摘要: [写在前面]一年多前，杂志编辑部俊彦老师就曾和我商量，是否可以在《实验动物与比较医学》上以科普专栏的形式，向读者朋友们介绍一下实验动物及这个行业的特点和贡献。之前出于两个考量一直没敢接这个任务：其一是时间有限；其二是虽对实验动物和动物实验的很多话题有所了解，但大多还不够深入。2023年9月在西双版纳召开的实验动物资源及应用学术研讨会期间，俊彦老师再次提出邀请，盛情难却下我答应准备一段时间后可以开此栏目。由于时间精力限制，目前我还没有一个清晰完整的计划和目标，只做想到哪写到哪的打算。

摘要: Amphibians have suffered widespread declines caused by many interacting factors whose effects are often difficult to isolate. We used complementary analyses to decouple effects of methylmercury (MeHg) and amphibian chytrid fungus (Bd) on survival of Columbia Spotted Frogs (Rana luteiventris) during a 5-year capture-mark-recapture study. We also evaluated whether effects on apparent survival were mediated through physiological responses (corticosterone, CORT). While Bd was unrelated to frog survival, geometric mean MeHg bioaccumulation in our population (164 ng/g) reduced survival by ~20%. Baseline CORT was negatively associated, and stress-induced CORT was positively associated with higher MeHg, suggesting that MeHg dysregulated glucocorticoid physiology. Survival was positively associated with higher baseline CORT, whereas survival was negatively associated with higher stress-induced CORT. Our results provide rare evidence linking CORT and long-term survival of wild vertebrates and that environmentally relevant concentrations of MeHg can influence survival of free-ranging amphibians, and these effects may be mediated by CORT.

摘要: Monitoring of the critically endangered Far Eastern leopard is crucial for understanding population status and trends to assess the effectiveness of conservation interventions. This study provides an up-to-date assessment of the Far Eastern leopard population in the southwest of Primorsky Krai, Russia. Population parameters were derived from camera trap monitoring data conducted in the protected areas in 2022. The analysis of population size and density was carried out using the spatially explicit capture-recapture method. A total of 116 individuals were identified: 104 adults and 12 cubs. The estimated population size was 118 individuals (95% CI: 115–121), with a population density of 2.46 individuals/100 km2, which is 20% higher than previously published estimations for 2020 and doubled since 2014. A reassessment of the global population of Far Eastern leopards will require a combination of data from both Russia and China, as was done in 2014 and 2015.

摘要: Swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) are a bottomland hardwood specialist that have experienced range contraction at the northern and western extents of their range. While swamp rabbit distribution has been studied at the northern periphery of its range, drivers of change over time have not been investigated. Here, we analyzed data collected in 2010–2012 and 2022–2023 across 16 counties in southeastern Missouri, USA and reported environmental factors driving changes in occupancy states. Occupancy probability increased between decadal surveys (0.66–0.79). Occupancy probability was negatively influenced by site isolation and patch richness density but positively influenced by site area. Colonization and extinction probabilities were influenced by bottomland hardwood forest cover change and flooding effects. When ground latrines were included, we observed an increase in detection (0.68–0.84) and occupancy probabilities (0.95–1.00). Swamp rabbit populations appear to have expanded within southeastern Missouri following many decades of range contraction.

摘要: The spectacled flying-fox Pteropus conspicillatus population has declined by 75% in two decades to become endangered. This systematic review, the first since 2011, updates knowledge of the species and identifies pressing issues in its conservation, some not recognized previously. Gaps in knowledge have been identified and, where appropriate, species phylogenetically close to P. conspicillatus have been used to inform better understanding of the focal species. Extreme heat events are now a lethal reality, habitat loss and declining condition continue, pressure to disperse roosts is pervasive, and conservation is affected by false perceptions of the species' impacts. Averting threats to this species and obtaining resources to help it recover are urgent. Priorities for action should now include surveys and characterization of roosts; modeling future heat events to inform recovery priorities; physiological studies to determine heat tolerances; developing a population growth model to inform targets for population recovery; reinstating systematic population counts; improving monitoring methods; tracking individuals over time to understand habitat use; improving understanding of diets; restoring and managing roosts in accordance with research and best practice; and improving knowledge of diseases. The article updates and revises known diet species and the number of roosts used by P. conspicillatus in Australia.

摘要: Deterrence is a key component of human-wildlife conflict management. This study firstly introduced the concept of “nonlethal pain stimulation deterrence,” a kind of deterrence technologies based on painful stimuli which do not cause severe injury to wildlife while realizing effective deterrence through precisely controlling strike intensity. Then, we conducted laser strike experiments on fresh wild boar skin samples and live individuals to assess the relationship between strike intensity and skin injury degree and individual's escape behavior, respectively. We determined the maximum laser power with minimal skin injury through skin experiments (260 W and 1 s in summer, 285 W and 1 s in winter), and the minimum deterrence values (210 W and 1 s) through live animal experiments. The strike intensity parameters determined in this study provide technical specifications for wildlife deterrence at a set distance. To improve field applicability, subsequent experiments should quantify optimal strike intensity along a distance gradient.

摘要: Translocating prey into unfamiliar environments may alter predator-prey interactions on space utilization, making prey more vulnerable to predation. We predicted that the greater the edge density of cropland and developed land, the higher the probability of mammalian predation for translocated wild turkeys in the agriculturally dominated landscape of Quitman County in the northcentral Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA. We radio-tracked translocated wild turkeys using transmitters equipped with mortality sensors from January 2009 to July 2010. We applied multivariate ordinations and one-class support vector machines to predict the spatial probabilities and locations of mammalian predation on translocated wild turkeys with data on kill locations and habitat edge densities. Mammalian predation was positively associated with crop field edge density, with kill-location patches constituting about 6% of the study area. Our findings suggest that mammalian predation can decrease the success of wild turkey translocation in unfamiliar, agricultural-dominant habitats.

摘要: Climate change is shifting the ranges of many species, such as northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern (Glaucomys volans) flying squirrels, and changing survival rates at range limits. Gaps in knowledge about vital rates exist for both species however, with no studies assessing sympatric populations. We undertook a study to address this gap, expecting higher survival for northern flying squirrels due to a slower life history. Using mark-recapture data from a long-term study of sympatric populations, we investigated survival rates and the effects of winter temperatures and mast seed abundance on these rates. Apparent annual survival was nearly equivalent during 2019–2023 (0.20 and 0.19 for northern and southern flying squirrels, respectively). We did not observe strong effects of acorn abundance or winter temperature on survival of either species. Our information will help with modeling to assess anticipated changes in the future as a result of ongoing climate warming.

摘要: The Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans) is a colonial waterbird found across South and Southeast Asia. Despite its overall stable population status globally, it faces vulnerability in Nepal, mainly due to unplanned urbanization across farmlands, agrochemicals, and wetland encroachment. We assessed the population status through direct counts and analyzed habitat use using generalized linear mixed modeling across five districts of eastern Nepal (2020–2022). We found that the Asian Openbill predominantly roosted near waterbodies and frequently utilized farmland habitats. The population count of the species was significantly higher during the breeding season compared to nonbreeding season. Farmland and wetland areas had positive influence on the species' habitat use. Our findings suggest that the Asian Openbill migrates seasonally, likely from northern India, with large numbers arriving in eastern Nepal to breed, while a few remain resident year-round. These findings underscore the need for effective management of farmland and wetland landscapes for their conservation.

摘要: The COVID-19 pandemic altered human behavior, resulting in opportunities for natural experiments to examine how changes in human activity impacted the diel activity of wildlife—including wild canids. We used data from standardized surveys (Snapshot USA) in the autumns of 2019–2021 across the contiguous United States to assess the diel activity of three species of canids in urban and rural areas before, during, and immediately following the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) exhibited over twice as large a shift in diel activity during the pandemic (22%) than red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and coyotes (Canis latrans; 8%–9%), while coyotes showed greater shifts and variability in diel activity in urban than rural areas. While we found evidence that all three canids changed their diel patterns to some degree, the degree of change varied across these species—suggesting that this might be mediated by inherent differences in their sensitivity to humans.