Spring and summer microhabitat use by Schlegel’s Japanese gecko,Gekko japonicus (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae), in urban areas

Differential microhabitat use may be beneficial to achieving fitness in seasonally variable environmental conditions. To explore whether the microhabitat use of the nocturnal Schlegel’s Japanese gecko, Gekko japonicus, varies seasonally and depends on juvenile, male, and female reproductive groups, we investigated five categorical and five quantitative measure variables of microhabitat use in a wild population both in spring and summer. Most geckos were found on white, vertical planes of concrete and plastered brick walls. None of the categorical variables (type of location, substrate, substrate color, light source, and refuge) significantly differed according to season or group, while substrate temperature and irradiance at the location where geckos were observed and the distance from the nearest potential refuge were significantly greater in summer than in spring. The quantitative measure variables did not differ among the reproductive groups. These results suggest that G. japonicus seasonally adjusts its microhabitat use mainly in terms of quantitative measure variables rather than categorical variables.     

Detection of gaps in sinusoids by frog auditory nerve fibers: importance in AM coding

Physiological studies were carried out in the frog (Rana pipiens pipiens) eighth nerve to determine: (i) whether the modulation rate or the silent gap was the salient feature that set the upper limit of time-locking to pulsed amplitude-modulated (PAM) stimuli, (ii) the gap detection capacity of individual eighth nerve fibers. Time-locked responses of 79 eighth nerve fibers to PAM stimuli (at the fiber's characteristic frequency) showed that the synchronization coefficient was a low-pass function of the modulation rate. In response to PAM stimuli having different pulse durations, a fiber gave rise to non-overlapping modulation transfer functions. The upper cut-off frequency of time locking was higher when tonepulses in PAM stimuli had shorter duration. The fact that the cut-off frequency was different for the different PAM series suggested that the AM rate was neither the sole, nor the main, determinant for the decay in time-locking at high AM rates. Gap detection capacity was determined for 69 eighth nerve fibers by assessing fiber's spiking activities to paired tone-pulses during an OFF-window and an ON-window. It was found that the minimum detectable gap of eighth nerve fibers ranged from 0.5 to 10 ms with an average of 1.23–2.16 ms depending on the duration of paired tone pulses. For each fiber, the minimum detectable gap was longer when the duration of tone pulses comprising the twin-pulse stimuli was more than four times longer. When the synchronization coefficient was plotted against the silent gap between tones pulses in the PAM stimuli, the gap response functions of a fiber as derived from multiple PAM series were equivalent to gap response functions deriving from twin-pulse series suggesting that it was the silent gap which primarily determined the upper limit of time-locking to PAM stimuli.Abbreviations MTF modulation transfer function - PAM pulse amplitude modulated - SAM sinusoidally amplitude modulated - SC synchronization coefficient - TW time window     

新疆雪豹调查中的痕迹分析

雪豹(Unciauncia)属于中亚高山高度濒危动物,夜行性,极其罕见。新疆雪豹研究小组2004年9~11月,在新疆的北塔山、阿尔泰山东部、天山东部和托木尔峰地区大约9个地点,对雪豹的痕迹进行了全面调查。共计完成67个样线,总长度47776m,其中发现遗留痕迹的样线有27条,痕迹数118个,平均为2.47个/km。记录到的痕迹有粪团、嗅痕(气味标记)、足迹、刨痕、卧迹、爪印、毛发、尿迹、血迹、剩余食物(动物尸体)和吼声等。同步还完成了200余份问卷调查表,充分了解雪豹与当地居民的冲突。最后,通过痕迹学的分析,初步掌握雪豹的栖息地选择、领域范围、分布规律和相对密度。这对于种群数量估计和物种的保护管理具有重要意义。     

大壁虎与嗅觉相关的学习记忆

壁虎科动物鼻腔较大,化学感觉系统发达,类似于对化学信息敏感的舌端游离的蜥蜴目动物（Malan,1946),并且嗅黏膜面积很大,感觉器神经元多,嗅神经系统十分完善（Gabe and Saint,1976).     

Ecotourism contributions to conservation of African big cats

Ecotourism has been advocated and adopted widely to provide financial, political and local community support for conservation. We analyse its application for conservation of African big cats, through systematic analysis of 66 published studies over three decades, and on-site audit of 48 current conservation tourism enterprises. Conservation measures include: expanding and restoring habitat and reducing net habitat loss; anti-poaching patrols and programs; measures to combat illegal wildlife trade; improved livestock husbandry such as better fences and guard dogs; well-designed livestock compensation and predator conservation incentive programs; and live-capture, veterinary services, captive breeding, and translocation and reintroduction programmes. Some tourism enterprises do contribute to conservation of African big cats, but others have negligible or negative net outcomes. Conservation outcomes depend critically on the detailed design of conservation programmes, community involvement, and tourism marketing.     

蛤蚧与中国石龙子顶盖组织结构的比较

通过对蛤蚧与中国石龙子顶盖细胞形态及细胞在顶盖不同层次间的比较,研究两种不同习性动物视觉结构之间的差异.用尼氏(Nissl)染色法进行顶盖组织染色,辣根过氧化物酶(horseradish peroxidase,HRP)进行顶盖注射,测量和记录顶盖细胞的面积、形态及树突走向并作统计分析.结果显示两种动物顶盖层次间的投射方式及细胞在各层次的比较存在相似之处,而中国石龙子顶盖C层细胞面积显著大于蛤蚧,其S层细胞树突分枝比蛤蚧的要广泛,而且这两种动物不同大小和不同形态顶盖细胞所占比例在顶盖内部三层间也存在差别.这些结果表明夜行性蛤蚧和昼行性中国石龙子的视觉系统中,其顶盖结构存在差异.     

电刺激大壁虎中脑诱发相反方向脊柱侧弯的研究

深入探索大壁虎Gekko gecko中脑运动调控功能,通过对头部固定的大壁虎(n=10)中脑脑区采用不锈钢微电极施加电刺激,发现对中脑不同深度脑区的电刺激能诱发出脊柱侧弯、四肢动等运动反应.在实验过程中,一些刺激针道在中脑围脑室灰质诱发出脊柱同侧弯曲反应,而在中脑腹侧被盖诱发出脊柱对侧弯曲反应.通过对刺激脑区的组织学检验,确定了大壁虎中脑内控制相反方向脊柱侧弯运动核团分布的大致区域.     

蛤蚧前背侧室嵴嘴外侧区的纤维联系

用HRP顺、逆行追踪技术 ,对蛤蚧 (Gekkogecko)前背侧室嵴嘴外侧区内部 ,以及该区与其周围结构之间的纤维联系进行了系统研究。结果表明 :①蛤蚧前背侧室嵴嘴外侧区内部存在核心部 -浅层细胞区环路 ;②蛤蚧前背侧室嵴嘴外侧区与尾外侧区之间有广泛的纤维联系 ;③蛤蚧前背侧室嵴嘴外侧区与皮质加厚区之间的环路是 2条联系视觉通路的高级中枢     

Tail regeneration in the gecko Sphaerodactylus argus shows that the formation of an axial elastic skeleton is functional for the new tail

Tail regeneration in the gecko Sphaerodactylus argus shows that the formation of an axial elastic skeleton is functional for the new tail (Acta Zoologica, Stockolm). The present autoradiographic and immunohistochemical study describes tail regeneration and formation of the axial skeleton in early regenerating tails of the Jamaican red-tailed gecko, Sphaerodactylus argus. Cell proliferation, studied by tritiated thymidine, shows intense labelling mainly in forming scales and differentiating cartilaginous, muscle and ependymal cells of the regenerating spinal cord, while the labelling is more diffuse in the apical blastema and proximal connective tissues. The slow apical proliferation maintains the tail front growing while in more proximal regions, cells initiate differentiation, losing thymidine-labelling. Cell proliferation is maximal at the beginning of scales, muscles and cartilage formation. Scales are regenerated following migration into the dermis of tritiated thymidine-labelled keratinocytes to form epithelial pegs that later split and give rise new scales. Differentiation of new corneous layers begins underneath the external corneous epidermis, starting with a shedding layer followed by a beta-layer that accumulates corneous beta proteins. Intense proliferation of apical myoblasts gives rise to long myotubes and segmented muscles. The vertebral column is substituted with a cartilaginous tube made of turgid chondrocytes accumulating chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan and elastin. Therefore, the regenerated tail remains flexible and capable of curling to maintain efficient the climbing ability in these geckos.     

Multi-Scale Compliant Foot Designs and Fabrication for Use with a Spider-Inspired Climbing Robot

Climbing robots are of potential use for surveillance, inspection and exploration in different environments. In particular, the use of climbing robots for space exploration can allow scientists to explore environments too challenging for traditional wheeled designs. To adhere to surfaces, biomimetic dry adhesives based on gecko feet have been proposed. These biomimetic dry adhesives work by using multi-scale compliant mechanisms to make intimate contact with different surfaces and adhere by using Van der Waals forces. Fabrication of these adhesives has frequently been challenging however, due to the difficulty in combining macro, micro and nanoscale compliance. We present an all polymer foot design for use with a hexapod climbing robot and a fabrication method to improve reliability and yield. A high strength, low-modulus silicone, TC-5005, is used to form the foot base and microscale fibres in one piece by using a two part mold. A macroscale foot design is produced using a 3D printer to produce a base mold, while lithographic definition of microscale fibres in a thick photoresist forms the ＇hairs＇ of the polymer foot. The adhesion of the silicone fibres by themselves or attached to the macro foot is examined to determine best strategies for placement and removal of feet to maximize adhesion. Results demonstrate the successful integration of micro and macro compliant feet for use in climbing on a variety of surfaces.