人工饲养条件下荒漠猫的饲养与繁殖管理

在人工饲养条件下,通过模拟野外栖息环境,加强科学饲养管理,成功繁殖荒漠猫的饲养管理方法和荒漠猫的发情、交配、妊娠、哺乳等繁殖行为。同时对在西宁动物园产下并成活的3只幼猫的体尺、体重、形态和行为的变化进行了描述。     

樟子松人工林冠下植物种类动态变化因子分析

本文对林分下层植物种类组成和林分内光照与林冠叶量的变化进行了研究 ,结果表明 :樟子松人工林林下生态类型划分为A、B、C三个类型 ,其营养条件排序A 相似文献   

吸水剂在樟子松造林中的应用

樟子松人工植苗造林成活的关键在于苗木根系的水分保护。所以，对樟子松幼苗的根系用吸水剂进行适当的保水处理，无疑是会提高造林成活率的。     

Development of a new humane toxin for predator control in New Zealand

The endemic fauna of New Zealand evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and their introduction has been responsible for many extinctions and declines. Introduced species including possums (Trichosurus vulpecula Kerr), ship rats (Rattus rattus L.) and stoats (Mustela erminea L.) are targeted to protect native birds. Control methodologies currently rely largely on labor-intensive trapping or the use of increasingly unpopular poisons, or poisons that are linked with low welfare standards. Hence, the development of safer humane predator toxins and delivery systems is highly desirable. Para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP) is being developed as a toxin for feral cats (Felis catus L.) and stoats. Carnivores appear to be much more susceptible to PAPP than birds, so it potentially has high target specificity, at least in New Zealand. Pen trials with 20 feral cats and 15 stoats have been undertaken using meat baits containing a proprietary formulation of PAPP. A PAPP dose of 20–34 mg kg⁻¹ was lethal for feral cats and 37–95 mg kg⁻¹ was lethal for stoats. Our assessments suggest that PAPP, for the control of feral cats and stoats, is a humane and effective toxin. PAPP causes methaemoglobinaemia, resulting in central nervous system anoxia, lethargy and death.     

Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations?

We assessed the impact of domestic cats on population persistence of native and exotic urban bird populations using a model adjusted for habitat-specific catch rates, cat ownership and hunting activity data. GPS-derived home ranges of 32 cats and resource selection indices demonstrated the degree of penetration and preference for native vegetation fragments. Owners reported on prey brought back by 144 domestic cats in Dunedin, New Zealand, during 12 months. One third of cats never brought back prey, and 21% returned more than one item/month. Cats brought back a mean of 13.4 prey items/year (median = 4), with cats aged <1 year returning more prey than older cats. Birds were the most common prey, followed by rodents. Although cats penetrated adjacent vegetation fragments they did not catch more birds and preferred garden habitat, suggesting that predation pressure may be reduced in fragments. Cat home range size appears to be constrained by cat density while the number of birds caught depends on the density of available prey. Estimates of city-wide catch for six bird species were either more than total urban population size estimates or close to lower confidence intervals. Modelling of three species indicated low likelihood of population persistence with cat predation. The observed persistence of these prey species suggests a meta-population structure with urban populations acting as sinks with source populations located on the city fringe.     

Bilateral eyelid agenesis repair in a captive Texas cougar

Bilateral eyelid agenesis was presented with multiple ocular anomalies in a captive Texas cougar (Felis concolor). Corneal exposure resulted in substantial keratoconjunctivitis and blepharospasm. Bilateral inferopapillary fundic colobomas, persistent pupillary membranes, and an atypical iris coloboma OD were present. Surgical repair with a rotational pedicle flap resulted in functionally effective eyelids. Trichiasis was later treated with cryotherapy. Eyelid agenesis is reported infrequently in domestic cats and among large felids has only been reported in the snow leopard.     

Landowners and cat predation across rural-to-urban landscapes

Fluctuations of bird abundances have been attributed to such factors as supplemental feeding, landscape change, and habitat fragmentation. Notably absent from consideration, however, is the role of private landowners and their actions, such as owning free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus; cats allowed free access to the outdoors). To understand the impacts of cat predation on birds, we surveyed all 1694 private landowners living on three breeding bird survey (BBS) routes (∼120 km) that represent a continuum of rural-to-urban landscapes in Southeastern Michigan, where the majority (>90%) of land is privately owned. Our data indicate that among the 58.5% of landowners that responded, one quarter of them owned outdoor cats. On average a cat depredated between 0.7 and 1.4 birds per week. A total of 23+ species (12.5% of breeding species) were on the list of being killed, including two species of conservation concern (Eastern Bluebirds and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds). Across the three landscapes there were ∼800 to ∼3100 cats, which kill between ∼16,000 and ∼47,000 birds during the breeding season, resulting in a minimum of ∼1 bird killed/km/day. While the number and density (no./ha) of free-ranging cats per landowner differed across the rural to urban landscapes, depredation rates were similar. Landowner participation in bird feeding showed no relationship with the number of free-ranging cats owned. Similarly, selected demographic characteristics of landowners were not significantly related to the number of free-ranging cats owned. Our results, even taken conservatively, indicate that cat predation most likely plays an important role in fluctuations of bird populations and should receive more attention in wildlife conservation and landscape studies.     

Abundance and home ranges of feral cats in an urban conservancy where there is supplemental feeding: a case study from South Africa

There is much debate surrounding the impact of feral cats (Felis catus) on wildlife. Conservancies areusually areas where indigenous flora and fauna are protected and aliens excluded or managed. The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College campus (HCC) is an urban conservancy containing feral cats that are presently not managed, and little is known about their ecology and behaviour. Consequently a feral cat population census was conducted, and their home range investigated. Estimates of the overall campus feral cat population numbers ranged between 23.4–40.0 cats/km² with a minimum of 55 identified as resident. They were not randomly distributed in the study area, with spacing patterns being related to resource availability. Home range area and core distribution of eight radio-collared cats were determined over 13 months. Total home range areas were relatively small, with considerable overlap between them. Home ranges were clustered in areas with permanent feeding stations and these were also within the cats’ core ranges. Supplemental food resources appear to have a major influence on numbers, home and core range area, and behavior of cats. It is clear that cat densities grow to high levels with reliable and abundant food supply and only ad hoc sterilization. This has implications for their management in the HCC urban conservancy.     

Precision Medicine in Cats: Novel Niemann‐Pick Type C1 Diagnosed by Whole‐Genome Sequencing

State‐of‐the‐art health care includes genome sequencing of the patient to identify genetic variants that contribute to either the cause of their malady or variants that can be targeted to improve treatment. The goal was to introduce state‐of‐the‐art health care to cats using genomics and a precision medicine approach. To test the feasibility of a precision medicine approach in domestic cats, a single cat that presented to the University of Missouri, Veterinary Health Center with an undiagnosed neurologic disease was whole‐genome sequenced. The DNA variants from the cat were compared to the DNA variant database produced by the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Consortium. Approximately 25× genomic coverage was produced for the cat. A predicted p.H441P missense mutation was identified in NPC1, the gene causing Niemann‐Pick type C1 on cat chromosome D3.47456793 caused by an adenine‐to‐cytosine transversion, c.1322A>C. The cat was homozygous for the variant. The variant was not identified in any other 73 domestic and 9 wild felids in the sequence database or 190 additionally genotyped cats of various breeds. The successful effort suggested precision medicine is feasible for cats and other undiagnosed cats may benefit from a genomic analysis approach. The 99 Lives DNA variant database was sufficient but would benefit from additional cat sequences. Other cats with the mutation may be identified and could be introduced as a new biomedical model for NPC1. A genetic test could eliminate the disease variant from the population.