size and body mass on first‐year postfledging survival probability of great tit juveniles. We used data from 5192 nestlings of first clutches ringed between 1993 and 2010. Mean first‐year postfledging survival probability was 15.2%, and it was lower for smaller individuals, as well as for those born in either very early or late broods. Our results stress the importance of choosing an optimum hatching period, and raising large chicks to increase first‐year local survival probability in the studied population.     

Tracking Nutrient Routing in Avian Consumers in a Subtropical Desert

The nutrients animals ingest are allocated to serve different functions. We used contrasting C stable isotope signatures of dominant vegetation types in a North American subtropical desert to decipher how avian consumers allocate nutrients to fuel oxidative metabolism and to construct tissues. We conducted C stable isotope analysis of breath and feathers collected from nectarivores (hummingbirds) and of breath, plasma, and red blood cell samples collected from frugivores, granivores, and insectivores. Based on varying nutrient characteristics of food sources, we expected that for frugivores and granivores, CAM‐derived food (RC_CAM) would have similar importance for oxidative metabolism and for tissue building, that RC_CAM in nectarivores and insectivores would be more important for fueling metabolism than for generating tissues, and that (although low) RC_CAM in insectivores would be higher for sustaining metabolism than for building tissues. Our predictions held true for nectarivores and granivores, but RC_CAM use in tissue building was lower than expected in frugivores and higher than expected in insectivores. Our examination at the trophic guild, population, and individual levels showed that in general, nutrients used to sustain oxidative metabolism and tissue construction had a uniform isotopic origin. This finding suggests that the avian community under investigation does not route different food groups to fulfill different needs. However, we found some exceptions, indicating that birds can use different food sources for different functions, irrespective of trophic guild.     

30年泰山繁殖鸟类种类变化

泰山位于山东省中部,是华北中东部地区海拔最高的山脉,地形多样,生境复杂,是鸟类重要的繁殖地和迁徙停歇地。根据1984~1988年和2013~2015年两个时期野外调查及访谈调查结果,比较了近30年泰山繁殖鸟类种类的组成变化。相比20世纪80年代记录的繁殖鸟类13目35科72种,2013~2015年的调查记录到繁殖鸟类11目34科84种,与30年前相比净增长12种繁殖鸟类,其中新增繁殖鸟类记录32种,消失鸟类记录20种。新增种类主要是林地和灌丛鸟类,多为东洋种,消失的种类主要是湿地和农田草地鸟类,多为古北种和广布种。鸟类新增和消失的原因多样,但主要是栖息地面积和质量的改变,同时私自放生也是一个重要原因。本研究结果可丰富泰山地区随时间尺度变化的鸟类本底数据,并为泰山鸟类的保护提供科学依据。     

蒙古野驴的繁殖行为观察

2014年6月至2015年8月期间,对分布在内蒙古自治区包头市达尔罕茂明安联合旗中蒙边境地区(41°14′~42°40′N,109°16′~110°26′E)和内蒙古自治区巴彦淖尔市乌拉特梭梭林-蒙古野驴国家级自然保护区(41°50′~42°27′N,106°15′~108°00′E)的两个野驴群(1♂3♀和2♂3♀)的繁殖行为进行研究。采用目标取样法以及目标取样法与扫描取样法相结合的方法对蒙古野驴的发情交配、产前反应、生产过程及产后行为进行观察。共记录到4类35种繁殖行为,分别为争斗行为、性行为、分娩行为和母幼联系行为。结果表明,雄驴平均日爬跨(4.2±1.7)次(n=14),射精(3.7±1.3)次(n=13),平均邀配持续时间(从雌雄驴靠近调情始到爬跨或其中一个走开止)为(26.6±22.0)s(n=13),平均抽动持续时间为(10.6±1.9)s(n=14),平均阴茎置入持续时间为(18.3±8.8)s(n=13),平均爬跨间隔为(685.7±569.6)s(n=14),平均射精间隔为(924.0±790.0)s(n=10)。蒙古野驴的交配模式属于Dewsbury分类系统中的第11种(无锁结、有抽动、单次插入、多次射精)类型和Dixon分类系统中的第12种(无锁结、有抽动、单次插入、无单次长时间插入)类型。本研究较完整地建立了蒙古野驴繁殖行为谱,提供了繁殖行为方面的基础资料。