Abstract:[Objectives] In May 2020, 9 specimens of the genus Scutiger were collected from the Yuhuangding Forest Centre in Baiyun Mountain National Forest Park, Song County, Luoyang City, China. These specimens differ significantly from other species of the Scutiger genus in terms of morphological characteristics. Morphological and molecular biology studies confirmed that the specimens collected from Baiyun Mountain as a new species. [Methods] Detailed morphological characteristics of the 9 collected specimens were measured and compared with related species of the genus Scutiger. Maximum likelihood tree and Bayesian tree were jointly constructed based on mitochondrial COI and Cyt b genes. The Kimura two-parameter model of MEGA7.0 was used to calculate the genetic distance between some species of the genus Scutiger based on COI gene fragments. [Results] The species distinguished from the congeners by a combination of the following characteristics (Table 1):1) moderate body size, snout-vent length 45.7﹣50.2 mm in males, and 48.9﹣51.5 mm in females; 2) head width slightly larger than head length, tympanum indistinct; 3) The length of lower arm and hand are slightly more than half the length of the body size, hindlimb relatively short; 4) dorsal surface rough, with warts; 5) no web between fingers, rudimentary web between toes; 6) two pairs of pectoral glands, lateral slightly smaller than medial; 7) back has 4 lines of intermittent longitudinal skin folds; 8) multiple nearly round glands around the anus. The phylogenetic tree showed that the Baiyun Mountain population was a monophyletic population with high support rates (Fig. 1, BP/PP = 95/1.00). The genetic distance between the Baiyun Mountain population and the S. ningshanensis is 3.6% to 5.1%, which was greater than the minimum genetic distance between species within the genus (S. boulengeri and S. mammatus, 2.1%). The genetic distance between the Baiyun Mountain population and other species within the genus was greater than 10% (Appendix 1). [Conclusion] Morphological features and phylogenetic analysis supported the collection of odontoid toad specimens from Baiyun Mountain in Luoyang as a new species named Scutiger feiliangi Zhou, Guan and Shi, sp. nov..S. feiliangi is the species with the eastmost distribution range in the genus Scutiger. Similar to S. ningshanensis and S. chintingensis, it has a narrow distribution area and a small population. It is recommended that the S. feiliangi be evaluated as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and that its systematic and comprehensive protection be strengthened.

Abstract:[Objectives] The Chinese Giant Salamanders, the largest amphibian in the world, wear once widely distributed in China. Previous three molecular studies showed that the Huangshan population of Chinese Giant Salamander has unique differentiation, and is an undescribed species. The molecular data of the three molecular studies were based on the indigenous Chinese Giant Salamander specimens collected by the corresponding author from Qimen County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China before 1995. In the present study, based on the morphological characteristics, we describe 11 specimens collected by the corresponding author before 1995 in Qimen County as a new species: Andrias cheni sp. nov. [Methods] The 25 morphological characteristics of the 11 specimens were measured, and compared with those of the species of the genus Andrias. [Results] The new species distinguished by a combination of the following characters: (1) the head and torso are flat, head slightly longer than wide, and the HW/HL ratio was 0.80 to 0.98 (Table 1); (2) head and lower jaw relatively smooth, with small tubercles arranged irregularly; (3) lateral neck fold discontinuous with body fold at forelimb insertion; (4) finger Ⅲ longer than finger I, finger lengths formula Ⅰ < Ⅳ < Ⅲ <Ⅱ; (5) limbs are thick and short, and the hind limbs are longer than the fore limbs, and the FLL/PLL ratio was 0.78﹣0.96; (6) the tail is muscular, thick at base, gradually flattening posteriorly, and distally, the tail length is about 1/3 of the total length. [Conclusion] In the present study, morphological comparisons were used to describe the Qimen Giant Salamander as a new species, then the number of the species in the genus Andrias was increased to five. This study provided relatively complete morphological data, which could provide references for the resource conservations of wild lineages, genetic management of artificial populations, and artificial breeding and releasing.

Abstract:[Objectives] Understanding species distributions, and how they change in space and time, is vital in prioritising conservation or management initiatives. However, the basic ecological data of East Asian Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri) in Changdao waters, such as the distribution, population and it’s dynamic, is least known for lacking of long-term studies. [Methods] Five visual surveys of East Asian Finless Porpoise were conducted from October 2019 to October 2021 using line transect sampling method. Our study area and survey lines are shown in Fig. 1. Based on the monitoring data. we calculated the abundance, density, cluster size, encounter rate, spatial and temporal distribution of East Asian Finless Porpoise. The abundance and density analysis were estimated in Distance software and distribution characteristics were conducted in geographic information system (GIS). The remaining statistical analyses were performed utilizing the SPSS statistical analysis software. Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to examine variations in encounter rate and cluster size across the five surveys. Furthermore, the differences between the number of animal observations by each observer were analyzed using t-test. The statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05, with P < 0.01 indicating highly significant. Mean values for encounter rate, quantity, and density were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (Mean ± SD). [Results] In total, 614 sightings with 1 156 individuals of East Asian Finless Porpoise were recorded over a total transect length of 2 421 km (Table 1). The mean encounter rate of the East Asian Finless Porpoise during the five surveys exhibited its peak in May 2020, reaching 0.49 ± 0.14 groups/km, and reached its lowest point in October 2020, with a value of 0.13 ± 0.02 groups/km (Fig. 2). Similarly, the average group size of observed East Asian Finless Porpoise during the five surveys displayed its highest value in May 2020, recorded as 2.03 ± 0.98 ind/group, while the lowest value was observed in October 2021, measuring 1.60 ± 0.61 ind/group (Fig. 5). The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there was no significant difference among the encounter rates of the populations surveyed in the same month (P > 0.05), however, significant difference was detected in different months (P < 0.01) (Fig. 3). The results of population density and abundance calculations for the East Asian Finless Porpoise are presented in Table 2. Within the waters of Changdao, the average population density of the East Asian Finless Porpoise in May and October was recorded as 0.56 ± 0.11 ind/km² (0.46﹣0.68 ind/km²), and 3.63 ± 0.25 ind/km² (3.38﹣3.88 ind/km²), respectively. Correspondingly, the average population size of the East Asian Finless Porpoise in May was 20 209 ± 202 ind, exhibiting fluctuations between 20 066 and 20 352 ind. In October, the average population size was 2 971 ± 681 ind, fluctuating between 2 195 and 3 473 ind. The spatial distribution characteristics of East Asian Finless Porpoise was similar that the northwest and southeast sides of Tuoji Island-Daqin Island were the core distribution zone, and it is recommended to focus on these two spots for conservation (Fig. 4). [Conclusion] The population density of East Asian Finless Porpoise in Changdao Waters is the highest among all known areas, and there is obvious seasonal migration. These results represent the first ever estimates for the East Asian Finless Porpoise over a wide portion of the Changdao Waters, with the potential to be useful baseline data to inform conservation.

Abstract:[Objectives] Song plays an important role in the phylogeny and evolution of passerine birds. Recent taxonomic studies have separated the genus Fulvetta and the genus Alcippe, and the vocal characteristics of the genus Fulvetta have not yet been studied. We are aiming to reveal the vocal characteristics and classify the interspecific difference of the seven species of the genus Fulvetta in the family Paradoxornithidae. It is hoped to provide primary biological data for the vocal study of this genus. [Methods] From 2016 to 2022, during the breeding and non-breeding seasons of the Fulvetta species, we recorded the calls and songs from their occurring habitat in the field. A total of 463 individuals were recorded for Spectacled Fulvetta (F. ruficapilla, n = 64), Streak-throated Fulvetta (F. manipurensis, n = 71), White-browed Fulvetta (F. vinipectus, n = 124), Chinese Fulvetta (F. striaticollis, n = 64), Brown-throated Fulvetta (F. ludlowi, n = 33), Grey-hooded Fulvetta (F. cinereiceps, n = 84) and Taiwan Fulvetta (F. formosana, n = 23), respectively (Fig. 1). The acoustic sonogram was drafted and analyzed in Raven Pro1.5. The MANOVA was used to compare the vocal parameters between species. Blomberg’s K test was used to detect phylogenetic signals. The Mantel test was executed in PAST to detect the correlation between the Mahalanobis distance matrix of the singing characteristics and the matrix of interspecific genetic distance. The hierarchical cluster analysis was performed for 7 species acoustic. [Results] Based on the field observation of its singing behavior, recorded vocalizations were classified into calls and songs, and calls were further classified into contact call, search call, alarm call, and foraging call (Fig. 3). Songs were classified into 1﹣8 types for each species, based on manual checking of sonograms (Fig. 4). The calls and songs differed significantly between species (Table 1). The Mantel test showed that the songs’ characteristics were significantly positively correlated with their interspecific genetic distance (r = 0.51, P = 0.01), but the calls’ characteristics showed no correlation with their genetic distance (r = 0.028, P = 0.45) (Table 2). Phylogenetic signal analysis showed that six of the vocal characteristics were phylogenetically conserved, four of which were detected in the song features, i.e., maximum frequency, minimum frequency, peak frequency and delta time, and the other 2 in their calls, i.e., maximum frequency and delta frequency (Table 3). The cluster analysis based on acoustic characteristics showed that the interspecific topology was generally consistent with its phylogeny, except for the position of F. vinipectus and F. formosana (Fig. 5). [Conclusion] This study initially revealed the vocal characteristics of 7 species of the Fulvetta genus and detected their interspecific differences. It concluded that the song’s but not the call’s features correspond to phylogeny, i.e., the closer related species share more similarity in their songs. Our study provided basic data and new insights into the evolution of the vocalizations of the Fulvetta birds.

Abstract:[Objectives] Infrared camera is a classic wildlife observation method with many advantages, including continuity, non-invasiveness, etc. Therefore, it has been widely used in monitoring important wildlife species like Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Giant Panda acts as a flagship species and an umbrella species in Qinling. According to the fourth national survey on Giant Pandas, its population has picked up during 2003-2011 in the Qinling Mountains with the contribution of local ecological recovery. Qinling is not only a major habitat of Giant Panda nowadays, but also holds a Giant Panda population evolutionarily closer to the common ancestor of Giant Panda. Monitoring the Giant Panda population and biodiversity in its habitats is therefore essential for a better understanding towards its distribution, living patterns and protection. This research aims to investigate the wildlife diversity and activities during the Giant Panda population recovery period with prohibition of human activity, and use trapping images and diversity indexes to discuss similarities and differences between the wildlife distribution in the middle Qinling Mountains. [Methods] From August 2018 to October 2020, 80 infrared cameras were deployed among 4 valleys (Danangou Valley, Ponianzigou Valley, Dagupingyanwugou Valley and Longtanziyanwugou Valley) located in 3 nature reserves (Huangbaiyuan Nature Reserve, Guanyinshan Nature Reserve and Foping Nature Reserve) to monitor wildlife diversity and activities in the population recovery region of Giant Panda in the middle Qinling Mountains (Fig. 1 and 2, Table 1). All photos and videos were examined, and individual photos and individual richness of each species were counted. Species diversity on overall data (also for mammals and birds separately) and among different valleys was investigated using relative abundance index, rank abundance curve, Shannon-Wiener index and evenness index. Species similarity indices between valleys were calculated. All analyzing methods above were also used separately on data collected in valleys and on ridges. The rank abundance curves were tested by R-squared coefficients. [Results] A total of 34 514 bird and mammal images have been collected during the monitoring period, with a total effective working days of 54 240 d. 12 364 individual photos are identified and 10 612 of them can be confirmed into 68 species with 21 mammal species and 47 birds (Appendix 1). Based on this, a wildlife image database is established, with which the species diversity in the monitoring area is analyzed. Reeves’s Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) are the three most abundant mammals, and Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (Garrulax pectoralis) and White-throated Laughingthrush (Garrulax albogularis) are the three most abundant birds. The rank abundance curve of birds is flatter with a longer tail compared to mammals’ (Fig. 3). The Shannon-Wiener index of birds is higher than that of mammals, whilst the evenness index is lower (Table 2). Species are not evenly distributed among valleys. Danangou Valley in Huangbaiyuan Nature Reserve obtains the most individual photos (28.04%), while Longtanziyanwugou Valley in Foping Nature Reserve has the smallest proportion of individual photos (21.75%) (Fig. 4). Shannon-Wiener index and evenness index indicate an overall highest species diversity and evenness in Longtanziyanwugou Valley and the lowest diversity and evenness in Ponianzigou Valley in Guanyinshan Nature reserve, and a comparably high bird diversity and evenness in Dagupingyanwugou Valley in Foping Nature Reserve (Table 3). Species similarity indices of mammals among 4 valleys are significantly higher than those of birds. Ponianzigou Valley and Longtanziyanwugou Valley share the highest species similarity, while Ponianzigou Valley and Dagupingyanwugou Valley have the lowest species similarity (Table 4). Cameras placed on ridges identify more species and individual photos than those in valleys (Fig. 5). Higher Shannon-Wiener index and evenness index of all species and mammals are also found on the ridges, but the trends of birds are reversed, which might because of their preference of dense forests (Table 5). Species similarity indices between each ridge and valley indicate that species are more similar among different ridges than among different valleys, suggesting potential geographic isolation between valleys (Fig. 6). [Conclusion] In conclusion, this study enriches the basic biological database in middle Qinling Mountains, as well as provides data support for further scientific research and ecological protection policy. The biodiversity and species evenness are generally high in research areas. Birds are more diverse (with more species) than mammals but with less evenness and individual photos. Ponianzigou Valley has the lowest biodiversity and evenness among the 4 valleys in accordance with its shortest ecological recovery timespan, which calls for further attention. While Longtanziyanwugou Valley has the highest species diversity and evenness, although its individual photos are the least, which needs further investigation. Dagupingyanwugou Valley has a low mammal activity level, and more targeted protection measures are required. A total of 37 individual photos of Giant Panda were shot, with over 80% in Danangou Valley and none in Longtanziyanwugou Valley, reflecting substantial ecological recovery in Danangou Valley.

Abstract:[Objectives] The determinant of biodiversity maintenance of natural communities is important in ecological research. In this study, we aim to survey the bird species diversity of Bita Lake-Shudu Lake region of Potatso National Park, and further explore the functional trait diversity pattern and the underlying mechanism of the wintering bird communities of this region. [Methods] We used line transect method in this study from August 2021 to July 2022. Specifically, eight transects with a total of 17 km long were selected in Bita Lake-Shudu Lake region of Potatso National Park. Besides, we set up twenty-four infrared cameras from November 2021 to October 2022 to obtain bird species diversity in this region. From November 2021 to March 2022, we surveyed bird composition of 30 wintering bird communities belongs to four habitat types:plateau lakes, alpine meadows, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, and coniferous forests in the region (Fig. 1 and Appendix 1). We selected 15 functional traits of bird in the database (Appendix 5), including four morphological traits (mass, beak width, wing length, tail length) (Appendix 2), six traits of diet (vertebrate, invertebrate, scavenger, nectar & fruit, seed, plant), and five traits of foraging strata (canopy or aerial, midhigh, understory, ground, water). Based on bird functional traits, functional richness (FRic) is used to measure the volume of functional space, and mean nearest neighbor functional distance (MNND) is used to measure species distribution in functional space, then use “Picante” package in R to build unconstrained null model and constrained null model by using “independentswap” method. The standardized effect size (SES) generated by the null model was used to infer the dominant drive mechanism of wintering bird community assembly. Finally, the paired t-test was used to compare whether the functional richness (FRic) and mean nearest neighbor functional distance (MNND) of the community were significantly different before and after the removal of wintering birds, and then combined with the null model results to explore the influence of wintering bird community on the functional structure. [Results] A total of 114 bird species belong to 13 orders, 42 families were recorded, 74 birds have been added to the previous field record of this region (Appendix 6). Five and fourteen species were listed as National Class I (Appendix 7) and II protection bird in China respectively. The four habitat types held different bird species composition, with overlap for the two forest habitat types (Fig. 2), however, there is no complete overlap in the survey points. Sixteen wintering birds recorded in plateau lakes and alpine meadows significantly expanded the functional trait space of the community (P < 0.05), meanwhile significantly reduced the mean nearest neighbor functional distance (P < 0.05) between species in the functional space (Fig. 4). The functional richness of the wintering bird community increased with the increase of species richness (Fig. 3), but the null model analysis found that the observed functional richness was generally smaller than expected (Fig. 5), that is, the functional space increased with the increase of species richness, but its increase was limited by environmental filtering. The mean nearest neighbor functional distance of species in functional space became closer with the increase of species richness (Fig. 3), while the constrained null model showed that the standardized effect size was almost greater than zero (Fig. 6), in other words, with the increase of species richness, species are packed more closely in the functional space, but limited by the effect of limiting similarity, species will not gather indefinitely. [Conclusion] This study updated field records of bird species of the Bita Lake-Shudu Lake region of Potatso National Park, which can provide a new data basis for the conservation and management of bird diversity in the region. The migration of wintering birds filled the gap of niche and made the functional structure of wintering bird community more compact and stable. More importantly, our results showed that the functional space of the wintering bird communities was constrained by environmental filtering, meanwhile, the distribution of bird within the functional trait space was affected by the limiting similarity, that is, environmental filtering and limiting similarity are doubly important for wintering bird community assembly.

Abstract:[Objectives] Studying the morphological differences between male and female in amphibians not only helps to understand the patterns and mechanisms of sexual dimorphism in species, but also has important implications for the study of their reproductive strategies, reproductive investment, and evolutionary selection pressures. [Methods] In this study, we collected 61 individuals (12 females and 49 males) of Polypedates megacephalus from a permanent pond on the campus of Lishui College in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, China, from April 2020 to August 2021, and measured 12 morphological characteristics including snout-vent length, head length, mouth width, forelimb length, hindlimb length, and weight to investigate sexual dimorphism in this species. We also collected data on clutch size and hatching success to analyze female reproductive ability. One-way ANOVA was used to test for differences in body weight and snout-vent length, and a one-way ANCOVA test using body length as a covariate to examine whether there were differences in head length, mouth width, mouth length, eye diameter, interocular length, forelimb length, hindlimb length, forearm-fingers length, tibia length, foot length, and internasal length between sexes. If differences were found, we further employed Tukey’s multiple comparison test. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test to investigate whether there were differences in clutch size and hatching rate of P. megacephalus among different breeding months. We also performed a linear regression analysis to examine the linear relationship between maternal body length and clutch size. [Results] Our results showed that P. megacephalus exhibited significant sexual dimorphism, with females larger than males. Except for eye diameter, tibial length, and internasal length, all other morphological characteristics, including snout-vent length, head length, mouth width, mouth length, interocular length, forelimb length, hindlimb length, forearm-fingers length, foot length, and weight, were significantly higher in females than in males (P < 0.05) (Table 1, Fig. 1). The clutch size and hatching success of P. megacephalus females were significantly affected by season, with the highest clutch size occurring in April to May (Table 2) and the highest hatching success occurring in June (Table 2) The number of eggs carried by females was positively correlated with body length (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] Therefore, we speculate that fecundity selection is the main factor causing sexual dimorphism in P. megacephalus, with females increasing their individual size to increase their egg-carrying capacity and improve reproductive output. The reproductive period of P. megacephalus is influenced by season, and it has evolved a pattern of extended reproduction to better adapt to the early or delayed rainy season.

Abstract:[Objectives] This study aims to investigate the histological changes in the scent glands of Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii) by comparing gland structures at different ages and secretion periods. [Methods] Scent glands from six male Forest Musk Deer were investigated (Table 1), comprising one 2-year-old specimen during the secreting period and one specimen each of 6-month, 2-year, 4-year, 6-year, and 8-year-old during the non-secreting period. Morphological observations and histological structure comparisons were conducted using gross dissection, paraffin sectioning techniques, and conventional H.E staining methods. One-way ANOVA was employed to assess the variation in glandular follicle diameter among five non-secreting musk deer at different ages. The differences in glandular follicle diameters between the lactating and non-secreting 2-year-old musk were analyzed by independent samples t-test. [Results] Our findings showed that the musk gland of Forest Musk Deer is located between the navel and genitals, 4.5 cm away from the scrotum (Fig. 1a). Functionally, it is divided into sac and gland, with the perfume gland tissue being responsible for musk secretion (Fig. 1b). The glandular tissue, responsible for secreting musk fluid, consists of visible white granules embedded deep within the muscular layer of the glandular region, encircling the neck of the musk sac (Fig. 2). Six-month-old Forest Musk Deer possess a mature glandular structure, but the glandular epithelium remains in a resting state (Fig. 3f). In adulthood, the number of acini increases. During the scenting period, acini are compressed into clusters, and the free surfaces of the epithelium become disrupted and disordered. More pronounced granular secretions and cellular debris are mixed in the cavity (Fig. 3a). Non-secreting acini diameters are significantly larger than those during secreting periods (P < 0.01), with no significant difference observed among 4-year-old, 6-year-old, and 8-year-old acini (P > 0.05) (Table 2). At 2 years old, acini exhibit a tightly arranged elliptical shape (Fig. 3b); at 4 years old or older, acini are compressed into irregular clusters with granules visible in the cavity (Fig. 3c﹣e). [Conclusion] Changes in the glandular structure of Forest Musk Deer reflect the interplay between scent secretion abilities and growth periods.

Abstract:[Objectives] Animal cell culture technologies become more crucial in ecotoxicological researches. Due to some technical difficulties, studies on tissular cell culture of freshwater mussels are still limited. Although primary culture of gill cell in Anodonta woodiana was succeeded in previous study, breakthroughs have not yet been obtained for other tissues. Therefore, we intend to expand the primary culture of A. woodiana cells from four tissues (hemocyte, digestive gland, mantle, and foot). [Methods] The healthy 2-year-old “standardized” A. woodiana were used to obtain tissue cells. Different culture conditions (e.g., culture media, temperature) were designed to comparatively reveal survival rates and cell viabilities of the above four tissular cells so as to optimize the culture conditions for the primary culture. [Results] The results showed that the survival rates of the above four tissular cells were affected by different culture temperature, time and medium type. The survival rates were 94.67% ± 0.47% in culture medium 2 at 20 ℃ for 96 h for the hemocytes, 93.67% ± 1.70% in medium 3 at 20 ℃ for 48 h for the digestive gland cells, 93.67% ± 1.70% in medium 1 at 15 ℃ for 48 h for the mantle cells, and 94.33% ± 0.94% in medium 1 at 15 ℃ for 48 h for the foot cells (Fig. 2). Compared to 25 ℃, the survival rates of four tissular cells were higher at 20 ℃ and 15 ℃ for 96 h. [Conclusion] The study obtained the breakthrough on primary culture of hemocyte, digestive gland, mantle, and foot cells in A. woodiana. The study provides basic data for the establishment of cell lines of A. woodiana. It can also provide theoretical support for subsequent studies of toxicology at the cellular level of freshwater mussels in the future.

Abstract:[Objectives] The genus Achalinus is a group of snakes with relatively deficient data. This research provides additional data on this seldom known genus, particularly of the recently described species A. yunkaiensis and the seldom known species A. rufescens. [Methods] The specimen newly reported in this research was identified based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI). [Results] This study revealed that a specimen of Achalinus snake, CIB 119041, from Xinning County, Hunan Province was A. yunkaiensis, which was a new provincial record of Hunan (Table 1 & 2; Fig. 1 & 2). The specimen was a female with the following morphological characters:(1) tail length 52 mm, total length 256 mm, tail length/total length 0.203; (2) length of suture between internasals subequal to the suture between prefrontals; (3) supralabials 6, the 4^th﹣5^th touch the eye; (4) infralabials 6, the first 3 touch the first pair of chin shields; (5) ventral scales 150, subcaudal pairs 55, anal entire; (6) temporals 2 + 2 + 3, and the two anterior temporals touch the eye; (7) maxillary teeth 24 (Table 3 & Fig. 3). In addition, a new male topotype of A. rufescens, CIB 119042, was reported from Hongkong with the following characters:(1) tail length 84 mm, total length 418 mm, tail length/total length 0.201; (2) length of suture between internasals longer than the suture between prefrontals; (3) supralabials 6, the 4^th﹣5^th touch the eye; (4) infralabials 5, the first 3 touch the first pair of chin shields; (5) ventral scales 153, subcaudal pairs 62, anal entire; (6) temporals 2 + 2 + 3, and the anterior upper one touch the eye (Table 4, Fig. 4). [Conclusions] This study indicated that A. yunkaiensis represents a new reptile record of Hunan Province, which brought the total numberof Achalinus species in Hunan Province to four. Furthermore, the results revealed that further taxonomic revisions of A. rufescens complex are needed.

Abstract:In order to clarify chiropteran resources in Hunan Province, a series of field surveys were conduct in July and September 2022. During our surveys, nine Myotis bats (7 males and 2 females) and five Murina bats (2 males and 3 females) were collected using harp traps in Taoyuan County of Changde City, Baojing County of Xiangxi Prefecture, Shuangpai County of Yongzhou City and Suiling County of Shaoyang City. To identify our sampling, morphological taxonomic analysis and phylogenetic inference were conducted. The Myotis specimens are medium-sized, with forearm length of 43.41﹣50.89 mm (Table 1) and reddish-brown pelage, and blackend edges of ears, nose, toes, claws, and the tail are black-brown (Fig. 1a, c). Triangular reddish-brown spots were presented between the palmar fingers of the wing membrane reaching the edge. The dorsal view of the skull was flat with well-developed zygomatic arch, and the cranial is high and prominent (Fig. 1e). These morphological characteristics and measurements accord with those of Myotis rufoniger. Meanwhile, the Murina specimens were medium-sized, with forearm length of 33.83﹣37.53 mm (Table 1), sepia dorsal hair and light yellow ventral hair (Fig. 2b, c). The greatest length of skull is 16.74﹣17.29 mm (Table 1), and the zygomatic is straight and broad (Fig. 2d, e). These features are consistent with those of Murina huttoni. Based on Cyt b and COI genes segments, our phylogenetic inferences also verified such identifications (Fig. 3). These findings represent the first records of M. rufoniger and Mu. huttoni in Hunan province. Presently, the specimens are deposited in Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University which the M. rufoniger specimens are numbered GZHU 22429, GZHU 22430, GZHU 22459, GZHU 22523, GZHU 22961, GZHU 22962, GZHU hun22011, GZHU 22549, GZHU 22703 andthe Mu. huttoni specimens are numbered GZHU hun22001, GZHU hun22008, GZHU 22431, GZHU 22437, GZHU hun22015.

Abstract:In July 2022, a Megophryidae specimen was collected during a field investigation in Wuling Mountain Nature Reserve, Qianjiang District, Chongqing Municipality (Fig. 1). The aim of this study is to conduct morphological and phylogenetic analyses to identify the species. Morphological characteristics of the discovered species from Chongqing were comparatively analyzed with those of Boulenophrys caudoprocta from Hunan. Phylogenetic analyses were performed by amplifying mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes and obtaining information on the 16S rRNA and COI genes of 22 Boulenophrys species from the NCBI GenBank database (Table 1). Corresponding sequences for Xenophrys glandulosa and X. mangshanensis were also downloaded and used as outgroups. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed using IQ-TREE, and Bayesian tree was constructed using MrBayes 3.2.1. The best-fit model was determined using the Bayesian inference criteria (BIC) computed by ModelFinder. The results of the morphological comparison between Chongqing and Hunan samples appeared to be similar (Fig. 2). The snout vent length of the female species discovered in Qianjiang District (78.2 mm) was slightly longer than that of topotype HNUL 090808dp (77.8 mm), but was slightly shorter than that of the B. caudoprocta specimen from Houhe National Nature Reserve (80.5 mm) (Table 2). Genetic analysis based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes revealed that the B. caudoprocta group species in Qianjiang District of Chongqing and the group species from Badagongshan Nature Reserve of Hunan clustered into one branch (Fig. 3). For both 16S rRNA and COI gene sequences, the uncorrected p- distances between B. caudoprocta specimens from Chongqing and Hunan were zero, implying an absence of genetic differentiation between the two populations. (Table 3, 4). The collected Boulenophrys specimen was identified as B. caudoprocta, which is a new record of amphibian distribution in Chongqing based on thorough morphological and phylogenetic analyses.

Abstract:Reproduction is the basis of all forms of life, and same-sex reproduction exists in nature as a specific form of reproduction. Same-sex reproduction consists of both parthenogenesis and androgenesis and has not yet been discovered in mammals. The presence of epigenetic mechanisms such as imprinted genes hinders the development of same-sex reproductive embryos. The paternally expressed imprinted genes promote embryonic growth, while maternally expressed imprinted genes inhibit embryonic growth, and same-sex reproduction expresses only one side of the imprinted gene, resulting in overgrown or undeveloped embryos. The knockout of some of the imprinted genes using embryonic stem cell technology has been successful in producing bimaternal and bipaternal mice, and single maternal mice using methylation modifications. This paper reviews the technology and history of mammalian same-sex reproduction, summarizes its potential applications and directions, and analyses its possible advantages in animal husbandry research, genetics research, and disease model construction and treatment.

Abstract:In the long process of evolution, invertebrates gradually developed an innate immune system characterized by receptor recognition, signal transduction, and immune response to clear apoptotic cells or pathogenic microorganisms. Scavenger receptors (SRs) are transmembrane pattern recognition receptors located on the cell surface that play an important role in the innate immune response of invertebrates. SRs participate in the recognition of non-self targets in the immune responses and regulate antimicrobial peptide synthesis and phagocytosis through downstream signal cascades. In this review, the types and structures of SRs in invertebrates and the regulatory mechanisms involved in the innate immunity of invertebrates were introduced, and the remaining problems in the study of SRs in invertebrates were discussed.

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