Indian Journal Of Animal Research

Den habitat selection of the chinese bamboo rat (Rhizomys sinensis) in Northern Guangxi China

DOI: 10.18805/ijar.v0iOF.8460    | Article Id: B-589 | Page : 431-437
Citation :- Den habitat selection of the chinese bamboo rat (Rhizomys sinensis) in Northern Guangxi China .Indian Journal Of Animal Research.2018.(52):431-437

YUAN Bao-dong, PAN Yang and YAN Yong-feng

yuanbao365@163.com
Address :


College of life science, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu-476000, Henan, China. 

Submitted Date : 11-08-2016
Accepted Date : 12-01-2017
First Online:

Abstract

A habitats comprises a range of environmental features that provide adequate resources for wildlife to survive. Consequently, the criteria of habitat selection by animals, combines a wider spectrum of both environmental and other factors, with major prerequisites being food resources, availability of shelter and suitable conditions for reproduction. The den habitat selection of the Chinese bamboo rat (Rhizomys sinensis) was studied in Yuanbaoshan Nature Reserve, Guangxi China. The Vanderloeg and Scavia selectivity index (Ei) indicates that the Chinese bamboo rat shows a preference for all habitat features except for slope, slope position and distance to water (P>0.05). Chi-square goodness of fit test showed that canopy density, shelter from wind, distance between shrubs, shrub density, elevation, southern aspect, human disturbance and food abundance, were the preferred features (P<0.05). With regards to human disturbance, the Chinese bamboo rat preferred places >1000 m away from human habitation. An eastern and southern sloping direction, a 20°^~40° slope and an elevation range of >1800m were more frequently used. The Chinese bamboo rat prefers habitats lying above 1000m in elevation with high shrub density (with shrub separation under 0.1m). Principle component analysis indicates that concealment factors, geographical factors, interference factors, food factors, and water factors affect the den habitat character of the Chinese bamboo rat. Our results support the notion that the habitat preferences of the Chinese bamboo rat are a tradeoff between suitable habitat features and avoidance of potential human interactions.

Keywords

Chinese bamboo rat; Den habitat selection; Yuanbaoshan Nature Reserve

References

  1. Ai GL, Zhong FS, Zeng YG, et al. (1997), Captive breeding behavior of the Chinese Bamboo rat preliminary observations. Hunan Forestry Science and Technology, 24 (2): 59 -60.
  2. Chen S, Huang YJ, Liu SL,et al.(2006) Ecological Research on Rhixomys pruinosus Blyth. Life Science Research,4(2):125-128.
  3. Cransac N, Hewison AJM.(1997) Seasonal use and selection of habitat by mouflon (Ovis gmelini) : comparison of the sexes. Behavioral Processes, 41( 1) :57-67.
  4. Deng QH Li SY. (2014), The structure and exploitation of Citellus dauricus caves in Hailar East Mountain. Guangdong agriculture Science,1:67-70.
  5. Elmore LW, Miller DA, Vilella FJ. (2004),Selection of diurnal roosts by red bats (Lasiurus borealis) in an intensively managed pine forest in Mississippi. Forest Ecology Management. 199:11–20.
  6. Hansell MH.(1993) The ecological impact of animal nests and burrows. Functional ecology, 7:5-12.
  7. Hu JC. (2001)Giant Panda Research[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Education Publishing House, 47.
  8. Huang XF, Li JL.(2004) Elementary Study on the Habitat Selection of Bamboo Rats in Piankou Natural Reserve, Journal of China West Normal University (Natural Sciences), 2(4): 375-379.
  9. Jia JB, Xiao QZ, Xu L, et al. (1991)A primary observation of the red fox dens. Acta Theriol Sin, 11(4): 266 -269.
  10. Kong DJ, Yang XJ, Liu Q, et al. (2011)Winter habitat selection by the vulnerable black-necked crane Grus nigricollis in Yunnan, China: implications for determining effective conservation actions. Oryx, 45(2), 258–264.
  11. Lechowiczm J.(1982) The Sampling Characteristics of Selectivity Indices [J], Oecologia, 52:22-30.
  12. Li Q. (2010) Pararhizomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the late Miocene of baodedaula, central neimongol[J]. Vertebrata palasiatic, 48(1):48-62.
  13. Li XC, Xue XX. (1999) Chinese Bamboo rat and mouse masticatory muscle Gansu house comparison of the structure and function. Journal of Northwest University (Natural Science Edition), 29 (6): 585 - 589.
  14. Liang Q, Thomson AJ. (1994) Habitat abundance relationships of the earthworm Eisenia rosea (Savigny) (Lumbricidae), using principal component regression analysis. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 72:1354-1361
  15. McLouchlin PD, Cluff HD, MessierF.(2002) Denning ecology of barren-ground grizzly bears in the central Arctic.J Mammal, 83(1): 188 -198.
  16. Ning SJ, Li F, He CX.(2008) Key areas of biological diversity - Guangxi Yuanbaoshan scientific investigation [M], Guangxi Science and Technology Press, 12, 3-38.
  17. Peres-Neto P, Jackson DA, Somers KM. How many principal components? stopping rules for determining the number of non-trivial axes revisited. Comp. Stat. & Data Anal. 2005, 49: 974-997.
  18. Qu XC, Kang MS.(2002) Effect of Different Factors on the Reproductive Performance of Rhizomys[J], Journal of Economic Animal, 6(2):16-19
  19. Railsback SF, Harvey BC.(2002) Analysis of habitat-selection rules using an individual-based model. Ecology, 83 (7): 1817-1830. DOI: 10.2307/3071767.
  20. Shou ZH. (1962) China’s economy Animals - Mammals [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 77.
  21. Smith A, Xie Y, Wang S.(2009) The Mammals of China[M].Changsha: Hunan educaton Press, 1-513.
  22. Tang ZH, Yu ZQ, Liu H, et al.(2006) The biological characteristics of wild Chinese Bamboo rat and human domestication and breeding techniques. Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences, 6:304- 305.
  23. Tang ZH, Peng GB, You ZQ, et al. (2009) Habitation Selection and Den Structure Characteristics of Rhizomys sinensisin Piankou Natural Reserve. Chinese Journal of Zoology, 44(6):36-40.
  24. Wan C.(2008)The resources of Bamboo rat species in China. farm consultants, 6: 23 -24.
  25. Wang ZH, Wang XM, Wu W, et al. (2003)Characteristics of the summer Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) den habitats in Shiqu County, western Sichuan Province. Acta Theriol Sin, 23(1): 31 -38.
  26. Wu SB, Ma GZ, Chen H, et al.(2004) A preliminary study on burrow ecology of Manis pentadactyla. Chinese Journal of Ecology 15(3):401-407
  27. Xie DM, Lu JQ, Alfred M S, et al.(2012) Patterns of habitat selection and use by Macaca mulatta tcheliensis in winter and early spring in temperate forest, Jiyuan, China. Biologia, 67(1): 234—239.
  28. Yan ZC, Chen YL.(1998) Habitat selections in animals. Chinese Journal of Ecology 17(2): 43 -49.
  29. Young L, Zhang G.M, Zhang ZW.(1991) Winter movements and habitat use by Cabot’s Tragopans Tragopan caboti in southeastern China. Ibis 133 (2): 121–126.
  30. Yuan, B.D., C.B. Tang, Z. Wang, et al.(2013) Red-bellied squirrel’s density, behavior and habitat selection in Longjiang Riverside of Yizhou, Guangxi, China. Asia Life Sciences, 22(2): 549-564. 
  31. Zar JH. (1999) Biostatistical Analysis. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, New Jersey, USA. 1-207
  32. Zeng GS, Zheng HX, Deng TP. (2009) Summer cave selection of Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) on the north slope of Funiu Mountain. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 29(1):208-215.
  33. Zeng YG, Deng ZB. (2002) Studies on Isolation and Identification of Escherichia Coli in Bamboo Rat[J], Progress in Animal Medicine, 

Global Footprints