Abstract:In order to mitigate the detrimental impacts of brood parasitism on their own reproduction, many hosts have evolved anti-parasitism strategies to enhance their fitness. Many studies have shown that the host’s antiparasitic defenses may occur at different stages of its life cycle. In this review, we discussed various host defenses against cuckoo parasitism at different stages of the breeding cycle, e.g., nest defense, egg recognition and egg rejection, nestling and fledgling discrimination, and then outlined basic research methods in host defense used for the field experiment.

Abstract:[Objectives] The Snow Leopard Panthera uncia is one of the world’s rare and endangered species and is vital in maintaining alpine ecosystems’ structural and functional stability. In recent years, grazing and other disturbances have led to the fragmentation of the Snow Leopard’s habitat and threatening the population’s survival. In order to protect and recover this species, conducting habitat suitability evaluation and building ecological corridors that connect scattered patches of habitat are essential for safeguarding its long-term survival. [Methods] The study area of this research are the Qilian Mountain National Park (Gansu area) and its 15 km buffer zone. A predictive habitat distribution map of Snow Leopards was estimated using the MaxEnt model with a total of 64 occurrence locations (Fig. 1) which were collected by camera monitoring and survey between 2018 and 2020 and environmental factors. The distribution of potential habitat and its relationship with major environmental factors were analyzed with MaxEnt 3.4.1. The accuracy of the result produced by the model with area was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic, ROC (area under the curve, AUC). The importance and contribution of environmental factors to the model’s prediction were evaluated by the Jackknife test. Suitable habitat distribution was indicated by habitat suitability index (HSI). Ecological corridors for Snow Leopards were identified and planned using the least-cost path model (LCP). [Results] The results of the Jackknife test showed that three variables, roughness, mean temperature of driest quarter, and precipitation seasonality were the key factors influencing the distribution of Snow Leopards (Fig. 3), with a value of contribution of 45.936%, 17.078% and 11.519%, respectively (Table 1). The suitable habitat was positively correlated with the roughness, and the occurrence probability of Snow Leopards remained unchanged when the roughness exceeded about 200. The relationship between suitable habitat and mean temperature of driest quarter and precipitation seasonality were humped (Fig. 4). The suitable habitat area of Snow Leopards in the study area was 13 432.066 km², and the suitable habitat distributed in the park was 7 086.195 km2, accounting for 52.756% of the total suitable habitat area (Fig. 5b). According to habitat suitability analysis and population distribution of Snow Leopard, 9 core habitat patches were identified and 10 potential ecological corridors for Snow Leopard migration were delineated. The longest corridor length was 18.725 km, and the average length was 5.676 km (Fig. 6). Three of these corridors connected suitable Snow Leopard habitat patches within the Gansu area, and five connected the habitat in the Qinghai area. [Conclusion] Based on the results mentioned above, we recommend that efforts should be undertaken to enhance the connectivity between suitable habitats for Snow Leopards. Concurrently, it is advised to collaborate with Qinghai Province to facilitate cross-border conservation initiatives and develop a more scientifically sound and rational plan for protection and management.

Abstract:[Objectives] Activity pattern is an important part of behavioral ecology research. Understanding the activity pattern of wild animals is a prerequisite for analyzing their survival strategies. Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserve is an important carnivore distribution hotspot with much scientific research value. It will contribute to effective biodiversity management by revealing the co-existence adaptation among the carnivores. [Methods] In this study, camera trapping technology was used to study the activity patterns of sympatric Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Asian Badger Meles leucurus and Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris distributed in Beijing Wulingshan Nature Reserves. A total of 35 infrared cameras were deployed with 8 400 camera-days during the study period of the whole 2017. Among the independent camera photos, there were 393 for Leopard Cat, 682 for Asian Badger, and 797 for Hog Badger. Using the “activity” and “overlap” packages in R, the non-parametric kernel density approach was used to examine the activity patterns based on the collected data. Using the “CompareCkern” in R Studio and a 500-run round robin test, the overlap coefficients were determined. [Results] The results indicated that the annual activity pattern of the three animals changed with seasons in similar patterns and the highest activity peak happened in early autumn (Fig. 2). The overlap factor of the activity patterns between Leopard Cat and Asian Badger were high in spring and autumn (Δ = 0.747 5 in spring and Δ = 0.772 8 in autumn), while the activity peaks were different (Fig. 3). In spring, the activity peaks of the Leopard Cat appeared in 3:00﹣5:00 and 21:00﹣23:00, while the Asian Badger were more active in 23:00﹣1:00 and 16:00﹣18:00 that were earlier than the Leopard Cat. In autumn, the Leopard Cat had two peaks in 3:00﹣5:00 and 20:00﹣22:00, whereas the Asian Badger only had one peak in 21:00﹣23:00 (Fig. 3). The Leopard Cat and the Hog Badger had similar activity trends in spring and summer, on the contrary, the activity patterns were different in autumn and winter (Fig. 4). The activity patterns of Asian Badger and Hog Badger showed much different in spring, summer and autumn. The activity peak of Asian Badger appeared in 16:00﹣18:00 in spring, 15:00﹣17:00 in summer, and 21:00﹣23:00 in autumn while the Hog Badger was in relatively low activity during the same time periods (Fig. 5). [Conclusion] Through the differentiation in activity peaks, these three carnivore species produced a fine scale temporal separation and realized the co-existence of sympatric distribution. This study strengthens the understanding of the coexistence strategies of the three species which provides baseline information for conducting further studies on carnivore behavioral adaptation and planning habitat conservation measures.

Abstract:[Objectives] Sound is one of the most important forms of communication for birds, serving as means of courtship, domain defense and threat information transmission, and so on. However, there are few reports on whether sounds could affect the reproductive decisions of birds as social information. [Methods] In this study, we chose Japanese Tits Parus minor in the Zuojia Nature Reserve of Jilin Province as the research object, using playback experiments with males’ courtship song and the conspecific alarm calls, we explored whether habitat selection and egg-laying behaviors of Japanese Tits breeders were affected by sound-based social information. The numbers of nests in the males’ courtship song playback plots, the conspecific alarm calls playback plots, and control plots were compared using the Chi-square test. Generalized linear mix model (GLMMs) was used to analyze the effects of playback of males’ courtship song and alarm calls on the egg-laying date and clutch size of Japanese Tits. [Results] The results showed that there was a significant increase in the number of breeding nests in the plots with playback of male’s courtship songs, while there was no difference between the numbers of nests in plots with alarm calls and control plots. But the sounds had no significant effect on the first egg laying date and the clutch size of the Japanese Tits (Fig. 1). [Conclusion] This study suggests that the conspecific songs can serve as social information for bird habitat selection, but their reproductive fitness may be influenced by other factors.

Abstract:[Objectives] Bird collision refers to the phenomenon that birds collide with artificial facilities, causing injury or death to them. With the development of urbanization, bird collisions with buildings are becoming increasingly common. We conducted a 3-year bird collisions survey on Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a two-story building with glass covering on both sides of the whole exterior walls, to clarify the main factors causing bird collisions with the building and to evaluate the effectiveness of the bird-collide prevention measures that had been taken to it. [Methods] Park workers patrolled the building once an hour every day and night and recorded the occurrence of bird collisions from October 2019 to November 2022. In October 2020, a bird collision prevention renovation was carried out on the glass wall on the concave side of the building, which is close to the green space, mainly by sticking dot shaped stickers (the diameter of the dot is 1 cm, with a distance of 6.5 cm between the dots from the top to the bottom, and a distance of 10 cm from the left to the right) on it to prevent bird collisions and applying animal shaped stickers for decoration purposes (Fig. 1). Meanwhile, no intervention was taken to the glass wall on the convex side of the building, which is surrounded by harden ground. [Results] A total of 19 bird collisions were recorded in the survey, mainly occurred on the concave side glass wall of the building (n = 15), including 14 bird species, of which 10 were resident birds and 9 were migratory birds, and 14 were recorded as deaths (Table 1). Also, there were more bird collision records (n = 10) during autumn migration season (September to November) and all bird collisions occurred on sunny days. Based on the results and correlational research, we preliminarily evaluate that bird collisions with the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park Science Education Center are mainly related to the large scale of glass exterior wall of the building, the canvas shape of it, the distance between glass walls and green area, weather, and seasons. In this case, efforts have been made to reduce the bird collisions caused by glass wall. The bird collision records decreased from 11 (including 8 deaths) in the year before the implementation of bird collision prevention renovation, to 2 per year in next two years after the renovation (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] The results demonstrate that the measure of sticking specific dot shaped stickers on glass walls, a low-cost and low environmental impact approach, can significantly reduce bird collisions on glass walls. Since there are relatively few practical cases of bird collision prevention in public buildings in China, hopefully this practical case can provide reference for those management units, government departments and others who are interested in carrying out the design and renovation of bird collision prevention in artificial facilities.

Abstract:[Objectives] Dopasia harti is a threatened reptile mainly distributed in China, and is a national secondary key protected wild animal. So far, there is a lack of systematic studies on the resources and habitat preferences of the wild population of the D. harti. [Methods] This paper conducted a questionnaire survey of residents in Mt. Emei and the surrounding areas in 2020, and according to the results of the questionnaire, a field survey was conducted in spots where the D. harti have been found, and quadrats were set up to explore the habitat selection of D. harti in 2023. The results of the questionnaire and the proportion of each habitat factors in the field survey were statistically analyzed, and the habitat factors were analyzed using principal component analysis. [Results] The results showed that:due to habitat changes and human capture, the population of D. harti in Mt. Emei and its surrounding areas has generally declined (Table 1). The distribution of D. harti has been retreated to Gaoqiao Town, Suishan Town, Longchi Town, Huangwan Town in Emeishan City, Huatou Town in Jiajiang County, and Liujiang Town in Hongya County, Meishan City. In Mt. Emei area, the D. harti preferred to live in the evergreen broad-leaved forest of loose soil in the middle and low altitude areas (mainly 800﹣1 200 m), semi-shady and semi-sunny slope, more than 50 m from water source and more than 6 cm from herbaceous height, and the vegetation coverage rate was 10%﹣75% (Table 3). [Conclusion] According to the survey, most of the disturbance factors are road construction and planting. For the protection of D. harti, road construction should be optimized to avoid destroying the habitats of D. harti. We should also promote the cultivation of eco-friendly products and natural eco-tourism to increase the income of local people; and strengthen the popular science education of the surrounding people and improve people’s awareness of protection.

Abstract:[Objectives] Menstrual cycle monitoring is an effective method for the breeding management in ex-situ conservation of non-human primates. Based on analyses of fecal sex steroid hormone of a female Yellow-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae, the duration and regularity of its menstrual cycles were determined, and attempts to assess whether females have reproductive disorders from a reproductive endocrine perspective were made. Androgens were used as indicators to explore whether males have reproductive physiological disorders. The study helps to provide data support for the natural breeding of captive Yellow-cheeked Gibbons and the application of artificial assisted reproduction technology in the future. [Methods] From April 2016 to April 2017, fecal samples from a pair of Yellow-cheeked Gibbon were collected every 1﹣3 d non-invasively. These samples were further analyzed for estrone-3- glucuronide (E1G), progesterone (P4) and testosterone (TEST) levels by ELISA. The coefficient of variation CV for hormone determinations was < 5% within batches and < 10% between batches. The data were sorted by Excel and analyzed by SPSS 22.0 with normal distribution and homogeneity of variance test. One-way ANOVA was used for significance analysis for sampling that conformed to normal distribution, nonparametric tests Mann-Whitney U test was used for those that did not conform to normal distribution. The correlation between female estrogen and male testosterone was analyzed using the Pearson’s method of analysis (two-tailed test). The significance level was set at 0.05. [Results] Estrogens and progesterones were synchronized during menstrual cycles (Fig. 1). More precisely, at the start of oestrum, estrogen level began to increase from a baseline, after reaching the first peak, dropped dramatically, and followed by ovulation, which signifying the end of the follicular phase. Progesterones remained at a base level during the follicular phase. After ovulation, both progesterones and estrogens shared an ascending pattern, and then decreased to base levels after reaching the peak values simultaneously. A total of 11 complete menstrual cycles of the female “Vivi” were found during the study period (Fig. 2), and the average length of menstrual cycles was 23.3 ± 3.1 d (21﹣31 d) (Table 1), which was not significantly different from that of the menstrual cycles based on the estrogen (E1G) bimodal interval (21.3 ± 3.8) d (Z =﹣1.562, P = 0.133), nor from that of the progesterone (P4) pattern 20.9 ± 2.2 d (Z =﹣1.693, P = 0.101). The length of the follicular phase in females was 7.9 ± 2.4 d, and the luteal phase was 13.4 ± 2.8 d. TEST levels in male feces did not show significant cyclic variation (Fig. 3). The correlation between male (TEST) and female (E1G) during the first 10 menstrual cycles was analyzed, and there was no correlation between these two parameters (r = 0.139, P = 0.097). [Conclusion] The results showed that the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon had a similar menstrual cycle to other primates, and the menstrual cycle of this female individual was relatively obvious and regular. Based on the changing pattern of estrogen during the follicular phase, it is possible to prejudge the climax of estrus in females and guide the mating of Yellow-cheeked Gibbons. It is also possible to make a preliminary diagnosis of whether a female is pregnant or not based on the level of progesterone during the luteal phase. The sex hormone index of menstrual regularity can be an aid in the diagnosis of infertility in the Yellow-cheeked Gibbon and even in other primates.

Abstract:[Objectives] Pulmonary surfactant (PS) can help to maintain the structure of alveoli, improve respiration and oxygen absorption and utilization. Notably, phosphatidylcholine (PC) serves as the principal constituent of pulmonary surfactant phospholipids. In order to shed lights into the adaptation mechanism of plateau animals to hypoxic environments, this study focuses on the endemic species of Plateau Zokor Eospalax baileyi and Plateau Pika Ochotona curzoniae in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. [Methods] The sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt genes were analyzed by MEGA 7.0, PAML 4.8 program and Ancestor program. Additionally, the mRNA expression levels of these genes were determined with Real-time PCR in the lung tissues and compared with those in the SD Rat Rattus norvegicus. [Results] The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the sequences of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α, Pcyt-β and Cpt in E. baileyi were highly homologous with those of Nannospalax galili, as well as the O. curzoniae has the highest level of homology with O. princeps (> 90%) (Table 2). Cpt of E. baileyi and N. galili, Chok-β, Pcyt-β and Cpt of O. curzoniae and O. princeps occurred convergent sites. Selection pressure analyses showed that lysine at sites 4, phenylalanine at sites 5 and glutamic acid at sites 10 of Chok-α subunit in Plateau Zokor were significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3); methionine at sites 4 of Chok-β subunit in Plateau Pika, glutamic acid at sites 163 of Cpt subunit in Plateau Zokor were also significantly different (P < 0.05, Table 3). SIFT test showed that No. 212 variation sites of Chok-β subunit and No.18 variation sites of Pcyt-β subunit in Plateau Pika had significant effects on gene function (P < 0.05, Table 4). The mRNA expression levels of Chok-α, Chok-β, Pcyt-α and Pcyt-β in Plateau Zokor were significantly higher than those in Plateau Pika and SD Rat (P < 0.01), and the mRNA expression level of Chok-β in Plateau Pika was higher than SD Rat (P < 0.05) (Fig. 6). The expression level of Cpt in SD Rat was significantly higher than that in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P < 0.01), while there was no difference between expression levels in Plateau Pika and Plateau Zokor (P > 0.05) (Fig. 6). [Conclusion] The above results demonstrate that, in comparison to SD Rat, the amino acid structure and gene expression variations of key enzyme genes in phosphatidylcholine pathway of Plateau Zokor and Plateau Pika, along with two plateau animal physiological adaptation make them more conducive to acquire and employ oxygen in the unique environment of high cold and hypoxic environment. Consequently, this reinforces respiration, enhances energy metabolism, and facilitates adaption to low oxygen environments.

Abstract:[Objectives] Stress response refers to the adaptive mechanism adopted by animals to maintain normal physiological activities when they were subjected to noxious stimuli. It is characterized by the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and the production of stress hormones, which is corticosterone in most bird species. Artificial propagation plays an essential role in the conservation of Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon). Nestling period is the key period of growth and development of Crested Ibis. Studying the changes of stress hormones in captive nestlings with age helps to improve the level of feeding management and to provide guidance for field stress physiological research protocols. In this study, the stress response pattern of Crested Ibis was investigated by detecting the plasma levels of the nestlings by the age of different days (23﹣34 d), as well as the effect of sex on this pattern. [Methods] This study was conducted at the Research Center for the Qinling Giant Panda, Zhouzhi of Shaanxi Province, from May to June 2021. Blood samples were collected from 20 Crested Ibis nestlings, ranging from 23﹣34 d to study the variation patterns of plasma corticosterone levels with age in nestlings. All birds were captured and subjected to a standardized capture stress protocol. Blood collected within 3 min was used as the baseline corticosterone level, and blood collected at 15 min after capture was then detected for the stress corticosterone level. We identified sex to preliminarily explore its effect on this pattern. In order to further understand the development characteristics of the stress response of nestlings, we divided the nestling period into the early period of nestlings (23﹣28 d) and the late period of nestlings (29﹣34 d) and collected blood samples of 5 adults. We used Spearman correlation analysis to analyze the correlation between baseline corticosterone level, stress corticosterone level, and age. One-way ANOVA was used to compare baseline corticosterone levels among nestling periods and adults. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare stress corticosterone levels between nestling periods and among nestling periods and adults. In addition, we use general linear model to explore the effect of sex on this variation pattern. [Results] Our results suggested that there was no significant correlation between the baseline corticosterone level and the age (R = 0.340, P > 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the stress corticosterone level and the age (R = 0.492, P < 0.05) (Fig. 3). The plasma baseline corticosterone level of nestlings in the two periods showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), but adults had a significantly higher baseline corticosterone level than these two periods of nestlings (P < 0.01) (Fig. 4). Plasma stress corticosterone levels of nestlings were significantly higher in the late period than in the early period (P < 0.05), and there was a significant difference between the early period and the adult period (P < 0.01), as well as between the late period and the adult period (P < 0.05) (Fig. 5). Sex had no significant effect on the variation pattern of plasma baseline corticosterone level or plasma stress corticosterone level (Table 1, 2). [Conclusion] To summarize, our findings indicated that age did not affect plasma baseline corticosterone levels. Plasma stress corticosterone levels were positively correlated with age. We suggested that human disturbance should be gradually reduced after 23 d of age in the breeding and management of nestlings, and nestlings from 23﹣34 d should be selected in the field stress physiological study.

Abstract:[Objectives] The embryonic development of amphibians is an important research field of developmental biology and ecology. Rana chensinensis is an important economic amphibian in China, and its early embryonic development needs to be supplemented. This study explored the characteristics of early embryonic development of R. chensinensis. [Methods] The fertilized eggs produced by natural clutches in the Taihang Mountains of Jiyuan City, Henan Province were continuously observed under the condition of water temperature 22.63 ± 2.09 ℃ indoor with stereomicroscope. The embryonic development was observed, and the duration of each stage, the starting time of each stage of development, water temperature, observation times, embryonic morphology and physiological characteristics were recorded and photographed. [Results] The results showed that the egg diameter of R. chensinensis was 1.57 ± 0.01 mm (n = 5), and the early embryonic development was divided into 25 stages. It took 158.83 h from fertilized egg to gill operculum completion period. The cleavage mode was unequal complete cleavage, and about 70% of the embryos outed of the membrane in the gill blood circulation stage. The completion process of early embryonic development was recorded and described (Table 1, Fig. 1). [Conclusion] The cleavage characteristics, hatching mode and hatching period of early embryonic development of R. chensinensis are similar to those of related species, but the development speed is slower. Compared with other anuran amphibians, its cleavage characteristics, the way of out membrane and development speed reflect species specificity. The smaller egg diameter and faster early embryonic development speed reflect the adaptation to shallow and still water spawning habitats in R. chensinensis (Table 2, Fig. 2).

Abstract:[Objectives] The present study investigates the characteristics and microstructure of the eggshell and eggshell membrane of Alligator sinensis eggs, under various conditions of surface mucous adhesion, fertilization status, and incubation time, in order to provide insights to improve the artificial hatching success of A. sinensis eggs. [Methods] We collected 21 eggs from the National Nature Reserve of Chinese Alligator in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province, China. This collection comprised 12 freshly laid eggs (including 3 fertile eggs with surface mucus, 3 fertile eggs without surface mucus, 3 infertile eggs with surface mucus, and 3 infertile eggs without surface mucus) and 9 fertile eggs with surface mucus at different days of oviposition, including 3 eggs at 10 d, 3 eggs at 20 d and 3 eggs at 30 d. Characteristics and microstructure of the eggshells and eggshell membranes of A. sinensis eggs were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), under different conditions of surface mucous adhesion, fertilization, and incubation time. Data analyses were performed using the statistical package IBM SPSS (version 22.0). The results of fiber diameter and pore ratio were analyzed by Student’s t-test. The normal distribution test and homogeneity of variance test of data were analyzed by Shapiro-Wilk test and Levene test, respectively. The results have been showed as mean ± standard deviation (SD). P < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. [Results] Observations showed pore channels traversing the shell surface in approximate concentric circles, hierarchically arranged. Blockages in some pore channels, likely composed of shell surface mucus, were noted. Initially, the eggshell with surface mucus appeared smoother and flatter during early incubation, developing numerous cracks over time (Fig. 1). Surface mucus appeared to reduce water evaporation, thus decreasing the formation of pore channels and cracks. These channels and cracks, attributed to the corrosive effects of carbonic acid and external forces, increased in diameter on the inner shell surface over time (Fig. 2). Irregular mammillary cones were noted on the inner surface of the eggshell, with air spaces between their bases. No significant difference in the number or morphology of mammillary cones between fertile and infertile eggs was observed (Fig. 3). The ultrastructure parameters of the inner surface of freshly laid eggs showed a porosity of approximately 11.85%, increasing with incubation duration to 30.44% at 30 d (Table 1). A negative correlation was noted between the presence of mammillary cones on the inner eggshell surface and incubation duration. Reticular keratin fibers in the eggshell membranes appeared random and sparse, with bud-shaped protrusions aligned on the fibers (Fig. 5). There was no significant difference for the fiber diameter and pore ratio between fertile and infertile eggs (t = 0.67, P = 0.52; t = 1.28, P = 0.23). And the fiber diameter and pore ratio between eggs with surface mucus and without surface mucus were also showed no significant difference (t = 0.21, P = 0.84; t = 1.53, P = 0.16) (Table 2). The fiber diameter did not differ significantly between fertile eggs at 0 day and 10, 20, 30 days after oviposition (t = 0.57, P = 0.60; t = 0.22, P = 0.84; t = 0.59, P = 0.59, respectively) (Table 3). The fiber pore ratio of the fertilized egg increased slightly from 14.14 ± 2.87% to 17.70 ± 1.12% within 30 d of oviposition, but the difference was not significant (t = 2.00, P = 0.15) (Table 3). [Conclusion] During incubation, fertile eggs absorbed external water, leading to crack formation and enhancing egg permeability, which aided embryo development by maintaining humidity. The presence of mammillary cones indicated increased permeability. The loose structure of the inner surface facilitated embryo development. Furthermore, the fiber diameter of eggshell membrane demonstrated a partial correlation with incubation duration and fertilization status.

Abstract:[Objectives] Triplophysa erythraea, described in 2019, is a cave-dwelling fish. In July 2021, two samples of T. erythraea were collected from Dalong Cave, Huayuan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China. The mitochondrial genome of this species was sequenced, assembled, and annotated to obtain sequence and phylogenetic information. [Methods] High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to obtain the complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA. The assembly, annotation, and sequence analysis were performed, and a phylogenetic tree of the Triplophysa genus was constructed based on mitochondrial protein-coding genes using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. [Results] The results revealed that the mitochondrial genome is a double-stranded closed-ring structure with a total length of 16 585 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions (Fig. 1). The genome exhibited a significant AT bias (Table 2). In the phylogenetic tree, it formed a branch with T. rosa, T. nasobarbatula, and T. zhenfengensis (Fig. 2). [Conclusion] This study provides basic information on the mitochondrial genome of T. erythraea, reflects its position in the phylogenetic tree, contributes to understanding its evolutionary process, and provides clues for the conservation of this species.

Abstract:[Objectives] The aim of this study was to investigate the developmental stage and ossification sequence of the axial skeleton in the early development of Thamnaconus septentrionalis, and to provide reference for seedling cultivation. [Methods] Using the Alcian Blue and Alizarin Red double staining for cartilage-bone to study the developmental pattern of the axial skeleton (skull and vertebrae) of T. septentrionalis from 0﹣60 dah (days after hatching). [Results] The results showed that in newly hatched larvae, no apparent skeletal elements were observed in the head. At 3 dah (days after hatching), there were cranial cartilage components such as trabecula cranii, parachordal, auditory cartilage ring and ethmoid plate, as well as cartilaginous components such as Meckel’s cartilage, palatoquadrate, ceratobranchial cartilage, and basibranchial cartilage. At 8 dah, the auditory cartilage ring fused into a round shape, the ends of the maxilla was connected to the palatoquadrate, and the ceratobranchial cartilage gradually shortened from anterior to the posterior. At 15 dah, the auditory cartilage ring protruded, the skeletal framework of the head became stable, the dentary and sympletic appeared, and the gill filaments were densely distributed. At 18 dah, the olfactory cartilage ring, hypohyal and epihyal cartilage appeared, Meckel’s cartilage regressed, conical tooth appeared at the anterior of the upper and lower jaws. At 20 dah, the frontal and ethmoid appeared, the preopercle and premaxilla appeared and ossified. At 22 dah, the preopercle extended downward into lamellae, and the branchiostegal ray fully ossified. At 24 dah, parietal, parasphenoid, subopercle, operculum and ceratohyal appeared and ossified. At 26 dah, the head was covered with sclerosified conical scales that were fully ossified. At 33 dah, the frontal, ethmoid and taenia marginalis posterior fully ossified, the rostral elongated, subopercle and operculum fully ossified, and conical teeth changed to incisor-like. At 50 dah, all the cartilages were ossified except the gill filaments and the cranial skeleton fully ossified can be considered (Fig. 2). The vertebral column of the T. septentrionalis was transparent and colorless in the first 14 dah. At 18 dah, the formation of the neural arch and haemal arch at the posterior end was observed. At 25 dah, the segmentation of the vertebral column was completed. At 28 dah, ossification of the centrum was completed. At 30 dah, the posterior articular of some centrum fused with the neural spine. At 45 dah, the intervertebral spacing decreased, and the vertebral column fully ossified (Fig. 3). [Conclusion] This study clarified the developmental stages and ossification sequence of the axial skeleton elements during the early development of the T. septentrionalis, providing theoretical references for this species seedling cultivation.

Abstract:On May 2023, two female bats were sampled utilizing harp nets in the forest surrounding Zhaikou Village, Xixi Town, Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province (120°17′02″ E, 28°58′09″ N, 273 m). They display petite dimensions, featuring forearms measuring 30.66 mm and 30.79 mm, respectively. These samples exhibit absent nasal lobes and funnel-shaped ears. The tragi are mildly lanceolate and relatively slender. The total length of the cranium measures 14.51 mm and 14.67 mm, respectively, with a tooth pattern of 2.1.3.3/3.1.3.3 = 38, and robust maxillary canine teeth. All aforementioned traits corroborate with the identification of the Woolly Bat Kerivoula furva. The phylogenetic data derived from the partial sequence of mitochondrial COI gene also validates the morphological identification results. Therefore, the two Zhejiang samples were identified as K. furva, representing a novel distribution record of Chiroptera in Zhejiang Province, China. Presently, these specimens are preserved inKey Laboratory of WildlifeBiotechnology and Conservation and Utilization of Zhejiang Province.

Abstract:Calamaria jinggangensis was described from Jiangxi Province, China by Cai et al. 2023, based on 5 road-killed specimens. In June 2023, one male snake specimen of the genus Calamaria was collected in Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China (26°06′48″ N, 108°38′01″ E, altitude 1 080 m) during a field survey. After external morphological (Fig. 1, 2) and morphometric measurements examination, the specimen from Rongjiang County was similar to C. jinggangensis. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the uncorrected pairwise distances (p-distance) between the specimen and C. jinggangensis were about 0.85% (Table 1).The new discovery in the present study was the first record of C. jinggangensis in Guizhou Province, China, which expands the distribution area, and enriches the morphological data of the species.

Abstract:In order to elucidate the chiropteran diversity in East and North China, a series of field surveys were conducted in 2023. In March and June 2023, ten Mytios bats (1 male, 9 females) were captured by harp trap net and mist net during the field surveys in Liandu District of Lishui City, Zhejiang Province (28°29′54″ N, 119°54′35″ E, 228 m above sea level) and Shitai County of Chizhou City, Anhui Province (30°14′29″ N, 117°30′6″ E, 95 m above sea level). Morphological and phylogenetic analyses were performed to identify the species of these specimens. The specimens are medium-sized, head body lengths of 43.34﹣47.12 mm and forearm lengths of 34.37﹣37.87 mm (Table 2). Their tragus length is less than half of the length of the ear (Fig. 1a). Fur is soft and thick, with dark brown to black hair on the back and gray to dark gray hair on the belly (Fig. 1b, c). Hind-foot lengths of 8.22﹣9.49 mm, more than half of the tibia lengths of 16.08﹣17.23 mm, respectively (Table 2). Interfemoral and wing membranes are brown, while the wing membrane is attached to the metatarsal bone below the ankle joint (Fig. 1d). Skull is delicate, with a greatest length of 14.92﹣15.82 mm and a breadth of braincase 7.46﹣8.04 mm (Table 2). A noticeable inclination was observed at the frontal bone, brain is slightly enlarged and round and higher than the maxilla. Their skulls are flat and the zygomatic arch is thin. The external and craniodental characteristics are consistent with those of Myotis horsfieldii. Phylogenetic analysis using the cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene sequence revealed that the bats collected in this study clustered well with M. horsfieldii previously collected in Laos, Malaysia and Hong Kong, China (Fig. 2). The genetic distance was less than 0.8% compared to the specimen from Hong Kong, China (Table 3). Historically, the presence of M. horsfieldii was recorded in regions such as Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Hunan. Our findings augment the known geographical distribution of this species (Fig. 4), establish its novel presence in the provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui. Presently, the M. horsfieldii specimens are deposited in Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, and these specimens are numbered GZHU 23118, GZHU 23119, GZHU 23642﹣GZHU 23646, GZHU ah23013, GZHU 23047, and GZHU ah23048.

Abstract:On January 27, 2024, Remiz sp. was found foraging in a group near the Bird Island Station in Xinjiang Aibi Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve. The female was identified as a Eurasian Penduline Tit R. pendulinus through netting and ringing, examination of its morphological characteristics, determination and comparison of mitochondrial Cyt b sequences, and review of relevant literature, making the discovery the first record of this species in China.

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