小兴安岭南麓野猪春冬季行为状态的生境选择

野猪(Sus scrofa)造成的人兽冲突是我国目前野生动物管理中急需解决的问题之一,但往往管理成本高,却效果甚微。了解野猪觅食、卧息等重要行为状态的生境选择规律,对科学管理策略的制定及避免人兽冲突极为重要。以小兴安岭南坡农林混交区域的野猪(5只雌性,8只雄性)为研究对象,基于其2019-2022年春冬季卫星定位项圈追踪数据,运用隐马尔科夫模型(HMM)识别野猪觅食、卧息和移动的三种行为状态,然后用步选择函数(SSF)研究这三种行为状态的生境选择。结果表明:野猪觅食、卧息和移动的生境需求不同,但均回避落叶针叶林,且性别差异明显,雌性野猪回避农田;地形是影响雌性野猪春季和雌雄野猪冬季三种行为状态生境选择的主要因子,地形和植被类型是影响雄性野猪春季三种行为状态生境选择的主要因子;雌性野猪,在春季,选择海拔高、坡度小的生境卧息、觅食及移动,且卧息和觅食均偏爱阴坡,冬季则选择海拔高,坡度大的阳坡卧息及觅食,偏爱在混交林和阳坡移动;雄性野猪,在春季,选择在混交林和坡度大的阴坡卧息,在混交林、落叶阔叶林和海拔低的区域觅食,在落叶阔叶林、常绿阔叶林内、海拔低、坡度小和距河流近的区域移动,在冬季,选择坡度大、海拔高、接近河流的阳坡卧息,在距河流近、坡度小的区域觅食,在常绿阔叶林、坡度小和距河流近的阳坡移动。本研究结果可为该区域的野猪毁田的预测和预警,捕获地点的选择等管控措施的制定提供依据和新思路。     

Enclosure utilization,activity budgets,and social behavior of captive chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) during the rut

An observational study of chamois behavior during the rut was conducted at the Los Angeles Zoo. The herd consisted of an adult male, two adult females, two subadult females, and two kids (1.1). During the 13-week study, observers collected scan data on all animals and recorded all occurrences of selected social behaviors during interactions which involved the adult male. Scan observations showed that open areas of the enclosure close to the public were the least preferred, and areas with good rest places were used most. Overall the herd spent 73% of their time stationary, 13% foraging/feeding, 6% moving, and less than 5% each in object investigation, maintenance, play, and social behavior. The adult male rested and fed less, and stood vigilant and engaged in social behavior more frequently than the others. Nearest neighbor data showed clear patterns of kin association beyond the mother-last kid bond. The adult male interacted most often with the regular keepers, the subordinate female and the oldest subadult female. Interactions with the females consisted mostly of herding and sexual behaviors, while those with keepers were almost exclusively competitive/aggressive. While most findings paralleled those from studies of wild chamois, no study has previously reported long-lasting associations among kin.     

Socio-genetic structure and mating system of a wild boar population

Wild boars Sus scrofa have a social organization based on female groups that can include several generations of adults and offspring, and are thus likely matrilineal. However, little is known about the degree of relatedness between animals living in such groups or occupying the same core area of spatial activity. Also, polygynous male mating combined with matrilineal female groups can have strong influences on the genetic structure of populations. We used microsatellite genotyping combined with behavioral data to investigate the fine-scale population genetic structure and the mating system of wild boars in a multi-year study at Châteauvillain-Arc-en-Barrois (France). According to spatial genetic autocorrelation, females in spatial proximity were significantly inter-related. However, we found that numerous males contributed to the next generation, even within the same social group. Based on our genetic data and behavioral observations, wild boars in this population appear to have a low level of polygyny associated with matrilineal female groups, and infrequent multiple paternity. Mortality due to hunting may facilitate the breakup of what historically has been a more predominantly polygynous mating system, and likely accelerates the turnover of adults within the matrilineal groups.     

Mitochondrial Genetic Variation in Chinese Pigs and Wild Boars

The mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from 30 pig breeds (29 Chinese native breeds and 1 European breed) and wild boars were investigated for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) to determine the phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity among pig breeds and wild boars. Of the 24 enzymes used, 8 (AvaI, BclI, BglII, EcoRI, EcoRV, ScaI, StuI, and XbaI) detected polymorphisms. By combining the cleavage patterns for each enzyme, 108 individuals were sorted into eight mtDNA mitotypes. There are two haplotype lineages in domestic pigs, i.e., Chinese and European lineages. The pairwise nucleotide sequence divergence was calculated to be 0.56% between Chinese pigs and European pigs, suggesting that they might have diverged from a common ancestor approximately 280,000 years ago. The wild boars showed more extensive genetic variation, four mitotypes were detected in six wild boars. In addition, one of the Zhejiang wild boars was found to share the same mitotype with Chinese native pigs. A UPGMA tree based on genetic distance among mitotypes indicated that mtDNAs of Chinese pigs and European pigs are clearly divided into two clusters, and Chinese wild boars are more closely related to the Chinese pigs. Our results provide molecular evidence to support the previous hypothesis that pigs may be derived from two maternal origins, Asian and European wild boars. Chinese native pig breeds may have a single origin.     

First evidence of long-distance dispersal of adult female wild boar (Sus scrofa) with piglets

Using GPS telemetry and ear tagging, we monitored wild boar sounder (a 2-year sow, a female yearling and eight piglets) captured in northern Slovenia. Five months after the capture, the sounder left its home range and first travelled 100 km west, to the three-border area between Slovenia, Austria and Italy, and from there toward southeast. The sow and three piglets were shot 2 months after start of dispersal 60 km from the capture site and in-between travelled at least 500 km. At least one piglet continued dispersal after the death of the sow, and the yearling split from the sounder during dispersal. This is the first documented case of long-distance dispersal of adult female wild boar with piglets. Several arguments suggest that long-distance dispersal of female wild boar is more common than previously reported in the literature. For wild boar and other species with predominant male dispersal, data on occasional far-dispersing females like presented here are important for understanding biology of species (e.g. metapopulations, rate of population expansion, local sex and age structure of population) and for management including control of diseases.     

Plasma Melatonin Levels in Relation to the Light-Dark Cycle and Parental Background in Domestic Pigs

To study porcine melatonin secretion in a stable environment 3 daytime (10.00 – 15.00) and 3 nighttime (22.00 – 03.00) plasma samples were collected by jugular venipuncture from 15 gilts, 16 sows, 3 boars and 48 piglets (24 females and 24 males from 8 litters) and analysed for melatonin content. Nighttime melatonin concentrations were higher than daytime melatonin concentrations (p < 0.001), whereas no effect of sampling order could be discerned. The 3 adult Hampshire boars had higher melatonin concentrations during the day and the night, than the 31 adult Yorkshire females (p < 0.05). There was no clear difference between gilts and sows in plasma melatonin. The gilts from one of the litters had higher plasma melatonin concentrations than the gilts in 3 other litters (p < 0.05). Among the 48 piglets, the increase of nocturnal melatonin secretion differed between litters (p < 0.01), whereas the influence of father was not quite significant (p = 0.12). No difference in daytime melatonin concentrations between litters could be found, and there was no difference in melatonin levels between the male and female piglets. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that domestic pigs express a nocturnal increase of melatonin secretion in a standard stable environment. For some animals the amplitude of nighttime melatonin secretion was very low, although always higher than the daytime base levels. Furthermore, the levels of nighttime melatonin secretion differed between litters, which suggests a genetic background.     

TYR基因外显子1的序列变异

为了分析家猪与野猪的遗传多样性及起源,测定了来自１２个中国地方家猪品种、３个欧洲引进猪品种以及8个中国野猪和2个越南野猪共36个个体的酪氨酸酶基因（TYR）外显子1的序列,共检出６个单核苷酸多态性位点（SNPs）,且这6个位点的变异均为同义突变,根据这些变异可将酪氨酸酶基因DNA序列归结为４种单倍型。结合已发表的数据,构建了简约中介网络图。 在网络图中,单倍型TYR*2主要为欧洲家猪与欧洲野猪和三条亚洲家猪染色体。大部分亚洲家猪和野猪共享单倍型TYR*1,表明这是一个亚洲类型的单倍型;同时也有部分欧洲家猪与野猪携带这一单倍型。 而单倍型TYR*3和TYR*4为本研究检测到的稀有单倍型,这两种单倍型主要由中国家猪与亚洲野猪组成。这种网络图结构支持家猪的欧洲和亚洲独立起源学说,同时也表明相当部分的欧洲家猪品种受到亚洲猪的基因渗透,而少量中国家猪和日本野猪也受到了欧洲猪的基因渗透。     

Grouping-patterns and inter-group relationships of Japanese wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax) in the Rokko mountain area

Grouping-patterns and inter-group relationships of Japanese wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax) were studied at a provisioning site in the Rokko mountain area, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, from 1982 to 1983. The observations were divided into four study periods. Almost all wild boars were individually identified and their kin-relationships were followed from the beginning of the study. To examine grouping-patterns of Japanese wild boars, the degree of association between any two individuals, based on coexisting time at the provisioning site, was analyzed for each study period. Mother and her litter group (MLG), female littermate group (FLG) and solitary individual were recognized grouping-patterns. Groups did not associate with each other. Male offspring separated from their mother before 1 year of age and become solitary. Separation of female offspring occurred before the subsequent parturition of their mother. The proximate cause of separation was increased aggression by the mother. After separation, female offspring formed a FLG. However, the FLG seemed to be generally a temporary one, maintaining its stability only until parturition of it's members. Thereafter adult females had no close association with any other individuals, except for their own infants. Male offspring disappeared from their natal area, while female offspring could remain there.     

Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses reveal pronounced genetic structuring in Tunisian wild boar <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sus scrofa</Emphasis>

We analysed 74 wild boars from Tunisia with respect to patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity based on sequences of the mitochondrial control region and genotypes at eight nuclear microsatellite loci. Analysis of molecular variance for both marker systems and Bayesian structure analysis of our microsatellite data revealed a clear break between northern and southern populations. Southern wild boar were monomorphic for one of three mtDNA haplotypes; the other two (one of which only occurred in three individuals) were confined to the north. A comparison with published sequences showed all three haplotypes to belong to the major European clade E1. Microsatellite diversity was similar to that found in earlier studies of wild boar (expected heterozygosity of 0.695 and 0.597 for the north and south, respectively). Contrary to the mtDNA results, we did not find unequivocal evidence of a bottleneck in Tunisian wild boar based on our microsatellite data. The clear distinction between northern and southern populations may be due to an Algerian origin of the southern animals.     

Effectiveness of frozen boar semen under practical conditions of artificial insemination

A technique of boar semen deep-freezing and frozen semen use was tested in practice. 338 sows and 43 gilts belonging to small herds with less than 10 females each were inseminated without oestrus detection by a teaser boar. About 58 % of the inseminated females produced 9.3 piglets per litter. But there were differences between parities. The sows had the highest fertility rate, whereas the gilts showed a significantly lower farrowing rate (59.8% vs 41.9%; P < 0.05). The standing reaction of the female to the back pressure test made by the inseminator and the behaviour of the female during insemination had an effect on the farrowing rate. The best result was obtained after a standing reaction and a behaviour score of 1 (64.5% and 9.6 piglets for farrowing rate and litters size respectively). Farrowing rate for inseminators ranged from 44.3% to 62.4% among inseminators. Farrowing rate for females inseminated with frozen semen from Large-White, Landrace, Pietrain boars was not different, but there were significant differences between the boars. Results showed that insemination with deep-frozen boar semen could be used under practical conditions as an additional technique to the use of fresh semen.     

Activity budgets and use of exhibit space by South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in a Zoological Park setting

Six individuals of Tapirus terrestris (two adult males, one juvenile male, and three adult females) were observed the first three months of 1982 at Audubon Park and Zoological Garden. Data for fourteen behavioral states were collected by scan sampling at ten-minute intervals throughout the day and twice throughout the night in an open air, mixed-species exhibit. The data were analyzed to calculate activity budgets and space use. Sleeping, eating, foraging, walking, and standing made up the major portions of the activity budgets. “Natural” activity patterns, as in the wild for browsing ungulates, were displayed under captivity in variously modified form. The characteristics of an individual, especially the reproductive state, affected both activity budget and space use. Zoo regimen significantly modified activity budgets and space use by the animals.     

Differences in the activity pattern of the wild boar Sus scrofa related to human disturbance

Over the last century, human activity has caused significant changes to the activity patterns of many wildlife species. The wild boar is one species known to change its activity pattern with the intensity of human disturbance. We conducted camera trap surveys in two study sites, Shingo and Himuro, in Tochigi, central Japan. We investigated effects of two types of human disturbance on the activity pattern of a wild boar population: ‘direct’ disturbance related to hunting activity and ‘indirect’ disturbance related to daily human activity. In the hunting season, relative abundance indices (RAI) of wild boars significantly decreased, and the proportion of activity at night increased compared with the nonhunting season. RAI of wild boars at night decreased with increasing distance from the settlement, while RAI of wild boars during the day did not. Relative proportion of activity at night was higher in cameras at 0–200 m from the settlements, while no significant pattern was found in cameras far from settlements. Both direct and indirect effects of human activity had a significant effect on the activity pattern of wild boars. A decrease in human activity may result in the rapid expansion of wild boar populations, and re-evaluation of the human factor is important for more intelligent management of wild boar populations and to solve the human–wildlife conflict.     

The effects of postnatal FSH substitution on Sertoli cell number and the sperm production capacity of the adult boar

The role of FSH for Sertoli cell establishment and sperm production in the boar is not definitely known. In order to elucidate its function FSH was substituted postnatally in male pigs and the resulting effects on testicular histological traits and sperm production capacity were investigated when the boars had reached maturity. Six male piglets received pFSH from 18 to 48 days postnatally. Another six piglets instead received saline and served as controls. Blood samples were drawn to measure FSH, LH, testosterone and estradiol. After 28 weeks, the boars were trained to mount a dummy so that the spermatogenic capacity was tested by increasing the frequency of semen collection at the age of 30 weeks. Libido (latency time) and ejaculate criteria (volume, motility, morphological abnormalities) were determined. Thereafter the boars were killed and their testes analyzed for morphology, number of Sertoli cells, germ cells and Leydig cells as well as the ratio between mitosis and apoptosis in the tubules.FSH concentrations were twofold due to FSH application when compared to the controls. LH was low during the first 2 weeks of FSH treatment. Thereafter concentrations increased in three of the six treated animals but not in controls. Testosterone increased slightly over the application period both in the controls and the treated piglets. Estradiol levels were similar in both groups. Increased ejaculation frequency reduced sperm concentrations and sperm motility in all boars and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm increased. Ejaculate volumes and the time of latency were not significantly altered. No differences were observed between the controls and the FSH treated boars. The testicular parameters of both FSH- and control boars were identical for morphology, number of spermatogenic and somatic cells as well as mitosis–apoptosis equilibrium. The data demonstrated that a prolonged postnatal period of FSH concentrations does not influence the sperm production of the adult boar.     

Genetic changes in an Atlantic salmon population resulting from escaped juvenile farm salmon

The study was undertaken on three adjacent rivers in NW Ireland, on one of which an Atlantic salmon Salmo salar freshwater juvenile rearing unit is situated. Two markers which distinguished farm and wild populations were used. An Ava II-B RFLP in the ND1 region of mtDNA was at a frequency of 0.58 in the farm strain but absent in the wild populations. Allele E at minisatellite locus Ssa- A45/2/l was at a frequency of 0.91 in farm samples, but at a maximum of 0.41 in the populations in the two rivers adjacent to the one with the juvenile rearing unit. The farm strain showed a significant reduction in mean heterozygosity (0.281 ± 0.057), over three minisatellite loci examined, compared to wild samples (0.532 ± 0.063). The occurrence of farm genotypes and the independent occurrence of mtDNA and minisatellite markers in several parr samples from the river indicated that escaped juvenile salmon completed their life cycle, bred and interbred with native fish, upon their return to the river. Escaped fish homed accurately, as adults, to the site of escape, i.e. the area adjacent to the hatchery outflow in the upstream part of the river. Breeding of males in the lower part of the river was also indicated but this could have been due to mature male parr which had moved downstream. The return of adults of farm origin to the river to breed was indicated by the presence of the Ava II-B haplotype in adults netted in the estuary.     

Observations on the maternal behaviour of free-ranging domestic pigs

The maternal behaviour of four gilts and one sow having her second litter was studied in two enclosures, measuring 7 and 13 ha. The females left the flocks approximately 24 h before farrowing and moved between 2.5 and 6.5 km during a period of continuous wandering lasting 4–6 h. During this wandering, the pigs seemed to examine and discriminate between different possible farrowing sites. When a site had been chosen, the pigs constructed nests resembling those reported for the European wild boar. After farrowing, the mother and litter remained in or close to the nest for about 9 days. Thereafter, the nests were suddenly abandoned and the piglets changed from hiders to followers. The female and the young joined the flock, but the litter tended to remain an intact social unit throughout lactation and mixed with other piglets only occassionally during resting. No cross-suckling was observed, although some attempts to steal milk from alien mothers were recorded. The piglets were weaned at between 14 and 17 weeks of age. The maternal behaviour was similar to that reported for wild boars and feral pigs. There were individual differences in maternal behaviour among the animals studied, which may be interpreted either as genetically fixed inter-individual differences or as variable strategies, adopted to increase the lifetime reproductive success.     

Faecal pellet group counting as a promising method of wild boar population density estimation

The wild boar is a native animal species of the Czech Republic that has significantly increased its population density in recent years. Objective methods of population density estimation are required to inform the intensity of regulation needed for the sustainable management of the wild boar. Population estimation and regulation of the abundance of the wild boar are problematic in comparison to those of other ungulates, and the only widely used method of control is intensive hunting. The purpose of this study was to test if faecal pellet group (FPG) counting was a reliable method of wild boar population censusing in a forest environment. The density of wild boars was evaluated in an area of 22.56 km², circumscribed by both natural and man-made barriers that restrict wild boar migration. As it is essential for proper application of FPG count methods, a separate trial was carried out to determine the daily defecation rate of wild boars. The distribution of faeces in different types of habitat in a forest environment was tested. As the period of faeces accumulation fell within the intensive hunting season, the result is biased by the fact that the calculation includes FPGs produced by animals removed from the population through hunting during winter. The average daily defecation rate of adults and piglets was 4.29 and 5.82, respectively. The corrected (without shot animals) average density of wild boars in the study area estimated by the FPG count at the time of the census was 6.08 individuals (ind.)/km². We have confirmed that an FPG count conducted in winter is applicable for estimation of wild boar abundance on a forested area.     

保护区及周边居民对野猪容忍性的影响因素——以黑龙江凤凰山国家级自然保护区为例

以黑龙江凤凰山国家级自然保护区为例,于2010年9、10月份,采用问卷调查法和实地考察法相结合的形式,调查该保护区及周边地区野猪危害农田的情况,以及居民对野猪的容忍性和认知度。结合Mann-Whitey U检验和Kruskal-Wallis H检验方法比较各个因素对保护区及周边居民野猪容忍性的影响差异,用主成分分析法对主要影响因素进行辨析。结果表明:农田收入比例、文化程度、人均农田面积以及野猪毁田面积是影响居民对野猪容忍性的主要因素。被访问的居民中,66.19%的居民希望野猪种群减少或消失;63.38%的居民赞同或者完全赞同保护措施;毁田事件发生后,46.48%的居民赞同或完全赞同捕杀野猪;在村外遇见野猪时,66.20%的居民不赞同或者完全不赞同捕杀野猪;在山野遇见野猪时,65.59%的居民不赞同或者完全不赞同捕杀野猪,说明遇到野猪的地点对居民所持捕杀态度基本没有影响。     

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae temporal trends of infection and pathological effects in wild boar populations

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) is the principal etiological agent of enzootic pneumonia (EP), one of the most economically important diseases in the pig production industry worldwide. Although swine and wild boars (Sus scrofa) share susceptibility to Mhyo infection, information regarding the dynamics of Mhyo infections and pathology in wild boars is currently limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the spatiotemporal dynamics of Mhyo infections in free-living wild boars through serological ELISA testing. Additionally, the presence of EP-like gross lesions and their association with the presence of Mhyo, based on a PCR assay, were assessed. Over a period of 5 years, antibodies against Mhyo were detected in 655 (30.0 %) of the 2,177 analyzed wild boars. A generalized temporal increase of seroprevalence coupled with an increase of mean antibody titers of seropositive individuals was found. Moreover, a similar seroprevalence between age classes associated with higher antibody titers of younger individuals indicated the wild boars were infected during the early stages of their life. Out of 99 lungs tested, 43 showed EP-like lesions and 45 were PCR positive for the presence of Mhyo DNA. The lung lesion scores were related to the sex and age of the wild boars, with young individuals having higher lung scores than others, and there was a positive association with the Mhyo PCR-positive status. The temporal increase of the Mhyo seroprevalence and infection association with EP-like lesions, when coupled with the spreading of wild boar populations, raises concerns on the epidemiological role of this species.     

Occurrence of yersiniosis and listeriosis in wild boars in Japan

From December 1994 to February 1995, 131 wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomysta) living in a mountainous area in Japan were examined for yersiniosis and listeriosis. Of 131 wild boars, 76 (58%) were males and 55 (42%) were females. Four Yersinia spp. including Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. enterocolitica, Y. frederiksenii, and Y. aldovei, were isolated from 49 (37%) of 131 wild boars. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from five (4%) of 131 wild boars. All Y. pseudotuberculosis isolates were serotype 4b and harbored virulence plasmids. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated only from boars under 2-yr-old. No human pathogenic Y. enterocolitica was isolated. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from two (1%) of the wild boars and both isolates were serotype 4b. These findings indicated that wild boar could be a reservoir of Y. pseudotuberculosis and L. monocytogenes in Japan.     

How immunogenetically different are domestic pigs from wild boars: a perspective from single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 19 immunity-related candidate genes

The coexistence of wild boars and domestic pigs across Eurasia makes it feasible to conduct comparative genetic or genomic analyses for addressing how genetically different a domestic species is from its wild ancestor. To test whether there are differences in patterns of genetic variability between wild and domestic pigs at immunity-related genes and to detect outlier loci putatively under selection that may underlie differences in immune responses, here we analyzed 54 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 19 immunity-related candidate genes on 11 autosomes in three pairs of wild boar and domestic pig populations from China, Iberian Peninsula, and Hungary. Our results showed no statistically significant differences in allele frequency and heterozygosity across SNPs between three pairs of wild and domestic populations. This observation was more likely due to the widespread and long-lasting gene flow between wild boars and domestic pigs across Eurasia. In addition, we detected eight coding SNPs from six genes as outliers being under selection consistently by three outlier tests (BayeScan2.1, FDIST2, and Arlequin3.5). Among four non-synonymous outlier SNPs, one from TLR4 gene was identified as being subject to positive (diversifying) selection and three each from CD36, IFNW1, and IL1B genes were suggested as under balancing selection. All of these four non-synonymous variants were predicted as being benign by PolyPhen-2. Our results were supported by other independent lines of evidence for positive selection or balancing selection acting on these four immune genes (CD36, IFNW1, IL1B, and TLR4). Our study showed an example applying a candidate gene approach to identify functionally important mutations (i.e., outlier loci) in wild and domestic pigs for subsequent functional experiments.