Selection Of Introduction Site For And Monitoring Of Activity On The Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus Crocodilurus)

Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus Ahl) belongs to Reptilia, Lacertiformes, Shinisauridae. It belongs to the first class protected wild animal in China and list in AppendixⅡo f the CITES. Influenced by human activities influence, their habitats are disappearing rapidly, with wild population declined dramatically. Till 2004, only about 960 individuals survived in some isolated area of Guangxi and Guangdong Province. In order to protect and remain the species population, effective protection action must be made promptly.Introducing and reintroducing are important ways to protect endangered species. Some individuals of the captive-bred lizards were reintroduced to the Dayaoshan Nature Reserve, Guangxi, from 2005 to 2007, on the basis of the successful captive breeding and sufficient individual providing. The aim is to understand their behavior that adapt to introduction site, and provide experiences for next introduction project to restock wild lizard population.Introducing site was chose by one ticket reject rule;the natural environment, insects, amphibian and reptile resources of the site were surveyed, population size of introduced lizards was determined on the basis of captive breeding population and the aim of this trial. The introduced lizards were monitored using closed-circuit television system and telescope. Activity monitored include: daily movement distance, home range, burrows, behavior time budget and activity rhythm.The results of those works are as below:1.Though a field survey conducted in Dayaoshan Nature Reserve, Hekou patch was chosen as reintroducing site. Hekou patch has the following characteristics: elevation 480-850 m; average annual temperature 18℃, with 1.5℃in January and 25.6℃in July; relative humidity at 83%, vegetation of evergreen broad-leaved forest with plant cover rate > 65%; abundant insects, far from human disturbance(>500m ); channel width of 2-8m, and water pH6.5.2.Presently, 23 lizards were breed in the Dayaoshan captive-breeding center, with supplement from other place rescued. This introduction is a trial which arm is to understand the lizard adaptability and behavior rule in environment.and provide experiences for next introduction project, therefore, 6 lizards (3 male, 2 female and 1 juvenile) were selected for this introducing object.3.The 6 lizards'activities were monitored in succession from May 2, 2006 to May 31,2007. The results show that 5 individuals lived more than 1 month, 4 individuals lived more than 6 months and 3 individuals lived more than one year in the introducing site. But others disappeared, maybe moved to flushes outside the introduced site 50m.4.The analysis on the daily movement distance and home range of the introduced lizards shows that their daily average movement distance is 7.69m before their activity stability period, the lizards moving 4-5 laps return to the backwater pools, but the average distance is 3.08m in the activity stability period, when the movement area of each individual are: F2, 6.8m2; S11, 6.5 m2; M4, 11.2 m2; M8, 10.9 m2; F12, 10.5m2. The daily movement distance between before activity stability period and in activity stability period is significantly difference (Z=-5.132,P=0.000).The the environment of the natural burrows of the reintroduced lizards studied shows the folloing characteristics: good concealment (>70%), the depth of burrows is from29.0 to 43.0cm, the distance from water area <0.5m, and the high of burrows from water surface <0.3m; but artificial burrows were not used.5.The study on the diurnal behavioral time budget shows that lizards spent an average of 61.02 % of time in burrow, 36.72 % resting, 1.55% moving, 0.12% feeding,0.59% other activities. Mann-Whitney U test of various activities showed the moving and resting of introduced lizards in summer are more than in spring and antunm significantly (P<0.05); Feeding of introduced lizards is less than artificial-feeding lizards significantly(P<0.05), in summer; The resting of introduced lizards in sunny days is more than in cloudy days and rainy days significantly(P<0.05), but moving and feeding are more than rainy days only; Resting and moving of introduced male lizards are more than female lizards significantly(P<0.05), but not significant difference with juvenile lizards.6.The study on the diurnal activity rhythm shows that introduced lizards spent more time in in-burrow than resting in the morning and afternoon of Spring and Autumn. There was no obvious rhythm in feeding, but its peak often followed the peak of moving. The feeding occurred in many time in sunny days and cloudy days, but occurred during13:00-14:00h in rainy days. Kruskal-Wallis H test of diurnal activity rhythm showed the moving of introduced lizards is less than artificial-feeding lizards significantly (Z=-2.512, P=0.021) from 6:00 to 8:00, and moving (Z=-3.381, P=0.001) and feeding (Z=-2.053, P=0.042) are less than artificial-feeding lizards significantly from 10:00 to 11:00.