ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA >

2024 , Vol. 44 >Issue 1: 26 - 36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16829/j.slxb.150858

ORIGINAL PAPERS

The impact of climate on the birth pattern of Rhinopithecus roxellana in different regions

  • LU Zhantao ,
  • LAN Guanwei ,
  • LI Ruiyuan ,
  • SI Xurui ,
  • LIU Xingyu ,
  • MO Cheng ,
  • YAO Hui ,
  • QI Dun ,
  • XIANG Zuofu
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  • 1 College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China;
    2 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu 610086, China;
    3 China West Normal University, Key Laboratory of Southwest Wildlife and Plant Resources Protection, Ministry of Education, Nanchong 637002, China;
    4 Sichuan Baihe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, Jiuzhai Valley 623400, China;
    5 Key Lab of Conservation Biology for Shennongjia Golden Monkey, Shennongjia 442411, China;
    6 College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China

Received date: 2023-10-07

  Revised date: 2023-12-24

  Online published: 2024-01-25

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Abstract

The mating and reproduction of most non-human primates undergo strict seasonality, which are not only influenced by their own reproductive mechanisms, but also by the climate, altitude, and food supply in their habitats. Understanding the seasonal differences in the birth of the same primate species residing in different regions can help identify the impact of environmental variables on animal reproduction. From January 2023 to August 2023, by using focal animal sampling, we analyzed the relationship between climate and birth season in two groups of habituated Rhinopithecus roxellana populations in the Sichuan Baihe National Reserve (Baihe group) and the Dalongtan area in the Hubei Shennongjia National Park (Shennongjia group), China. The results showed that births occurred mainly between March and May in the two populations, but a few individuals were born in January, February, July, and August in the Baihe group. The birth patterns of the two groups were different, but the birth events were all distributed during periods of warming temperatures and rising precipitation. We detected a positive correlation between the weekly changes in infant / adult female values (I / F) and the weekly average temperature and precipitation in the Baihe group. The weekly variation of infant / adult female values (I / F) in the Shennongjia group is positively correlated with the weekly average temperature, but the correlation with weekly precipitation is not significant. The increase in temperature may be a factor in promoting the environmental response of pregnant female monkeys to childbirth, while precipitation can trigger reproductive events by affecting the food supply.

Key words： Rhinopithecus roxellana; Birth seasonality; Temperature; Precipitation

Cite this article

LU Zhantao , LAN Guanwei , LI Ruiyuan , SI Xurui , LIU Xingyu , MO Cheng , YAO Hui , QI Dun , XIANG Zuofu . The impact of climate on the birth pattern of Rhinopithecus roxellana in different regions[J]. ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA, 2024 , 44(1) : 26 -36 . DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150858

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