Estimation Of Tibetan Fox Population Size Using Fecal DNA Technology And Line Transects

Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) was listed as endanger in China Species Red List in2009. species Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata). what’s more, Tibetan fox is the definitive host of Echinococcus (cause Echinococcosis). Effective methods of determining population sizes are important tools for the management and conservation of Tibetan fox as well as the monitoring of zoonosis. The development of methods for Tibetan fox presents particular challenges, as they are often secretive and widely dispersed. Only a few of approaches based on direct observations have been employed. Nevertheless, by counting distinct microsatellite genotypes, DNA from noninvasive samples allows estimation of population size. The purpose of this research study was to test the feasibility of estimating Tibetan fox numbers by genotyping DNA extracted from fecal samples collected from wild individuals.A total of333fox-like fecal samples were collected from the area of eastern Tibetan plateau, China in two summer seasons, in2010and2011. Finally,190fecal samples detected Tibetan fox DNA through mitochondrial DNA amplification.8microsatellite loci were used to identify the genotypes of these fecal DNA, combining with the sex identification results we matched46individuals. The average number of alleles is6.22±2.64,the average expected and observed heterozygosity were0.62±0.04and0.67±0.02. Line transect surveys with distance sampling were used to estimate Tibetan fox in the same area (45km2) and time.15km of minor public roads were selected as a transect route. Surveys were carried out between17:00-21:00in11days. Density estimates calculated from observer-estimated perpendicular measurements, using the line-transect analysis program Distance6.0. The average Tibetan fox abundance was estimated to be0.607/km2, the highest and lowest density is2.834/km2and0.13/km2.27Tibetan fox were estimated in the45km2survey area.