Infrared Camera Traps Of Wildlife In Mount Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve, Xinjiang

The Infrared triggered cameras technology, ITCT, is a kind of survey technology in the combination of quantitative and qualitative, has many advantages, such as continuous day and night work, no trauma, low investigation cost, little interference environment, anti-environment change and it can obtain high concealment of species and information in the complex terrain region. In view of this, the author set up 50 infrared cameras at 22 watering holes in Mount Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, from April to November, 2014, to investigate the species of wildlife, including khulans.The results are following:(1) The investigation accumulated 7,143 camera working days, and there were 309,434 wildlife photos in total, including 21,295 independent photos in Mount Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve. There were 272,958 mammal photos, including 18,341 independent photos, which were belonged to 7 families, 5 orders and 10 species. 36,476 birds photos, including 2954 independent photos,which were belonged to 8 orders,17 families and 32 species.Including national grade I protected animals Equus fprzewalskii, E.hemionus, Aquuila chrysaetos and Aquuila heliaca, grade II animal Gazella subgutturosa, Ovis ammon, Felis lynx, Aquila nipalensis, Circus aeruginosus, Circus cyaneus, Aegypius monachus, Gyps himalayensis, Buteo rufinus, Buteo hemilasius, Falco rusticolus, Falco pelegrinoides. E. hemionus and E. przewalskii were the most independent photos number(10,056 and 2,553) and the relative abundance(47.222% and 11.989%)of wild animals. In the 32 monitored species of birds, there were 14 Passeriformes, 11 Falconiformes, 2 Charadriiformes, each have one in the kinds of Pterocliformes, Anseriformes, Coraciiformes and Upupiformes. In the photos of birds, the relative abundance of Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Alectoris chukar and birds of Falconiformes all were higher.(2) There were all taken to Kuhlan(Equus hemionus) activity in the investigation at the 22 water holes, and all-weather activity rhythms were investigated at the desert water. The results showed that there were 191,196 photos in total and 10,056 independent photos after the discrimination, including 4,963 effective photos, and the relative abundance was 47.222%. The activity frequency was greatest in autumn(2,679 identification photos), then summer(1,990), and lowest in spring(294). Average aggregation of E. hemionus to watering holes was greater in daylight hours than at nights. Daily activity at watering holes peaked between 0:00–1:00, declined rapidly between 7:00–9:00, was lowest between 12:00–13:00 and 16:00–17:00 and rose rapidly between 21:00–22:00.This research results can provide available basic data for biological diversity and as well as provide suggestion for the conservation and management endangered desert animals such as E. przewalskii, Gazella subgutturosa and Ovis ammon, and formulate scientific and effective conservation measures for the conservation and management of wildlife in Mount Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve, Xinjiang.