Food-habits Of Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes Inermis) In Poyang Lake Area

Chinese water deer(Hydropotes inermis) is distributed mainly in four fragmental regions in China, which include Coastal beach of Jiangsu province, Zhoushan Islands, wetland regions in Hunan and Hubei province, Poyang lake area in Jiangxi province. In recent years,the population of Chinese water deer has been decreased drastically resulted from anthropogenic interference, habitat destruction and over-hunting, and now it has been fragmented into 4 isolated populations.We collected 45 composite samples of fresh feces of Chinese water deer from Poyang lake wetland from November 2013 to January 2014, July 2015 to September 2015, December 2015. We collected two rumens of Chinese water deer; one is collected in flood season and the other in dry season. With the analysis of the rumen content in combination with fecal microscopic analysis methods, we presented a research on the food habit of Chinese water deer under different water level of Poyang Lake.The result from fecal microscopic analysis showed that 55 plant species of 22 families were grazed by Chinese water deer in flood season. 4 families including Gramineae(29.0%), Cyperaceae(18.0%), Compositae(11.0%), Cruciferae(8.0%) were main food of Chinese water deer in flood season. Cynodon dactylon(6.7%), Ser.Aciculares(5.72%), Carex neurocarpa Maxim(4.43%), Lespedeza sp.(4.44%), Artemisia argyi(3.92%), Polygonum taquetii(3.62%), Arundinella hirta(3.54%), Echinochloa crusgalli(3.31%), Capsella bursa-pastoris(3.31%), C.siderosticta(3.24%), Polygonum orientale(3.16%), C.cinerascens Kük(3.16%), Setaria viridis(3.09%) were its main food in flood season. There were 38 plant species of 16 families were grazed by Chinese water deer in dry season, 5 families including Gramineae(39.0%), Cyperaceae(17.0%), Compositae(12.0%), Cruciferae(5.0%), Polygonaceae(5%) were main food of Chinese water deer in dry season. Echinochloa crusgalli(5.88%), Cynodon dactylon(5.02%), Echinochloa crusgalli(4.73%), Capsella bursa-pastoris(4.4%), C.siderosticta(4.16%), Ser.Aciculares(4.01%) were its main food in dry season.The results from rumen content analysis showed that there were 18 plant species of 7 families grazed by Chinese water deer in flood season. The plants of Cyperaceae and Gramineae accounted for 84% of the food. The Echinochloa crusgalli(16%), Carex neurocarpa Maxim(16%), Ser.Aciculares(14%), Ser.Aciculares(12%), Oryza sativa(10%) made up of the major food in flood season. 20 plant species of 8 families grazed by Chinese water deer in dry season, including Miscanthus floridulus(14%), Phalaris arundinacea(12%),Cynodon dactylon(10%), Echinochloa crusgalli(10%).