丽龟的人工饲养初报

本文报道了2001年10月至2004年4月间,2只丽龟在人工饲养条件下的观察和试验结果.     

绿海龟稚龟性别鉴定及临界温度

通过组织形态学鉴定、羊水和血液中性激素测定等手段,对惠东港口海龟保护区不同恒温下孵化的绿海龟(Chelonia mydas)进行研究,寻求绿海龟稚龟性别鉴定的最佳方法。结果显示,(1)组织形态学,绿海龟性腺切片分皮层和髓质两部分,卵巢的皮层较厚、基质中有大小不一的未成熟卵细胞,髓质中空腔较少;睾丸的皮层较薄,髓质中空腔较多,呈现出显著的被基质包围的髓质索。(2)性激素测定,当雌二醇与睾酮含量之比E2∶T1.5时,孵出的稚龟为雄性(♂);当E2∶T1.5时,为雌性(♀)。(3)绿海龟性别决定的临界温度在29.4～29.5℃之间,此时孵出稚龟的性比约为1∶1。本文还讨论了各种不同性别鉴定方法的优劣和时期选择。     

绿海龟稚龟高密度养殖越冬技术初报

多年的研究数据表明,每年9月份后出壳的稚龟个体较小,在12月前平均体重少于70 g,占死亡总数的90%以上.原因是稚龟冬季的摄食能力下降,个体较小的稚龟体质差,没有足够的能量御寒.而采用加温和药物预防措施效果不佳.2004年,我们采取绿海龟高密度养殖方法,按照绿海龟的自然生活习性,从改善水质和食物,增强稚龟体质入手,使其越冬前体重迅速增加到100 g以上,御寒能力增强,可有效保证稚龟顺利过冬,成活率可达90%以上.     

人工饲养蟒蛇技术

蟒蛇又名：南蛇、琴蛇、黑尾蟒,是世界上最大的蛇种之一,大的长达６～７ｍ,重５０～６０ｋｇ。栖息在温暖、潮湿的热带及亚热带地区的茂密林中或溪涧附近。蟒蛇善于游泳缠树,吃兽类、鸟类及爬行动物,卵生,雌蟒产卵后有盘伏卵上孵卵习性。我国产于福建、广东、广西、...     

稚绿海龟Chelonia mydas白化个体及畸形卵的观察

2001年, 广东惠东港口海龟国家级自然保护区管理局在 1000 多枚绿海龟的卵孵化过程中, 发现一例白化稚绿海龟 (见封3图版, 1)。现报道如下。白化稚绿海龟通体白色; 背甲、腹甲和四肢发育正常, 其量度见表 1。背甲卵圆形, 中央隆起,椎盾5枚, 肋盾8枚, 颈盾2枚, 左侧缘盾12枚,表1　白化稚绿海龟 (编重量体长背甲长背甲宽腹甲长腹甲宽15 2 53 38 40 9 35 3 25 01 23 36 　　人类白化病患者眼睛呈肉红色[1]。白化龟、白化鳖眼睛曾出现红色和黑色两种现象。该稚绿海龟白化个体因无眼睛, 故不知其…     

人工培育幼年绿海龟的卫星追踪试验

2011年6月—2012年2月期间,在3只人工培育的幼年绿海龟背甲上安装微型卫星追踪器,通过全球Argos系统开展追踪监测,旨在研究海龟洄游路线以及海流、海水叶绿素浓度等因子对洄游的影响。结果表明,试验幼龟洄游方向与同期海流趋同,洄游路线与历年产卵后母龟大体相似;洄游平均速度为0.2~1.8 km·h~(-1),洄游距离68~949 km;觅食场海水叶绿素浓度为1~2 mg·m~(-3)。揭示南海台湾至海南近岸海域间可能存在绿海龟洄游通道,绿海龟的洄游可能与食性及海流有关,开展增殖放流应充分考虑季节、海流等因子的影响。     

不同年龄绿海龟口腔的组织形态及超微结构比较

对不同年龄段绿海龟Chelonia mydas的口腔进行形态学观察。口腔均由喙、内鼻孔、舌、气门及咽喉腔组成。喙覆盖角质鞘,无牙齿。稚龟喙呈V型,无角质锯齿,下喙钩状;幼龟和成年龟喙呈U型,具多排角质锯齿,口裂均相对较稚龟小。上喙内侧角化内鼻孔2个;内鼻孔梳状乳突在稚龟中缺失,但在幼龟和成年龟中可见,且随年龄增长、增密。舌呈"U"型,短小;舌正后方有游离的半圆形膜状皱褶,其下方可见1个裂隙。气门紧随裂隙内侧,游离,由2个杓状软骨支撑。舌和气门下方舌骨1块;角腮骨1对,分别可伸至咽喉腔下方和头骨后方。咽喉腔约占口腔的1/2,表层分布有大量弧状皱褶,且左右各具1个咽鼓管孔。光镜下,口腔腔壁包含黏膜层、肌层和骨骼。黏膜层均由角化复层鳞状上皮和固有层构成,但仅稚龟舌后部的黏膜层可见分泌细胞分布。舌体与膜状皱褶之间有分支泡状腺;膜状皱褶下方的裂隙表面覆盖复层柱状上皮,可见管状腺分布;复层柱状上皮细胞和腺体细胞在ABPAS染色中均呈玫红色。肌层为骨骼肌,其在舌体分布较少,而在气门区域较发达。扫描电镜下,口腔黏膜上皮由多边形的角质细胞组成,其表面有不规则的波纹分布,微绒毛和杯状细胞均缺失。绿海龟口腔的组织形态及结构与其食性及生态适应紧密相关。     

The feminizing effect of metabolic heating in Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) clutches in the eastern Mediterranean

Metabolic heating has been poorly investigated in eastern Mediterranean coastline of Turkey, which host some of the most important Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting sites in the Mediterranean. We studied the effects of clutch size and embryo numbers on nest temperature and discuss the feminizing effect of metabolic heating. Two test sites were conducted in Sugözü Beaches (Turkey). Data loggers were placed in eight nests with different clutch sizes. Nest temperature was strongly correlated with embryo numbers and metabolic heating produced by embryos was calculated to be 0.019°C per late stage embryo and 0.020°C per hatchling. Metabolic heating was calculated to be 0.6°C in the middle third of the incubation period during which sex is determined. It was estimated that metabolic heating increased 10.4% of female hatchlings. The heat produced by embryos should be taken into consideration while estimating sex ratios indirectly by nest and sand temperatures. Additionally, the metabolic heating value should be known for conservation measures, such as nest relocation, dividing the nest for controlling nest temperature, especially related to climate change.     

Characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

We describe primers and polymerase chain reaction conditions to amplify 12 microsatellite loci from the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), including one dinucleotide, four trinucleotide and seven tetranucleotide loci. The primers were tested on 78 individuals from a Pacific population nesting in the Hawaiian Islands. The primer pairs developed in this study yielded an average of 8.33 alleles per locus (range of 3-15 alleles), an average observed heterozygosity of 0.668 (range 0.309-0.910), and an average polymorphic information content of 0.647 (range 0.287-0.894).     

绿海龟背甲盾片的变异

通过对 2 92只 1龄绿海龟活体和 114只当年龟标本观察 ,发现 6 0只龟背甲盾片有变异现象。变异部位表现在椎盾、肋盾 ,颈盾和缘盾 ,未发现臀盾变异现象。各部位变异频率依次为椎盾 >椎盾和肋盾同时变异>多个部位同时变异 >肋盾 >颈盾 >缘盾。测量正常龟和变异龟各 15只的背甲长、宽和高 ,经t值检验 ,差异均不显著 ,说明正常龟和变异龟的背甲形状无明显差别 ,盾片数目的变化属个体变异。     

乌梢蛇的人工孵化与冬眠前的人工饲养

室内人工孵化乌梢蛇卵16 7枚。平均卵重10 . 4 1g ,孵化出幼蛇14 2条,孵化率85 % ,其中11枚未受精,受精率93. 5 %。对幼蛇做了形体度量,挑选活泼健康的幼蛇98条,平均体重6 . 2 6±0 . 89g ,随机分成3组进行人工饲养,一组为群体饲养,另两组为单个饲养。开口饲料采用两种处理,一种是人工填喂瘦猪肉,另一种是饲喂活幼体泽蛙。饲养时间为冬眠前两个月。群体饲养组冬眠前平均增重率达4 0. 4 % ,单个饲养组平均增重率达4 6. 5 % ,未达差异显著(P >0 . 0 5 )。结果表明,活幼体泽蛙是乌梢蛇幼蛇良好的开口饲料     

Characterization of single nucleotide polymorphism markers for the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)

We present data on 29 new single nucleotide polymorphism assays for the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas. DNA extracts from 39 green turtles were used for two methods of single nucleotide polymorphism discovery. The first approach employed an amplified fragment length polymorphism technique. The second technique screened a microsatellite library. Allele-specific amplification assays were developed for high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and tested on two Pacific C. mydas nesting populations. Observed heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.95 for a Hawaiian population and from 0 to 0.85 for a Galapagos population. Each of the populations had one locus out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, SSCM2b and SSCM5 for Hawaii and Galapagos, respectively. No loci showed significant genotypic linkage disequilibrium across an expanded set of four Pacific nesting populations. However, two loci, SSCM4 and SSCM10b showed linkage disequilibrium across three populations indicating possible association.     

Phylogeography of the green turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the Southwest Indian Ocean

Patterns of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation were used to analyse the population genetic structure of southwestern Indian Ocean green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations. Analysis of sequence variation over 396 bp of the mtDNA control region revealed seven haplotypes among 288 individuals from 10 nesting sites in the Southwest Indian Ocean. This is the first time that Atlantic Ocean haplotypes have been recorded among any Indo-Pacific nesting populations. Previous studies indicated that the Cape of Good Hope was a major biogeographical barrier between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans because evidence for gene flow in the last 1.5 million years has yet to emerge. This study, by sampling localities adjacent to this barrier, demonstrates that recent gene flow has occurred from the Atlantic Ocean into the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope. We also found compelling genetic evidence that green turtles nesting at the rookeries of the South Mozambique Channel (SMC) and those nesting in the North Mozambique Channel (NMC) belong to separate genetic stocks. Furthermore, the SMC could be subdivided in two different genetic stocks, one in Europa and the other one in Juan de Nova. We suggest that this particular genetic pattern along the Mozambique Channel is attributable to a recent colonization from the Atlantic Ocean and is maintained by oceanic conditions in the northern and southern Mozambique Channel that influence early stages in the green turtle life cycle.     

Conservation Genetics of the East Pacific Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Michoacan, Mexico

The main continental nesting rookeries of the east Pacific green turtle (EPGT), Chelonia mydas, on the Michoacan (Mexico) coast suffered drastic population declines following intense exploitation in the 1960s--1970s with annual abundance of nesting females plummeting from about 25,000 to an average of about 1400 between 1982 and 2001. Analyses of data from three nDNA microsatellite loci and 400 bp mtDNA control region sequences from a total of 123 nesting females sampled from four Michoacan rookeries found no evidence of population sub-structuring. The recent order of magnitude reduction in the population size shows no apparent impact on genetic diversity in either control region sequences (overall h = 0.48; pi = 0.0036) or microsatellite loci (overall Na = 20.8; Hexp = 0.895). Our estimates of annual effective female population size (Nef; from theta = 2Nemicron) of 1.9-2.3 x 10(3), in spite of being an order of magnitude below historical records, appear to be sufficient to allow recovery of this population without significant loss of genetic diversity. These findings highlight the importance of continued conservation to reverse the decline of this population before it becomes vulnerable to genetic erosion.     

Phylogeography and population structure of the Atlantic and Mediterranean green turtle Chelonia mydas: a mitochondrial DNA control region sequence assessment

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences were analysed to resolve the phylogeography and population genetic structure of Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ). Analysis of sequence variation over 487 base pairs of the control (D-loop) region identified 18 haplotypes among 147 individuals from nine nesting populations. Pairwise comparisons of haplotype frequencies distinguished most nesting colonies, indicating significant genetic differentiation among rookeries and a strong propensity for natal homing behaviour by nesting females. Comparison of control region sequence data to earlier restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) data for the same individuals demonstrates approximately a sixfold higher substitution rate in the 5' end of the control region. The sequence data provide higher resolution both in terms of the number of mtDNA genotype variants and the phylogeographic relationships detected within the Atlantic region, and reveal a gene genealogy that distinguishes two groups of haplotypes corresponding to (i) the western Caribbean and Mediterranean, and (ii) eastern Caribbean, South Atlantic and West Africa. The data suggest that phylogeographic patterns in the Atlantic Ocean may be interpreted in terms of female nest site fidelity and episodic dispersal events. The distribution of mtDNA haplotypes within the region is thus explained by the geological and climatic alternations (glacial and interglacial) over the last million years.     

Do female green turtles (Chelonia mydas) exhibit reproductive seasonality in a year-round nesting rookery?

In circumglobal populations of sea turtles, little nesting activity occurs during cold seasons when the sand temperature on a nesting beach is inappropriate for successful egg incubation. However, it is not known whether reproductive seasonality also occurs in year-round nesting rookeries where the sand temperature may be suitable throughout the year. Therefore, we examined the hypothesis that female turtles exhibit reproductive seasonality even in a year-round nesting population. To determine whether the time of nesting of individuals fluctuates between successive nesting seasons, a year-round nesting rookery of green turtles Chelonia mydas at Huyong Island, Thailand, was patrolled on foot every night for 3190 consecutive days, and nesting females were identified using microchips and metal tags. The date of first nesting within a season for an individual (nesting date) was considered the nesting season of each individual. We identified 94 females and 463 nests (including 47 unidentified nests) during the survey. Nesting dates were distributed throughout the year. Nineteen turtles remigrated to the nesting beach, and the nesting dates of the remigrated females occurred in the same seasons. This indicates that females have a fixed individual nesting season even in a year-round nesting rookery. The year-round nesting of green turtles may be attributed to a wide variation in the nesting seasons of individuals. Satellite tracking revealed that the mean travelling duration of post-nesting migrations in this population was 13.5±6.1 days. The proximity of locations for reproduction and feeding may also play an important role in sustaining year-round nesting in this population.