The Study On Population Status And Habitat Requirements Of Sand Boa In China

Erycinae is a Boidae animals worldwide in distribution.The distribution throughout old continental arid desert.The central and western of Neimenggu-Xinjiang plateau belongs to its distribution area in China,there the physiographic condition is very harsh.This paper has researched Population resource status and confronting problem of sand boa and its habitat supported by plenty of field investigation work.Aimed at do some basic work for the protection of the sand python.In the first place,this paper analysed the classification problem of sand boa in China.First analyzed the taxonnmic research history and present situation of sand boa,Learned that the research about the important ecological species sand boa classification are still some problem to solve.Then a work on numerical classification were built on sand boa morphological characteristics were carry out.The results is:the proposition that consider China are distributed with Eryx tataricus(Lichtenstein,1823),E.miliaris(Pallas,1773)and E.orentalis-xinjiangensis Li and Wang,1889cannot find support on the morphology.That is,the variation of morphological characteristics from the 21 specimen is so vary that cannot find some consistency.In addition,Analysis of Sand boa habitat ecological factors supported by survey data also be involved in this paper.I deem the crucial factor of sand boa habitat include 4 fanctor,that is habitat type,sand or soil characteristics of habitat and if there are insects and saurian.In the next place,altitude,human interference distance has little influence on sand boa distribution,but the way of human interference has great effect.For instance,sand boa may occur in small sand dunes next to the highway,whereas the sand dunes that livestock,automobiles and motorcycles.Activited for a long time is difficult to find sand boa.Moreover,research find that sand boa has a low habitat utilization factor,many habitat of sand boa population distributed sporadically.Since sand boa active in soft sand,traces of its activity is easy,therefore,if can find the mark of sand boa activity can largely indicate the distribution of sand boa.In the16 sample region,all the investigation had a common characteristic,that is,the belt transect which can fand sand boa or its mark were concentrated distribution in the 30belt transect of each sample area.Most of the rest sample area cannot find it,even though those area has similar features.Population characteristics of sand boa,like distribution range,Density,quantity,sex ratio,age composition also be concerned.The birth rate were showed with the proportion of the larval and adult.The survival rate were calculated with date from laboratory rearing.Its feeding and the feeding capacity was studied by stomach dissection,the field observation and read the literature,the day action rhythm were summarize,the significance of ovoviparity were analyzed.Research finding that sand boa birth rate can be 85.71%,sex ratio can be 85%,male and female ratio is close to a balance.Population age structure showing as growth-type,the Shixi oil field sample region possess the maximal population quantity and the population density is every1km~2can met 1.37 sand boas.Sand boa have food and other activities before 9 a.m.and after 10 p.m..The cause of the day action rhythm mainly is for adapt to the environment in arid areas it living so long.Sand boa long-developed living habits maybe the reason why it cannot living in other environment.Finally,some targeted protection suggestions are put forward in the basis of researching the threat of sand boa population encountered in the wild.The threat mainly come from the following ways:(1)agricultural activity;(2)graze;(3)infrastructure construction and resource exploitation.(4)tourist,desert entertainment,etc.Those threats directly lead to destruction of the habitat or result in the sharp decrease of population quantity.And which are accompanied by further habitat fragmentation.Furthermore,The low of population quantity become another threat,the low population quantity may show the subsistence are bearing larger threat.Eventually,some other factors,such as the change of climatic environment,water and soil pollution also seriously affects the ecosystem of desert areas,impact the sand boa reproduction and survival.