Study in the life history, impact and control of introduced small Asian mongoose on Okinawa island, Ryukyu archipelago, thouthern part of Japan

本文试图通过对气味引诱猫鼬效果的验证，为低密度猫鼬种群的有效诱捕方法的开发提供依据。我们使用的气味含有挥发性脂肪酸和腺体诱饵，猫鼬对腺体诱饵最感兴趣。我们在雁巴鲁地区南部边界设置了猫鼬隔离围栏，并进行了猫鼬逃逸试验。高度1200毫米的金属栅栏和光滑的金属板几乎可以阻挡每一只猫鼬。然后选择该围栏作为所有测试金属围栏中最适用的围栏；这是因为外伸出架没有安装在围栏上，围栏不会影响人类的活动。我们通过分析在冲绳北部捕获的猫鼬消化道内的内容物，研究了猫鼬对本土物种的捕食效果。猫鼬大量捕食蜥蜴和其他爬行动物。此外，在猫鼬居住超过10年的森林里，几乎所有的爬行动物都被猎杀到濒临灭绝。除了爬行动物，猫鼬还捕食其他物种，如鸟类、哺乳动物、两栖动物和人足动物。事实上，猫鼬以各种小型动物为食。此外，很明显，遗存物种面临灭绝的危险，如渡濑鼩、琉球知更鸟、冲绳树蜥蜴和安德森鳄蝾螈也正被猫鼬捕食。此外，猫鼬是人畜共患病的宿主，已知是钩端螺旋体病传播的媒介。冲绳猫鼬作为钩端螺旋体病宿主的高发病率已得到证实。

We tried in confirming the results of the mongoose luring effect of scent to facilitate the development of effective trapping methods for mongoose populations with low population densities. The scents we used contained volatile fatty acids and gland lures, with the mongoose displaying most interest in the gland lures. We positioned exclusion fences for mongooses at the southern limit of the Yanbaru region and conducted the mongoose escape test accordingly. A metal fence with a height of 1200 mm and a smooth metal plate could block almost every mongoose. This fence was then selected as the most applicable among all the tested metal fences ; this is because outriggers are not attached on this fence and the fence dose not affects human activities. We have been investigating the preying effects of the mongoose on the native species by analyzing the contents in the digestive tract of mongooses caught in the northern part of Okinawa island. Lizards and other reptiles are abundantly preyed upon by the mongooses. Moreover, almost all reptiles are hunted to near extinction in forests in which mongooses have inhabited for more than 10 years. Apart from the reptiles, the mongoose extends its preys to include other species such as aves, mammals, amphibians and anthropoda. In fact, the mongoose feeds on all species of small-sized animals. Furthermore, it has become evident that relict species face the risk of extinction, such as Watase's shrew, Ryukyu robin, Okinawan tree lizard and Anderson's crocodile newt are being preyed upon by the mongoose as well. In addition, the mongoose is a host for zoonosis and is known to serve as an agent for the transmissions of leptospirosis. The high incidence rate of Okinawan mongoose serving as a host for leptospirosis has been confirmed.