The conservation status of the Chinese alligator
The conservation status of the Chinese alligator
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DOI：
10.1046/j.1365-3008.1999.00051.x
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发表时间：
1999-04
期刊：
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
J. Thorbjarnarson;Xiaoming Wang
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Thorbjarnarson;Xiaoming Wang
扬子鳄是世界上最濒危的爬行动物之一。曾经广泛分布于长江下游流域的大部分地区，现在剩下的野生个体仅限于安徽省南部的一小部分地区，也许在邻近的浙江省。在1980年代进行的人口估计表明，当时只有500-735只野生个体。目前的数据表明，野生种群是C。400人，并继续下降。造成鳄鱼数量历史性下降的主要因素是栖息地的丧失，但故意杀害鳄鱼和大量使用杀虫剂也产生了重大的负面影响。安徽省目前的保护计划是以圈养繁殖和建立小型野生短吻鳄保护区为基础的。然而，推断最近野生种群规模的下降表明，保护区的设计不足以满足短吻鳄的长期生存。目前正在制定方案，调查剩余野生种群的状况，并评估通过重新引入人工饲养的动物建立新的野生种群的可行性。
Abstract The Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis is one of the world's most endangered reptiles. At one time widespread throughout much of the lower Yangzi River basin, the remaining wild individuals are now restricted to a small area in southern Anhui Province and perhaps in adjacent Zhejiang Province. Population estimates conducted in the 1980s suggested that only 500–735 wild individuals remained at that time. Current figures suggest that the wild population is c. 400 individuals and continues to decline. The principal factor contributing to historic population decline has been habitat loss, but deliberate killing of alligators and the heavy use of pesticides have also had significant negative effects. The current conservation programme in Anhui Province is based on captive breeding and the establishment of a reserve for small groups of wild alligators. However, the inferred recent decline in the size of the wild population suggests that the reserve design is inadequate for the long-term survival of alligators. Programmes to survey the status of the remaining wild populations and evaluate the feasibility of establishing new wild populations by reintroducing captive-bred animals are currently being developed.