红瘰疣螈的繁殖生态

红瘰疣螈(Tylototriton shanjing)为国家Ⅱ级重点保护野生动物,对其繁殖生态尚无系统的研究。2007～2010年在云南省新平县哀牢山对红瘰疣螈形态、繁殖栖息地、求偶和交配行为、产卵及孵化等繁殖特征进行了研究。结果表明,红瘰疣螈雌雄两性在广泛的形态学度量特征上存在着差异;繁殖栖息地主要为稻田和潮湿的沟渠;参与繁殖的雌雄成体性比随繁殖时间的推移而不断变化,繁殖前期和后期雄性比例高,中期雌性比例高。求偶和交配主要在陆地潮湿的水沟中完成,也可在静水中进行。成体产卵活动从5月初持续至6月下旬,呈现出波浪式的产卵进程,个体完成产卵平均时间为(22.2±2.7)h。繁殖前期雌螈产卵于稻田,中后期产于多杂草的田埂草丛和泥壁,平均产卵数(126±18)枚(n=17)。平均孵化期(17.3±0.1)d(n=225),孵化率59.8%(n=79),孵化时幼体平均体长12.7mm(n=6)。

The Breeding Ecology of Red Knobby Newts, Tylototriton shanjing

Although Red Knobby Newts(Tylototriton shanjing) has been listed as National Grade Ⅱ protected species in China,its breeding ecology information have not been well reported,yet.We conducted a study on its reproductive characteristics,including sexual morphological difference,breeding habitat use,courtship and mating behavior,egg laying and hatching,in breeding seasons of 2007-2010 at Xinping County in Ailao Mountain range,Yunnan Province.The morphological measurement of male and female was difference.They bred mainly in rice paddies and humid ditches.The sex ratio of breeding individuals changed with breeding period,more males in the earlier and later of breeding season,while more females in the middle breeding phase.They made courtship mainly in the shady humid ditch although they also completed courtship and mating in lentic water.Female layed eggs 1-2 day after mating and gave 126±18 eggs(n=17) in 22.2±2.7 hours(n=15) in average with 1-3 min interval between each egg from early May through late June.In the early breeding season,females laid their eggs into water with 4-10 cm deep against the terrace of rice paddy,however,after middle May female laid eggs in grassy seepage areas of the rice paddy ridge.The mean clutch size was 126±18(n=17),average hatching period 17.3±0.1 d(n=225) with a estimated hatching rate of 59.8%(n=79).The average body length of the hatchling was 12.7 mm(n=6).