A device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches

Abstract

The application discloses a device for studying the behavior ecology of leeches, and relates to the technical field of animal behavior ecology, comprising a placing container, environment regulation channels and an environment factor adjusting device, a plurality of environment regulation channels in communication with the inner cavity of the placing container are arranged at intervals on the outer ring side wall of the placing container, a side cover is arranged at the end of each environment regulation channel away from the placing container, the internal environment of each environment regulation channel is adjusted through the environment factor adjusting device, the environment factor adjusting device comprises a temperature adjusting device, a humidity adjusting device and a light adjusting device for adjusting the temperature, humidity and light in the environment regulation channels respectively, and the end of the environment regulation channel away from the placing container is internally used for placing smell attractants, animal bodies or sound wave generators. The application is flexible and convenient to use, can perform gradient setting on single factors and multi-factor combined configuration, and meets the experimental research requirements in the fields of leech behavior ecology and other small animal behavior ecology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of animal behavioral ecology, in particular to a device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches, which can be used to study the behavioral ecology of leeches and other small animals. Background Art

[0002] Leeches, commonly known as leeches, are a special group of invertebrates that rely on suction cups to move. Some species have the habit of sucking blood, which poses a certain degree of harm to humans, livestock, poultry and wild animals. Therefore, they have attracted widespread attention.

[0003] In animal taxonomy, leeches belong to the class Hirudinea of ​​the phylum Annelida. There are more than 700 known species worldwide. In my country, there are 9 families, 38 genera and more than 120 species, accounting for about 1 / 6 of the world's leech species.

[0004] For a long time, research on leeches at home and abroad has focused on pharmacology and physiology, while there has been little basic research on their foraging behavior, food selection and its influencing factors (such as temperature, humidity, light, odor, animal body, sound waves and other ecological factors).

[0005] Behavior and behavioral ecology generally study the behavioral characteristics, behavioral patterns and behavioral mechanisms of animals, as well as the behavioral strategies they adopt to adapt to environmental changes.

[0006] Although there are some reports on the research of leech behavior ecology, the content is relatively simple, the methods are relatively crude, the experimental conditions are poorly controllable, and the repeatability and comparability of the experimental results are not strong, so it is difficult to promote and apply them.

[0007] Professor Tan Enguang, a Chinese leech expert, referenced previous methods and improved their design to conduct a relatively detailed study of the behavioral ecology of the Hainan leech (Haemadipsahainana). However, during his research, he adjusted the temperature, humidity, and light by using air conditioning, silica gel, and black cloth to cover different areas of the experimental device, and then observed the leech's reaction by blowing air to determine the impact of the environment. Although this method is simple and easy to use, it has obvious limitations. It is not easy to set the gradient of a single factor or to controllably adjust the combination of multiple factors. It is also limited to the effects of temperature, humidity, and light intensity on leeches, making it difficult to study the effects of ecological factors such as odor, animal body, and sound waves.

[0008] Therefore, a new experimental device is needed to meet the needs of behavioral ecology research on small invertebrates such as leeches. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. The device is flexible and convenient to use, and can perform gradient setting of single factors and multi-factor combination configuration to meet the various experimental research needs in the field of leech behavioral ecology.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0011] The present invention provides a device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches, comprising a placement container, an environmental control channel and an environmental factor adjustment device. A plurality of environmental control channels connected to the inner cavity of the placement container are arranged at intervals on the outer ring side wall of the placement container. Each of the environmental control channels is provided with a side cover at one end away from the placement container. Each of the environmental control channels adjusts the internal environment through the environmental factor adjustment device. The environmental factor adjustment device comprises a temperature adjustment device, a humidity adjustment device and a light adjustment device for respectively adjusting the temperature, humidity and light in the environmental control channel. An odor attractant, an animal body or a sound wave generator is placed inside the end of the environmental control channel away from the placement container to explore the influence of odor, animal body or sound waves on the behavior of leeches.

[0012] Preferably, an annular space is provided in the side wall of the environmental control channel, and the temperature regulating device includes a water tank and a temperature-controlled heater, the temperature-controlled heater is used to control the heating of the water in the water tank, the water tank is connected to a water inlet pipe, the water inlet pipe is divided into a plurality of branches respectively connected to the bottom of each of the annular spaces, the water tank is connected to the top of each of the annular spaces through a return pipe, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is connected to a driving pump, and the inner wall of each of the environmental control channels is provided with different numbers of isolation layers according to different temperature requirements inside the channel.

[0013] Preferably, the humidity regulating device includes an atomizer, and one atomizer is provided on the inner wall of each of the environment regulating channels.

[0014] Preferably, the light adjustment device includes a light strip, and a light strip is provided at the top of the inner wall of each environment control channel. The light in the environment control channel is adjusted by adjusting the color temperature and brightness of the light strip.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a meteorological factor detector, which includes a meteorological louver box and a data concentration collector. A meteorological louver box is arranged on the inner side of each side cover, and the meteorological louver box is equipped with a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a light sensor. The data concentration collector is connected to each meteorological louver box through a data cable, and is used to collect detection data of each meteorological louver box and upload the data to a remote device.

[0016] Preferably, the inner bottom surface of the placement container is provided with grids arranged in an array and marked with direction and distance scales, and the top of the placement container is provided with a transparent detachable top cover; the side cover is a detachable transparent side cover.

[0017] Preferably, a camera device is also included, and the placement container and the environmental control channel are both made of transparent materials. The camera device is used to take photos or videos of the crawling process of leeches, so as to record the number and behavior of leeches in each environmental control channel in real time.

[0018] Preferably, the environment control channel is a double-cylinder channel, and the annular space is formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder of the double-cylinder channel. The inner diameter of the end face of the double-cylinder channel close to the placement container is smaller than the inner diameter of the end face away from the placement container. The inner bottom end of the double-cylinder channel is tangent to the horizontal plane, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular space gradually increases from the end close to the placement container to the end away from the placement container.

[0019] Preferably, the camera device includes a tripod and a camera, and the camera is mounted on the tripod.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0021] The device provided by the present invention is used to study the behavioral ecology of leeches. According to the needs of the test or experiment, the temperature, humidity and lighting conditions in each environmental control channel can be adjusted respectively by a temperature control device, a humidity control device and a light control device. When it is necessary to explore the influence of odor, animal body or sound waves on the behavior of leeches, odor attractants, animal body or sound waves can be placed inside the end of the environmental control channel away from the placement container. The device is flexible and convenient to use, and gradient setting of single factors and multi-factor combination configuration can be performed to meet various experimental research needs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the placement container and an environment control channel in the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the connection structure between the placement container and each environment control channel in the present invention;

[0025] In the figure: 1- placement container, 2- environmental control channel, 3- side cover, 4- annular space, 5- water storage tank, 6- temperature control heater, 7- water inlet pipe, 8- return pipe, 9- isolation layer, 10- drive pump, 11- atomizer, 12- light strip, 13- weather shutter box, 14- data collection unit, 15- top cover, 16- heating tube, 17- intelligent temperature control socket, 18- humidification module, 19- atomizer, 20- inner cylinder, 21- outer cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches to solve the problems existing in the prior art. The device is flexible and convenient to use, and can perform gradient setting of single factors and multi-factor combination configuration to meet the various experimental research needs in the field of leech behavioral ecology.

[0028] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] like Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches, including a placement container 1, an environment control channel 2 and an environmental factor adjustment device. A plurality of environment control channels 2 communicating with the inner cavity of the placement container 1 are provided on the outer ring side wall of the placement container 1 at intervals. Each environment control channel 2 is provided with a side cover 3 at one end away from the placement container 1. Each environment control channel 2 adjusts the internal environment through the environmental factor adjustment device. The environmental factor adjustment device includes a temperature adjustment device, a humidity adjustment device and a light adjustment device for adjusting the temperature, humidity and light in the environment control channel 2 respectively. The end of the environment control channel 2 away from the placement container 1 is used for placing odor attractants, animal bodies or sound wave generators to explore the influence of odors, animal bodies or sound waves on the behavior of leeches.

[0030] Before the experiment, determine the single factor or multiple factors that need to be explored (such as temperature, humidity, light, odor, animal body or sound waves, etc.), and adjust the temperature, humidity and light conditions in each environmental control channel 2 respectively through the temperature regulating device, humidity regulating device and light regulating device. When it is necessary to explore the influence of odor, animal body or sound waves on the behavior of leeches, odor attractants, animal body or sound wave generator can be placed inside the end of the environmental control channel 2 away from the placement container 1, and the leeches are placed in the placement container 1. After a period of time, the number of leeches in each environmental control channel 2 is counted. The experiment can be repeated many times and the average value is taken to obtain the numerical range of the environmental ecological factors that leeches tend to or prefer. Each environmental control channel 2 in this device is separate. If the subsequent experimental requirements increase, more environmental control devices can be added. The device is flexible and can be used to set gradients for single factors or configure multiple factors in combination to meet various experimental needs.

[0031] The primary function of the container 1 is to house leeches. The container's shape, size, and thickness can be adjusted based on experimental requirements. For example, the container 1 can be circular or polygonal. The number of environmental control channels 2 can also be adjusted based on experimental requirements. In this embodiment, the container 1 is preferably cylindrical, with five environmental control channels 2 uniformly distributed along the circumference of the outer sidewall of the container 1.

[0032] In this embodiment, an annular space 4 is provided in the side wall of the environmental control channel 2, and the temperature regulating device includes a water tank 5 and a temperature control heater 6. The temperature control heater 6 is used to control the heating of the water in the water tank 5. The water tank 5 is connected to a water inlet pipe 7. The water inlet pipe 7 is divided into multiple branches and is respectively connected to the bottom of each annular space 4. The water tank 5 is respectively connected to the top of each annular space 4 through a return pipe 8. The water inlet of the water inlet pipe 7 is connected to a driving pump 10. The inner wall of each environmental control channel 2 is provided with different numbers of isolation layers 9 according to different internal temperature requirements. Different numbers of isolation layers 9 can hinder the heat transfer process to different degrees, and thus the temperature gradient control of different environmental control channels 2 can be achieved through the hot water in the same water tank 5.

[0033] The temperature-controlled heater 6 includes a heating tube 16 and an intelligent temperature-controlled socket 17. The heating tube 16 is placed in the water tank 5 and connected to the intelligent temperature-controlled socket 17 via a thickened cable. The core of the heating tube 16 is made of magnesium oxide, and the heating wire is wrapped around the core. The heating wire is a heat-resistant nickel-chromium alloy wire. The heating wire is surrounded by insulation, and the insulation is surrounded by the heating tube shell, which is made of 304 stainless steel.

[0034] The temperature is preset using the temperature-controlled heater 6, which heats the water in the water tank 5. When the water reaches the preset temperature, the drive pump 10 is started, and the water flows into the annular space 4 through the water inlet pipe 7. When the annular space 4 is full of water, the water flows out from the return pipe 8 and flows back into the water tank 5.

[0035] In this embodiment, the humidity control device includes an atomizer 11, one located on the inner wall of each environmental control channel 2. The atomizer 11 consists of a humidifying module 18 and an atomizing plate 19. After the humidifying module 18 is wetted, the atomizing plate 19 contacts the humidifying module. When the device is activated, a spray is applied between the atomizing plates 19 placed within the environmental control channel 2, increasing the humidity. The device can adjust the humidity using various control modes.

[0036] In this embodiment, the light adjustment device includes a light strip 12. A light strip 12 is provided at the top of the inner wall of each environmental control channel 2. The light within the environmental control channel 2 is adjusted by adjusting the color temperature and brightness of the light strip 12. The light strip 12 can be changed to different colors (such as blue light, purple light, green light, etc.) as needed.

[0037] In this embodiment, a meteorological factor detector is also included. The meteorological factor detector includes a meteorological shutter box 13 (miniature) and a data collection unit 14. Each side cover 3 is provided with a meteorological shutter box 13 inside. The meteorological shutter box 13 is equipped with a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a light sensor. The data collection unit 14 is connected to each meteorological shutter box 13 via a data line to collect the detection data of each meteorological shutter box 13 and upload the data to a remote storage device. The dynamic changes of the meteorological factor data in each environmental control channel 2 can be viewed through a remote device (mobile phone or computer) and the data can be saved.

[0038] In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the placement container 1 is provided with an array of squares marked with direction and distance scales. The top of the placement container 1 is provided with a transparent and detachable top cover 15. The side cover 3 is a detachable transparent side cover. The square size is 1mm×1mm, which is used to measure and record the crawling path, direction and speed of the leech. After removing the top cover 15, it is convenient to place the leech in the placement container 1. After covering the top cover, it can prevent the leech from crawling out of the placement container 1. The top cover 15 and the side cover 3 are set to transparent material for easy observation.

[0039] In this embodiment, a camera device is also included. The placement container 1 and the environment control channel 2 are both made of transparent materials. The camera device is used to take photos or videos of the crawling process of the leeches, so as to record the number and behavior of the leeches in each environment control channel 2 in real time. Considering the requirements of the device's strength, durability, high temperature resistance, thermal conductivity and other properties, high-quality acrylic material with good light transmittance is selected as the material of the placement container 1 and the environment control channel 2.

[0040] In this embodiment, the environmental control channel 2 is a double-tube channel. An annular space 4 is formed between the inner tube 20 and outer tube 21 of the double-tube channel. The inner diameter of the end of the double-tube channel closest to the container 1 is smaller than the inner diameter of the end farther from the container 1. The bottom of the double-tube channel is tangent to the horizontal plane, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular space 4 gradually increases from the end closest to the container 1 to the end farther from the container 1. Considering that the material on the outside of the double-tube channel needs to have a certain degree of hardness and durability, and the material on the inside needs to have a certain degree of thermal conductivity, the thickness of the outer tube is greater than that of the inner tube. The primary function of the environmental control channel 2 is to facilitate the adjustment of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, odor, sound waves, and animal bodies. The shape (round, square, etc.), size, and thickness of the inner tube 20 and outer tube 21 can be adjusted according to experimental requirements.

[0041] The environment control channel 2 is designed as a double-barrel channel, which is convenient for placing odor attractants, sound wave transmitters or fixing small animals inside the end of the environment control channel 2 away from the placement container 1. For example, small animals such as mice, rabbits or chickens can be fixed in the environment control channel 2, or animal blood such as chicken blood, sheep blood or cow blood, or vegetable oil, animal tissue rot, odor chemicals, etc. can be put into the environment control channel 2 as odor attractants. As the cross-sectional area of ​​the environment control channel 2 gradually increases, the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular space 4 is also set to gradually increase, so that the volume of water also increases accordingly, which can better ensure the uniformity of temperature in the environment control channel 2.

[0042] In this embodiment, the camera device includes a tripod and a camera, and the camera is mounted on the tripod. The tripod is a retractable tripod, which is convenient for adjusting the height of the camera according to actual conditions.

[0043] The following is an exploration of leech behavioral ecology using temperature, humidity, light, and odor as examples. The specific steps are as follows:

[0044] Temperature: According to the experimental needs, the internal temperature of each environmental control channel 2 is set to a different temperature. The water temperature is preset according to the highest temperature in the experimental requirements. When the preset temperature is reached, the drive pump 10 is started to realize water circulation. The temperature in the environmental control channel 2 is adjusted and controlled by adjusting the number of layers of the isolation layer 9. The temperature in each environmental control channel 2 is based on the data presented on the mobile phone or computer by the meteorological factor detector. When the temperature in the environmental control channel 2 reaches a stable value, the camera's shooting function is turned on, and leeches are placed in the center of the bottom surface of the container 1. After a period of time, the number of leeches in each environmental control channel 2 is recorded, and the route and speed of the leeches' crawling can be observed through video and photos, so as to increase the basis for the leeches' tendency or preference for a certain temperature condition.

[0045] Humidity: According to the experimental needs, set the humidity inside each environmental control channel 2, turn on the atomizer 11, and control the humidity by the spray mode and spray time of the atomizer 11. The humidity in the environmental control channel 2 is based on the data displayed on the mobile phone or computer by the meteorological factor detector. When the humidity reaches the preset range, turn on the camera's shooting function, and then place the leech in the center of the bottom surface of the container 1. After a period of time, record the number of leeches in each environmental control channel 2, and observe the leech's crawling route and speed through video and photos, so as to increase the basis for the leech's tendency or preference for a certain humidity condition.

[0046] Lighting: According to experimental needs, set the color temperature and brightness in each environmental control channel 2, turn on the camera's shooting function, and then place leeches in the center of the bottom surface of the container 1. After a period of time, record the number of leeches in each environmental control channel 2. You can also observe the leech's crawling route, speed, and behavior pattern through video and photos to increase the basis for leeches to tend to or prefer a certain lighting condition.

[0047] Smell: Small animals such as mice, rabbits or chickens, or animal blood such as chicken blood, sheep blood, cow blood, or other odor substances can be used as attractants. They should be placed inside the environmental control channel 2 at one end away from the placement container 1. After placing all the attractants required for the experiment, turn on the camera's shooting function, and then place leeches in the center of the bottom surface of the placement container 1. After a period of time, record the number of leeches in each environmental control channel 2, and observe the leech's crawling route and speed through video and photos, so as to increase the basis for the leech's tendency or preference for attractants.

[0048] The above is an experimental operation to explore the influence of a single factor on leech behavior. When conducting experiments to explore multiple factors, the above operation links or processes can be combined and configured.

[0049] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches, characterized by: The device comprises a storage container, an environmental control channel, and an environmental factor control device. A plurality of environmental control channels communicating with the inner cavity of the storage container are provided at intervals on the outer sidewall of the storage container. Each environmental control channel is provided with a side cover at one end away from the storage container. Each environmental control channel regulates its internal environment through the environmental factor control device. The environmental factor control device comprises a temperature control device, a humidity control device, and a light control device, respectively for regulating the temperature, humidity, and light within the environmental control channel. An odor attractant, an animal body, or a sound wave generator is placed inside the end of the environmental control channel away from the storage container to investigate the effects of odors, animal bodies, or sound waves on the behavior of leeches. An annular space is provided in the side wall of the environment control channel, and the temperature regulating device includes a water tank and a temperature-controlled heater, the temperature-controlled heater is used to control the heating of water in the water tank, the water tank is connected to a water inlet pipe, the water inlet pipe is divided into a plurality of branches and is respectively connected to the bottom of each annular space, the water tank is respectively connected to the top of each annular space through a return pipe, the water inlet of the water inlet pipe is connected to a driving pump, and the inner wall of each environment control channel is provided with different numbers of isolation layers according to different temperature requirements therein, and the different numbers of isolation layers can hinder the heat transfer process to different degrees, thereby realizing temperature gradient control of the temperature in different environment control channels by the hot water in the same water tank; The inner bottom surface of the container is provided with grids marked with directions and distance scales arranged in an array.

2. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: The humidity regulating device includes an atomizer, and one atomizer is provided on the inner wall of each of the environment regulating channels.

3. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light adjustment device includes a light strip, and a light strip is provided at the top of the inner wall of each environment control channel. The light in the environment control channel is adjusted by adjusting the color temperature and brightness of the light strip.

4. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a meteorological factor detector, which includes a meteorological louver box and a data collection device. A meteorological louver box is arranged on the inner side of each side cover. The meteorological louver box is equipped with a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a light sensor. The data collection device is connected to each meteorological louver box through a data cable to collect detection data of each meteorological louver box and upload the data to a remote device.

5. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the placement container is provided with a transparent and detachable top cover; the side cover is a detachable transparent side cover.

6. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a camera device. The placement container and the environment control channel are both made of transparent materials. The camera device is used to take photos or videos of the crawling process of the leeches, so as to record the number and behavior of the leeches in each environment control channel in real time.

7. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 1, characterized in that: The environmental control channel is a double-cylinder channel, and the annular space is formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder of the double-cylinder channel. The inner diameter of the end surface of the double-cylinder channel close to the placement container is smaller than the inner diameter of the end surface away from the placement container. The inner bottom end of the double-cylinder channel is tangent to the horizontal plane, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the annular space gradually increases from the end close to the placement container to the end away from the placement container.

8. The device for studying the behavioral ecology of leeches according to claim 6, characterized in that: The camera device includes a tripod and a camera, wherein the camera is mounted on the tripod.

Images