Reproduction of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau
Reproduction of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau
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DOI：
10.1007/s10344-011-0574-2
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发表时间：
2012-02
影响因子：
2
通讯作者：
Jiapeng Qu;Ming Liu;Min Yang;Yanming Zhang;W. Ji
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Jiapeng Qu;Ming Liu;Min Yang;Yanming Zhang;W. Ji
2007年4月至2008年8月，在青藏高原海拔4000米的果洛地区，对高原鼠兔(Ochotona Curzoniae)的繁殖进行了调查。繁殖是季节性的，繁殖季节从4月持续到6月底/7月初。成年母猪每年产仔2窝，2007年平均产仔数为3.3 ± 0.1(n= 52)，2008年平均产仔数为3.2 ± 0.1(n= 66)。繁殖时间表现出较高的年际变化；与2008年相比，较少的降雨量和随之而来的春季植被物候延迟可能推迟了2007年繁殖季节的开始。2007年5月和2008年6月，产仔数最多的分别为3窝和4窝，分别占总产仔数的71.2%和83.3%。与之前的研究相比，不同地理区域的繁殖差异很大。高原不同地区的鼠兔在不同的繁殖季节每年产下一至五窝鼠兔。这种地理和年际变化似乎与每个地点植物生长的持续时间有关，这表明高原鼠兔调整了它们繁殖季节的长度，以匹配有足够能量支持繁殖的高能量需求的时期。
The reproduction of the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) was investigated in Guoluo District at an elevation of 4,000 m on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau, China, from April 2007 to August 2008. Reproduction was seasonal, and the breeding season lasted from April to late June/early July. Adults produced two litters in each year, and the mean litter size, estimated by counting the number of embryos in utero, was 3.3 ± 0.1 (n= 52) in 2007 and 3.2 ± 0.1 (n= 66) in 2008. The timing of reproduction showed high inter-annual variation; lower precipitation and the concomitant delay in spring vegetation phenology may have retarded the onset of the breeding season in 2007 compared with 2008. The most frequent litter sizes were 3 and 4, which together comprised 71.2% and 83.3% of litters in May and June of 2007 and 2008, respectively. Compared with previous studies, reproduction was highly variable between geographic areas. Pikas produced between one and five litters per year in different regions of the plateau over different breeding seasons. This geographic and inter-annual variation appeared to be associated with the duration of plant growth at each site, suggesting that plateau pikas adjust the length of their breeding season to match the period when sufficient energy is available to support the high energy demands of reproduction.