Study On The Environmental Factors Driving The Seasonal Moulting Characteristics Of Siberian Roe Deer(Capreolus Pygargus)

Research on the seasonal hair changing of mammals has always been an important aspect of animal ecology research.In order to further understand the seasonal moulting pattern of mammals,we selected three areas,Laoyeling,Wandashan,and Daxinganling,as research sites based on changes in latitude gradients,and selected Siberian roe deer(Capreolus pygargus)as the research animal based on camera trapping technology.During the survey period,a total of 932 cameras were set up,21,707 image data and 2,733 videos were obtained.The seasonal moulting characteristics,gender differences and the driving mechanism of environmental factors were studied.The main findings are as follows:1.The average start date of spring moulting in Laoyeling area and Wandashan area is very similar,both begin to moult at the end of April and early May,but the duration of spring moulting in Wandashan area is about 52 d,which is about 7 d more than Laoyeling area Therefore,the moulting end date is also later.In Daxinganling area,not only the starting date of the moulting is in the first half of may,but also the duration of moulting is 60 d is the longest.2.The average start date of autumn moulting in Daxinganling is early August,which is about 1 week earlier than that in Laoying.The moulting duration in Laoying is about 50 d,which is about 3 d longer than that in Daxinganling,so the ending date of Laoyeling's moulting is later.3.There is a difference in the moulting patterns between male and female pupae.Both male roe deer start moulting earlier than female roe deer.Male roe deer start moulting 2 d earlier than female roe deer in spring.Male roe deer start moulting 3 d earlier than female roe deer.However,the moulting duration of females and males is basically the same whether spring or autumn.The moulting duration is about 46 d in spring and 52 d in autumn.4.The relationship between seasonal moulting and environmental factors in the study area was measured,and correlation analysis was performed using Spearman.The results showed that,in spring,the average start date and end date of moulting were significantly positively correlated with the duration of the beginning and half of the molting,respectively.In autumn,they were significantly negatively correlated.However,whether spring or autumn,the average start date of moulting is affected by the duration of the initial photoperiod,and the length of photoperiod at half of the moult significantly affects the date of moulting.By observing the seasonal moulting of Siberian roe deer,it is possible to explore the adaptability of the roe deer to the environment.It can also be combined with other disciplines,such as phenology,to explore how animals and plants are responding to environmental changes in the context of global climate change.Whether there is synchronization and other issues.