The Mating System And Home Range Of Black Muntjac Based On Fecal DNA

Mating system is one of the important content in animal behavioral ecology research. Home range is a place for animal to survival and reproduction. In the study of wildlife protection, we understand the mating system and home range of animals, and we can formulate a better protection strategy. In October2012and May2013, we collected fecal samples of black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons) in Jiulongshan National Nature Reserve. Firstly, we searched for the fresh footprint of black muntjac. Secondly, along the footprint, we searched for feces. We take fresh fecal samples into with cover sealed plastic bottle which presence of absolute ethanol. About unrecognized feces, we used Cyt b gene to species identification. We collected148fecal samples of black muntjac. We used8microsatellite loci with high polymorphic characters, to identify the genotypes of these fecal samples. SRY gene was used to identify black muntjacs sexuality. Analyzing the mating relationship between male and female, we discussed the mating system of black muntjac. By analyzing different information defecation sites from the same individual, we calculated their home range size. The main results are as follows:1. The identification result showed that these fecal samples belong to70individuals respectively.8individuals were identified three times,4individuals were identified two times,58individuals were identified one times. SRY gene was used to identify black muntjacs sexuality. The result showed that there were36males and34females.2. These individuals were paternity tested by Cervus3.0. The combined exclusion probability of parent pair is99.99%. Finally, in order to improve the accuracy of the results, we used Kingroup v2to calculate the relationship coefficient between individuals. The results showed that parent pair relationship existed in a total of48individuals, including15parentage groups,7father-child relationships and5mother-child relationships, whereas parents or offspring of22individuals could not been identified. By analyzing the mating relationship between males and females, we found that in Jiulongshan National Nature Reserve, one male black muntjac mates with multiple female black muntjacs and produced offspring, whereas female black muntjacs only mate with one male black muntjac. Therefore, the black muntjacs mating system are polygyny in Jiulongshan National Nature Reserve. It has been known that habitat resource is an important factor influencing animal’s mating system, thus in a natural area with rich food, animals will choose polygyny. The core area of Jiulongshan National Nature Reserve, which is also the main living area of black muntjacs, contains abundant plants to satisfy the feed requirement of black muntjacs. This may be the reason of black muntjacs in Jiulongshan National Nature Reserve choose polygyny as their mating system.3. In this paper, we choose to adopt in May2013of six individuals were identified three times, to calculated their home range size. The results showed that, the home range size of male black muntjacs were an average of2.00km2, the home range size of female black muntjacs were an average of0.68km2. Male home range size was about three times of female. In the female black muntjacs, home range size of experiment area were bigger than the core area. Compared with female black muntjac, male black muntjac needs more energy to compete for female resources, need to eat more food resources, and therefore need a bigger home range size. It has been known that human activities affect the home range of black muntjac. Greater impact on the experimental area. And the number and distribution of resources affects the distribution of black muntjac. So, compared with the core area of black muntjac, life in the experiment area of black muntjac to get enough food by expanding the home range.