羚牛角结构与争偶攻击行为中的功能适应性研究

通过观察比较秦岭羚牛与黑斑牛羚(Connochaetes taurinus)运用头上2只洞角的争偶攻击行为,采用野外观察与录像观察相结合的研究方法,描述了2种动物的部分攻击行为,通过比较攻击行为差异,证明秦岭羚牛的角在争偶攻击行为中还有瞄准对方角的作用,可以准确的将自己的角顶到对方的角。     

秦岭山区野生羚牛下山原因初探

作者通过对陕西省珍稀野生动物抢救饲养研究中心 1 996 -2 0 0 1年在秦岭山区野外抢救的 47头离群下山羚牛的情况进行统计表明 :( 1 )冬末春初因饲草缺乏野生羚牛群体体质下降 ,发病率较高 ,占统计总数的 59.57% ( 2 8/4 7) ;( 2 )下山的雄性个体较多 ,占统计总数的6 3 .83 % ( 3 0 /4 7) ;( 3 )成体羚牛占统计总数的42 .55% ( 2 0 /4 7)。疾病和年老体弱是羚牛离群下山的主要原因 ;争偶导致部分羚牛受伤离群 ,也是一种重要因素     

秦岭羚牛进村攻击人的原因研究

近些年来,陕西秦岭的羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi)频繁出现下山进村攻击人的事件。本文作者通过走访事件的当事人,并收集了相关资料,通过分析研究,得出如下结论,认为羚牛下山进村攻击人的事件都发生在秦岭山外的平原地带;羚牛进村攻击人的原因就是在陌生环境中的防御反应的结果,羚牛所攻击的人正是挡在羚牛进村的路上,遇到其它动物挡道,羚牛也会攻击。     

秦岭羚牛雷雨天气野外生存情景浅析

秦岭羚牛属我国特有的一种珍稀野生牛科大型动物,是我国4种羚牛亚种之一,生活在秦岭高海拔地区,由于距离人们生活的环境较远,人们对其了解甚少,本文通过对秦岭羚牛特性的介绍,剖析特殊气象因素雷雨天气对秦岭羚牛的影响,以期对羚牛这一野生动物的保护提供借鉴。     

秦岭羚牛冬季野外及人工生存情景浅析

内容：秦岭羚牛生活在秦岭高海拔地区,属我国特有的一种珍稀野生牛科大型动物,是我国4种羚牛亚种之一,由于距离人们生活的环境较远,人们对其了解甚少。本文通过对秦岭羚牛野外特性的剖析,介绍人工饲养秦岭羚牛的的设施和日粮组成,人工饲养注意事项,以期对羚牛这一野生动物的冬季野外天气保护提供借鉴。     

笼养羚牛繁殖生物学的初步研究

对上海动物园笼养羚牛种群20 a间的繁殖记录进行了统计分析,并将笼养羚牛和野生羚牛的各项繁殖指标进行了比较分析。结果表明：笼养条件下出生的雌性和雄性羚牛个体的首次成功繁殖年龄分别为4岁和5岁;笼养条件下出生的羚牛包括26只雌性和11只雄性,雌雄性比为2.36：1;羚牛的出生主要集中在1～4月,3月出生的个体最多;笼养羚牛首次繁殖年龄和幼仔出生季节与野生羚牛不存在显著差异。上述研究结果表明,影响羚牛繁殖的因素主要包括气候、环境、温度和湿度等。     

圈养秦岭羚牛夏季昼间活动时间分配研究

为了对秦岭羚牛进行有效的迁地保护和揭示圈养条件下秦岭羚羊的夏季昼间的时间分配状况,更好地加强饲养管理,2006年7月,在陕西省珍稀野生动物抢救饲养研究中心内采用瞬时扫描取样法对13头圈养秦岭羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi)的活动规律进行了观察。结果表明,夏季白昼羚牛的活动以休息为主,采食次之,同时,羚牛的饮水、排尿、排便量均较低,分别为每头每天1.92次、0.54次、0.92次。羚牛每天的活动节律与气温的变化相关。年龄对羚牛活动节律的影响主要表现在羚牛的活动节律和时间分配方面的差异。此外,从羚牛群体进行观察,同一群中的羚牛个体的活动具有不完全同步性。     

羚牛秦岭亚种

羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor Hodgson)是大型稀有珍贵的偶蹄目动物。共有四个亚种,我国全部都产。其中模式亚种(B.t.taxicolor)产于西藏东南部、云南北部和四川西南部,也产于印度和缅甸的局部地区。不丹亚种(B.twnite)产于不丹和与它相邻的西藏山南地区。四川亚种(B. t.tibetana)产于四川西部、北部和青海南缘。秦岭亚种(B. t. bed ford)产于陕西秦岭和甘肃南部的珉山山中。后两个亚种是我国特有的。其中秦岭亚种被国际自然资源及自然保护联盟(IUCN)所公布的红皮书(Rad date book)上列入珍贵稀有(Rare)级内。羚牛秦岭亚种,体形粗壮,外形似家牛,一般体重200—250公斤,体长2米左右,雄兽体重可达200—300公斤。尾较短,吻鼻部高而弯起,似羊。肩高于臀,角较粗,先弯     

秦岭羚牛性别鉴定的初步研究

根据牛的Sry基因核心序列设计合成1对引物F1、R1。应用PCR技术对羚牛(TAKIN)Sry基因进行扩增,结果在羚牛雄性样本扩增出1条带(230 bp),而在雌性样本未见扩增带,显示了Sry基因的性别特异性,应用这1对引物对60只未知性别的羚牛组织样本进行了性别鉴定,结果雄性14个,雌性46个。该试验为羚牛种群性别比率及其种群动态变化机制研究提供了资料。     

出口秦岭羚牛检疫

按照《中华人民共和国向日本出口展览用羚牛的卫生要求》,我们对赠送日本的4头秦岭羚牛实施为期90天的隔离检疫,并完成了对口蹄疫、蓝舌病、牛肺疫等12种疫病实验室检疫工作,4头羚牛检疫合格,均符合日本提出的要求,于2011年1月25日由西安咸阳机场启程到日本落户。     

Acrylamide and N-methylolacrylamide poisoning in a herd of Charolais crossbreed cattle

Seven beef cattle from a herd accidentally exposed to acrylamide and N-methylolacrylamide while grazing were observed for eight months. They showed clinical signs of impaired nerve function, mainly in the hindlegs, with varying degrees of weakness and ataxia. The animals were irritable, nervous and hypersensitive to touch. Both pupils of the most badly affected animal were dilated and it had poor pupillary light responses; it also showed signs of axonal neuropathy. Selected haematological and clinical chemistry variables were normal. The severity of the neurological signs was correlated with the concentrations of haemoglobin adducts of acrylamides. The animals recovered substantially after their exposure. The gestations of four of the animals which were in calf proceeded normally.     

Intoxication with propylene glycol in two horses

Two horses were accidentally administered propylene glycol instead of mineral oil. After discovery of the mistake intensive medical therapy with intravenous fluids, etc. was started, and both animals recovered fully from their clinical symptoms. Veterinarians use propylene glycol as well as paraffin routinely for the treatment of their patients. Mistakes are likely to be made because both medicines and sometimes their packing have a similar appearance. Several incidents have been reported in other countries. A large amount of propylene glycol given to a horse, but also to other animals, can be dangerous and immediate adequate intervention is necessary. The major cause of the problems in case of a propylene glycol intoxication is the high concentration of D-lactate that arises. Clinically, this primarily results in a depression of the central nervous system and in metabolic acidosis. Furthermore colic, diarrhoea and respiratory problems may occur.     

Bluetongue vaccines in Europe

The article reviews the history, present status and the future of BT vaccines in Europe. So far, an attenuated (modified live viruses, MLV) and inactivated virus vaccines against BT were developed and used in the field. Moreover, the virus-like particles (VLPs) produced from recombinant baculovirus, and live recombinant vaccinia or canarypox virus-vectored vaccines were tested in the laboratory. The main aims of BT vaccination strategy are: to prevent clinical disease, to reduce the spread of the BTV in the environment and to protect movement of susceptible animals between affected and free zones. Actually, all of the most recent European BT vaccination campaigns have used exclusively inactivated vaccines. The use of inactivated vaccines avoid risk associated with the use of live-attenuated vaccines, such as reversion to virulence, reassortment of genes with field strain, teratogenicity and insufficient attenuation leading to clinical disease. The mass vaccinations of all susceptible animals are the most efficient veterinary method to fight against BT and successful control of disease. The vaccination of livestock has had a major role in reducing BTV circulation and even in eradicating the virus from most areas of Europe.     

Laparoscopic sterilization of the bitch and queen by uterine horn occlusion

Laparoscopic sterilization techniques, originally developed for use in women, were evaluated in the bitch and queen. In the first study (study I), the uterine horns of 6 bitches and 3 queens were occluded by electrocoagulation or plastic clips. The sites of occlusion were midway along the length of 1 cornus and at the uterotubal junction on the contralateral side. Both procedures effectively occluded the uterine horns, as evidenced by a distinctly visible separation of the reproductive tract. Laparoscopic examination 1 year after surgery revealed an enlarged, thin-walled, and fluid-filled uterine segment cranial to the midcornus occlusion sites in all animals. The contralateral horn was normal in appearance, except for the separation from the ovarian bursa. Three of the bitches developed pyometra (confined to the distended uterine segment) at 24 months, at 53 months, and at 72 months after sterilization, respectively. In a subsequent study (study II), 1 adult and 5 prepubertal bitches were sterilized by laparoscopic electrocoagulation of both uterine horns at the uterotubal junction adjacent to the ovarian bursa. Upon reexamination 1, 2, and 4 years later, the uterine horns of these females were normal in appearance, but were separated from the adjacent ovarian bursae. These females continued to be clinically healthy. Laparoscopic sterilization offers a rapid and safe alternative to ovariohysterectomy and, because of its minor invasive nature, can be performed on young, prepubertal animals. Such a procedure may have particular value as a simple, practical means of sterilizing dogs and cats on a mass basis.     

Review of Methods to Reduce Livestock Depradation: I. Guardian Animals

The use of domestic animals to protect livestock was reviewed through visits to actual users, discussions with experts and a thorough literature search. Costs and benefits were analysed in terms of reduced livestock losses. The most common guardian animals are dogs, which have been shown to reduce predation (documented mostly for coyote) by 11?100%. Livestock guardian dogs have also been used effectively against bear, wolf and cheetah. Donkeys are also used as guardian animals, and their effectiveness lies in their natural herding behaviour and aggression, especially against canids. The effectiveness of donkeys varies considerably dependent upon the predator species and the temperament of the individual donkey. Llamas are also used as a guardian animal, with approximately the same characteristics as the donkeys, and will defend themselves against most predators. The use of guardian animals appears to be an effective tool for reducing livestock depredation and should be evaluated in areas with high predation losses against the cost of changing production systems.     

Historical review of smallpox, the eradication of smallpox and the attenuated smallpox MVA vaccine]

After the WHO had declared smallpox to be eradicated in 1980, smallpox vaccination ceased to be carried out in humans all over the world. The cutaneous inoculations carried out with live vaccines based on the vaccinia virus from 1798 onwards protected both the global population and, indirectly, the animals living with humans against orthopox infections in general. A large percentage of humans and animals no longer enjoy this protection. Idiopathic orthopox in animals (reservoir possibly rats and mice) are thus experiencing a renaissance, posing a threat to humans and animals. The paper provides an historical retrospective of smallpox epidemics in humankind, their course of development and methods employed to combat this disease, commencing long before the birth of Christ with primitive attempts in China and India and from the end of the 18th century with increasingly enhanced methods, most recently with worldwide smallpox vaccination programmes using live vaccinia vaccines. Smallpox vaccination was always accompanied by a variety of complications, especially postvaccinal encephalitis. The MVA strain was developed to reduce or prevent such adverse effects. MVA has meanwhile proved its worth both as a parenteral vaccine against orthopox infections in humans and animals and as a vector for insertion of foreign genes. The history of smallpox, the fight against this disease and the development of MVA are documented with the help of figures and tables.     

How the sheep's brain controls the visual recognition of animals and humans.

Visual recognition of objects and individuals is important for humans and many animal species. How does the brain process such visual information and how does experience modify such processing? To answer these questions we have used single-cell, electrophysiological recording techniques to investigate the responses of single neurons in the temporal cortex of the brain of the conscious sheep to visual images of animals and humans. Results show that a small population of these cells responds (latencies less than 180 ms) specifically to projected images of animal and human faces. Different cells respond to 1) faces with horns, and how large the horns are; 2) faces of sheep of the same breed, particularly to socially familiar individuals, and 3) faces of humans or dogs. In general, frontal views of faces (i.e., direct eye contact) are more effective stimuli than profiles or views of the back of the head. Some other cells in the temporal cortex respond to the sight of a human shape, rather than to the face. These latter cells are specialized for visual recognition of the human shape dependent on what actions are displayed (approaching or withdrawing figure), posture adopted (bipedal or quadrupedal), and view presented (front or side). These results provide important information on the complex neural processing of visual recognition of individuals by sheep and suggest that experience may modify sensory processing. Thus, behaviorally important, distinguishing features (such as horns), preferred individuals (socially familiar animals), and potentially threatening individuals (humans and sheep dogs) are specifically coded for, at a sensory level, so that appropriate behavioral or emotional responses can be made with the minimum delay.     

Dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes in the southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) in the Eastern Pyrenees

Two free-ranging southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) - one 4-year-old male and one 3-year-old male - were diagnosed with clinical dermatophytosis in the French and Spanish Eastern Pyrenees respectively. Skin samples were collected for microbiological studies, Trichophyton mentagrophytes being isolated and identified in both animals. The first chamois was found dead at the base of a cliff, and presented with alopecia and scaling on the dorsum and left forelimb. The second chamois showed grey-yellow, rough to raised scaling and crusting skin lesions at the base of the horns, around the eyes, dorsum of the nose, sternum, tail and limbs. Histological examination was carried out only on the second animal. The main lesions were orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis with focal parakeratosis, irregular to papillary epidermal hyperplasia, intracorneal neutrophilic pustules, perivascular to diffuse dermatitis with neutrophilic folliculitis and furunculosis. In those follicles with folliculitis and/or furunculosis, fungal hyphae and arthrospores associated with the follicular keratin and hair shafts were seen.     

Ambiguous genitalia in a fertile, unilaterally cryptorchid male miniature schnauzer dog

A 7-year-old male miniature schnauzer dog with unilateral cryptorchidism was presented for elective orchiectomy. Surgery to remove the cryptorchid testis revealed a fully formed uterus with horns attached to both testis and the body and cervix terminating at the prostate gland. The gross and microscopic diagnosis for the genital tract was persistent Müllerian duct syndrome with unilateral cryptorchidism. Additional associated lesions included cystic endometrial hyperplasia and a solitary, intratubular seminoma within the undescended testis. Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome is rare among domestic animals but is more common in miniature schnauzer dogs because of inheritance as an autosomal recessive trait.