Objective: To determine the exposure of wild brown hares [Lepus europaeus(L. europaeus), pallas] to Anaplasma phagocytophilum(A. phagocytophilum), Borrelia burgdorferi(B. burgdorferi) sensu lato, Encephalitozoon cunic...Objective: To determine the exposure of wild brown hares [Lepus europaeus(L. europaeus), pallas] to Anaplasma phagocytophilum(A. phagocytophilum), Borrelia burgdorferi(B. burgdorferi) sensu lato, Encephalitozoon cuniculi(E. cuniculi), Leishmania sp., Neospora caninum(N. caninum) and Toxoplasma gondii(T. gondii). Methods: Two hundred twentytwo blood serum samples of wild brown hares captured in protected areas of the province of Pisa(Central Italy) were tested to detect antibodies against the reported pathogens. Results: Thirty one(14.0%) animals resulted positive for at least one tested agent, with antibody titres ranging from 1:20 to 1:320. In particular, 13(5.8%) samples were positive to B. burgdorferis.l., 11(4.9%) to N. caninum, 3(1.3%) to T. gondii, 2(0.9%) to A. phagocytophilum and 2(0.9%) to Leishmania sp. No samples scored positive to E. cuniculi. Four animals(14.8%) resulted coinfected with 2 different pathogens. Conclusion: The obtained results showed that B. burgdorferi s.l. N. caninum, T. gondii, A. phagocytophilum and Leishmania sp circulate in wild brown hares in Central Italy, suggesting a possible role of L. europaeus as reservoir of these pathogens. The obtained results showed that autochthonous wild brown hares living in Central Italy have been exposed to several pathogens circulating in this area, suggesting a possible role of L. europaeus as reservoir.展开更多
According to the specimens of ulna-radius of the Cape Hare (Lepus capensie) shot in fall and winter in Shanxi province, China, the ossifications of epiphyses cartilage of ulna-radius are divided into 4 stages. With we...According to the specimens of ulna-radius of the Cape Hare (Lepus capensie) shot in fall and winter in Shanxi province, China, the ossifications of epiphyses cartilage of ulna-radius are divided into 4 stages. With weight of eye lens as a reference, it is proved that the age criterion could be used to distinguish young less than 6–7 months old from those older. This is a pragmatic method to analyze age composition of game-bag in the early period of shooting season when younger holds a large proportion in the hare population. It also is useful in judging the age of hares trapped and estimating the effects of predation on the hare population structure.展开更多
The biological characteristics of Lepus timibus in captivity, such as living habit, feeding habit, nutrition composition of main food, growth and development, molting rule, were studied systematically. The results sho...The biological characteristics of Lepus timibus in captivity, such as living habit, feeding habit, nutrition composition of main food, growth and development, molting rule, were studied systematically. The results showed that there were more than 30 kinds of common plants favored by L.timibus. The linear regression equation of weight gain was y=-23.223+30.929 x. The molting sequence in spring successively was head, dorsum, ear,both sides of the chest, abdomen, limbs, tails.展开更多
In order to analyze effects of domestication manner and age on reproduction of Lepus timidus,contrast test using large-cage and small-cage domestication manners and reproduction test with different ages of L.timidus w...In order to analyze effects of domestication manner and age on reproduction of Lepus timidus,contrast test using large-cage and small-cage domestication manners and reproduction test with different ages of L.timidus was performed.The results showed that there was no significant difference in reproduction and production performance of L.timidus between small-cage and large-cage domestication manners（P〈0.05）.The reproduction performance of female middle-aged rabbit was superior to that of female youth rabbit.展开更多
Lepus yarkandensis, an endemic hare species in the Tarim Basin of China, has been suffering from habitat fragmentation due to desert expansion. To evaluate the effect of habitat fragmentation on its genetic diversity,...Lepus yarkandensis, an endemic hare species in the Tarim Basin of China, has been suffering from habitat fragmentation due to desert expansion. To evaluate the effect of habitat fragmentation on its genetic diversity, the genetic diversity based on male-specific SRY gene marker is examined. A relatively low level of SRY genetic diversity is found compared to previous studies with mtDNA data, possibly due to the low SRY mutation rate and positive selection. Furthermore, one haplotype exists in eight populations along the Tarim River but not in many other relatively isolated populations, suggesting that habitat fragmentation may affect population divergence. Despite this, our pairwise Fst analysis shows no significant differentiation among populations, and this may be mainly caused by positive selection on the SRY gene in that 88 percent of individuals share the same haplotype. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis shows deep differentiation between L. yarkandensis and other two hare species (L. capensis and L. europaeus).展开更多
Two species of Ephedra: E. trifurca and E. torreyana inhabit shrub and grassland habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. E. torreyana is limited to black grama grasslands where grasses are taller than the shrub. E...Two species of Ephedra: E. trifurca and E. torreyana inhabit shrub and grassland habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. E. torreyana is limited to black grama grasslands where grasses are taller than the shrub. E. torreyana is heavily browsed by vertebrates and E. trifurca is browsed during some years. We established an experiment with cylindrical exclosures that excluded rabbits and rodents, rabbits but accessible to rodents, for comparison with E. torreyana plants available to all herbivores. Plants accessible to all vertebrate herbivores were significantly smaller with shorter stem lengths than plants in exclosures. We concluded that E. torreyana in black grama grassland are largely hidden from vertebrate herbivores and that intense herbivory reflects the degraded state of the study site which makes the E. torreyana evergreen shrubs apparent to vertebrates.展开更多
The Iberian hare(Lepus granatensis)is a widely distributed endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula.To improve our knowledge of its population dynamics,the relative abundance and population trends of the Iberian hare ...The Iberian hare(Lepus granatensis)is a widely distributed endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula.To improve our knowledge of its population dynamics,the relative abundance and population trends of the Iberian hare were studied in the autumns of 1995-2012 in a protected area(Doñana National Park)by spotlighting in 2 different habitats:marshland and ecotones.The average relative abundance was 0.38 hare/km(SD=0.63)in the marshland and 3.6 hares/km(SD=4.09)in ecotones.The Iberian hare population exhibited local interannual fluctuations and a negative population trend during the study period(1995-2012).The results suggest that its populations are in decline.The flooding of parts of the marshland in June,July and October favor hare abundance in the ecotone.Hare abundance in the marshland increases as the flooded surface area increases in October.These effects are more pronounced if the rains are early(October)and partially flood the marsh.By contrast,when marsh grasses and graminoids are very high and thick(as measured using the aerial herbaceous biomass[biomass marshland]as a proxy),the abundance of hares decreases dramatically as does the area of the marsh that is flooded(in November).展开更多
Anthropogenic manipulation of finite resources on the landscape to benefit individual species or communities is commonly employed by conservation and management agencies. One such action in arid regions is the constru...Anthropogenic manipulation of finite resources on the landscape to benefit individual species or communities is commonly employed by conservation and management agencies. One such action in arid regions is the construction and maintenance of water developments （i.e., wildlife guzzlers） adding free water on the landscape to buttress local populations, influence animal movements, or af- fect distributions of certain species of interest. Despite their prevalence, the utility of wildlife guzzlers remains largely untested. We employed a before-after control-impact （BACI） design over a 4-year period on the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA, to determine whether water avaiJability at wildlife guzzlers influenced relative abundance of black-tailed jackrabbits Lepus californicus and relative use of areas near that resource by coyotes Canis latrans, and whether coyote visitations to guzzlers would decrease following elimination of water. Eliminating water availability at guzzlers did not influence jackrabbit relative abundance. Coyote relative use was impacted by water availability, with elimination of water reducing use in areas associated with our treatment, but not with areas associated with our control. Visitations of radio-collared coyotes to guzzlers declined nearly 3-fold following elimination of water. Our study provides the first evidence of a potential direct effect of water sources on a mammalian carnivore in an arid environment, but the ecological relevance of our finding is debatable. Future investigations aimed at determining water effects on terrestrial mam- mals could expand on our findings by incorporating manipulations of water availability, obtaining absolute estimates of population parameters and vital rates and incorporating fine-scale spatiotem- poral data.展开更多
文摘Objective: To determine the exposure of wild brown hares [Lepus europaeus(L. europaeus), pallas] to Anaplasma phagocytophilum(A. phagocytophilum), Borrelia burgdorferi(B. burgdorferi) sensu lato, Encephalitozoon cuniculi(E. cuniculi), Leishmania sp., Neospora caninum(N. caninum) and Toxoplasma gondii(T. gondii). Methods: Two hundred twentytwo blood serum samples of wild brown hares captured in protected areas of the province of Pisa(Central Italy) were tested to detect antibodies against the reported pathogens. Results: Thirty one(14.0%) animals resulted positive for at least one tested agent, with antibody titres ranging from 1:20 to 1:320. In particular, 13(5.8%) samples were positive to B. burgdorferis.l., 11(4.9%) to N. caninum, 3(1.3%) to T. gondii, 2(0.9%) to A. phagocytophilum and 2(0.9%) to Leishmania sp. No samples scored positive to E. cuniculi. Four animals(14.8%) resulted coinfected with 2 different pathogens. Conclusion: The obtained results showed that B. burgdorferi s.l. N. caninum, T. gondii, A. phagocytophilum and Leishmania sp circulate in wild brown hares in Central Italy, suggesting a possible role of L. europaeus as reservoir of these pathogens. The obtained results showed that autochthonous wild brown hares living in Central Italy have been exposed to several pathogens circulating in this area, suggesting a possible role of L. europaeus as reservoir.
文摘According to the specimens of ulna-radius of the Cape Hare (Lepus capensie) shot in fall and winter in Shanxi province, China, the ossifications of epiphyses cartilage of ulna-radius are divided into 4 stages. With weight of eye lens as a reference, it is proved that the age criterion could be used to distinguish young less than 6–7 months old from those older. This is a pragmatic method to analyze age composition of game-bag in the early period of shooting season when younger holds a large proportion in the hare population. It also is useful in judging the age of hares trapped and estimating the effects of predation on the hare population structure.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(30870109)
文摘The biological characteristics of Lepus timibus in captivity, such as living habit, feeding habit, nutrition composition of main food, growth and development, molting rule, were studied systematically. The results showed that there were more than 30 kinds of common plants favored by L.timibus. The linear regression equation of weight gain was y=-23.223+30.929 x. The molting sequence in spring successively was head, dorsum, ear,both sides of the chest, abdomen, limbs, tails.
文摘In order to analyze effects of domestication manner and age on reproduction of Lepus timidus,contrast test using large-cage and small-cage domestication manners and reproduction test with different ages of L.timidus was performed.The results showed that there was no significant difference in reproduction and production performance of L.timidus between small-cage and large-cage domestication manners（P〈0.05）.The reproduction performance of female middle-aged rabbit was superior to that of female youth rabbit.
基金supported by the Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KSCX3-IOZ-0810)
文摘Lepus yarkandensis, an endemic hare species in the Tarim Basin of China, has been suffering from habitat fragmentation due to desert expansion. To evaluate the effect of habitat fragmentation on its genetic diversity, the genetic diversity based on male-specific SRY gene marker is examined. A relatively low level of SRY genetic diversity is found compared to previous studies with mtDNA data, possibly due to the low SRY mutation rate and positive selection. Furthermore, one haplotype exists in eight populations along the Tarim River but not in many other relatively isolated populations, suggesting that habitat fragmentation may affect population divergence. Despite this, our pairwise Fst analysis shows no significant differentiation among populations, and this may be mainly caused by positive selection on the SRY gene in that 88 percent of individuals share the same haplotype. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis shows deep differentiation between L. yarkandensis and other two hare species (L. capensis and L. europaeus).
文摘Two species of Ephedra: E. trifurca and E. torreyana inhabit shrub and grassland habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. E. torreyana is limited to black grama grasslands where grasses are taller than the shrub. E. torreyana is heavily browsed by vertebrates and E. trifurca is browsed during some years. We established an experiment with cylindrical exclosures that excluded rabbits and rodents, rabbits but accessible to rodents, for comparison with E. torreyana plants available to all herbivores. Plants accessible to all vertebrate herbivores were significantly smaller with shorter stem lengths than plants in exclosures. We concluded that E. torreyana in black grama grassland are largely hidden from vertebrate herbivores and that intense herbivory reflects the degraded state of the study site which makes the E. torreyana evergreen shrubs apparent to vertebrates.
文摘The Iberian hare(Lepus granatensis)is a widely distributed endemic species in the Iberian Peninsula.To improve our knowledge of its population dynamics,the relative abundance and population trends of the Iberian hare were studied in the autumns of 1995-2012 in a protected area(Doñana National Park)by spotlighting in 2 different habitats:marshland and ecotones.The average relative abundance was 0.38 hare/km(SD=0.63)in the marshland and 3.6 hares/km(SD=4.09)in ecotones.The Iberian hare population exhibited local interannual fluctuations and a negative population trend during the study period(1995-2012).The results suggest that its populations are in decline.The flooding of parts of the marshland in June,July and October favor hare abundance in the ecotone.Hare abundance in the marshland increases as the flooded surface area increases in October.These effects are more pronounced if the rains are early(October)and partially flood the marsh.By contrast,when marsh grasses and graminoids are very high and thick(as measured using the aerial herbaceous biomass[biomass marshland]as a proxy),the abundance of hares decreases dramatically as does the area of the marsh that is flooded(in November).
文摘Anthropogenic manipulation of finite resources on the landscape to benefit individual species or communities is commonly employed by conservation and management agencies. One such action in arid regions is the construction and maintenance of water developments （i.e., wildlife guzzlers） adding free water on the landscape to buttress local populations, influence animal movements, or af- fect distributions of certain species of interest. Despite their prevalence, the utility of wildlife guzzlers remains largely untested. We employed a before-after control-impact （BACI） design over a 4-year period on the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, USA, to determine whether water avaiJability at wildlife guzzlers influenced relative abundance of black-tailed jackrabbits Lepus californicus and relative use of areas near that resource by coyotes Canis latrans, and whether coyote visitations to guzzlers would decrease following elimination of water. Eliminating water availability at guzzlers did not influence jackrabbit relative abundance. Coyote relative use was impacted by water availability, with elimination of water reducing use in areas associated with our treatment, but not with areas associated with our control. Visitations of radio-collared coyotes to guzzlers declined nearly 3-fold following elimination of water. Our study provides the first evidence of a potential direct effect of water sources on a mammalian carnivore in an arid environment, but the ecological relevance of our finding is debatable. Future investigations aimed at determining water effects on terrestrial mam- mals could expand on our findings by incorporating manipulations of water availability, obtaining absolute estimates of population parameters and vital rates and incorporating fine-scale spatiotem- poral data.
