A method for trapping and artificially raising shrews

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for trapping and artificially raising a stink shrew. The present invention provides a cage, temperature and humidity conditions, a quiet environment and a suitable diet similar to the wild habitat for the stink shrew captured from the wild, so that the stink shrew can maintain a good living state with stable multiple physiological indicators, and can smoothly conceive and give birth to stink shrew pups, which will help lay a foundation for the stink shrew to be used as a potential model organism for studying various biological problems in the medium and long term.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of artificial animal breeding, and in particular relates to a method for trapping and artificially breeding a stink shrew. Background Art

[0002] The order Eulipotyphla is the third largest order of the class Eutheria, and includes the extant families Solenodontidae, Erinaceidae, Talpidae, and Soricidae.

[0003] Shrews are a family of shrews that are widely distributed, numerous, small and mouse-like, with short limbs and a short lifespan. Shrews are a potential model for studying a variety of biological problems due to their unique phenotypes, such as naturally undescended testicles, sensitivity to acceleration and rotational motion, vomiting in response to emetics such as nicotine and copper sulfate, eating up to twice their own body weight, and high metabolic rates.

[0004] Suncus murinus is widely distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi and other places in my country. It often lives in cultivated land, shrubs and other areas. It has a large population and is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List. However, although the population of Suncus murinus is large, there is currently insufficient systematic exploration and research on it, the artificial breeding effect in the laboratory is not good, and there is a lack of breeding effect evaluation indicators. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems and gradually cultivate the stink shrew into a model animal for studying reproduction, metabolism, motion sickness, etc., the present invention provides a method for trapping and artificially raising the stink shrew, comprising: (1) trapping with a mousetrap and food bait; (2) transitional adaptation and raising of newly captured stink shrew individuals; (3) raising the adapted stink shrew individuals individually; and (4) raising pups.

[0006] The first object of the present invention is to provide a feed for raising stink shrews, which is composed of the following components calculated by mass percentage: 80% of a mixture of live mealworms and earthworms mixed in a mass ratio of 1:1, 5% oatmeal, 10% dried mealworms, and 5% cooked egg yolks.

[0007] The second object of the present invention is to provide the use of the feed in artificially raising shrews.

[0008] The third object of the present invention is to provide a method for artificially raising stinking shrews, comprising the following steps:

[0009] S1. Place the mousetrap with captured shrews in a quiet and dark place, provide mealworms and water according to the number of captured shrews, and carry out environmental adaptation and transition feeding for 2 hours;

[0010] S2. The shrews were transferred to a breeding cage for individual breeding, fed with the feed, and provided with sufficient drinking water;

[0011] Common shrew individuals or pups that have started to eat food other than breast milk should be fed 2 meals a day at regular intervals, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6g / meal*each;

[0012] Pregnant shrews were fed three meals a day, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6 g / meal*each;

[0013] For shrews that have already given birth and whose pups have not yet eaten anything other than breast milk, feed them three times a day, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6g / meal*each; and depending on the number of shrew pups, the feeding amount can be increased by 4g / meal*each;

[0014] After one week of independent feeding, the shrew pups were separated from their mothers and fed 2 meals a day at a rate of 4 g / meal per shrew. After two weeks of separate feeding, they were fed 2 meals a day at a rate of 6.4-9.6 g / meal per shrew.

[0015] The bottom of the breeding cage is covered with bedding, equipped with a light-proof semi-enclosed nest, and covered with a light-proof upper cover;

[0016] The breeding conditions are: temperature 22°C-25°C, relative humidity 60%, and the breeding cage is kept clean, dim and quiet.

[0017] Preferably, the breeding cage has a specification of 320*215*170mm or 370*270*170mm, and is provided with a buckle and a water bottle.

[0018] Preferably, in step S1, 4 g of mealworms are provided for each shrew according to the number of captured shrews.

[0019] Preferably, the bedding is clean-grade corn cobs or poplar shavings bedding.

[0020] Preferably, the bedding is replaced every 3 days.

[0021] Preferably, the step S2 is:

[0022] The shrews were transferred to a breeding cage for individual breeding, fed with the aforementioned feed, and provided with sufficient drinking water;

[0023] Common shrew individuals or pups that have started to eat food other than breast milk should be fed 2 meals a day at regular intervals, with a feeding amount of 8g / meal / each;

[0024] Pregnant shrews were fed 3 meals a day, with a feeding amount of 8 g / meal*each;

[0025] For shrews that have already given birth and whose pups have not yet eaten anything other than breast milk, feed them three times a day, with a feeding amount of 8g / meal*each; and depending on the number of shrew pups, the feeding amount is increased by 4g / meal*each;

[0026] After eating independently for one week, the shrew pups were separated from the mother and fed 2 meals a day at a feeding amount of 4 g / meal per individual. After being separated for two weeks, they were fed 2 meals a day at a feeding amount of 8 g / meal per individual.

[0027] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0028] The present invention provides cages, temperature and humidity conditions, a quiet environment and a suitable diet similar to those in the wild for the stink shrews captured from the wild, thereby being able to maintain the stability of multiple physiological indicators of the stink shrews, making their survival state good, and enabling smooth pregnancy and birth of stink shrew pups. The present invention will help lay the foundation for stink shrews to be used as potential model organisms for studying various biological problems in the medium and long term. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 This is a newly captured stink shrew that is adapting to the breeding environment.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a captive shrew.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a stink shrew kept in a cage.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a shrew eating feed.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a third-day-old shrew pup.

[0034] Figure 6 These are a sixth-day-old shrew pup and a female shrew.

[0035] Figure 7 It is a sixth-day-old shrew cub.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a weight measurement record of artificially raised shrews; the solid line represents the weight data of adult shrews, and the dotted line represents the weight data of shrew pups.

[0037] Fig. 9 This is a bar graph comparing the fecal microbial diversity of shrews raised in captivity for more than 100 days, raised in captivity for less than 100 days, and in the wild; each group shows the top 10 most abundant phyla.

[0038] Fig.10 This is a species-annotated KRONA circle diagram of fecal microorganisms of stinking shrews raised in captivity for more than 100 days.

[0039] Fig.11 This is a KRONA circle diagram with species annotation of fecal microorganisms of stinking shrews under 100 days in captivity.

[0040] Fig.12 This is a species-annotated KRONA circle diagram of the fecal microorganisms of wild stinking shrews.

[0041] Fig.13 This is a statistical test for comparing the fecal microbial diversity of artificially reared shrews for more than 100 days, artificially reared shrews for less than 100 days, and wild shrews. The letter a indicates that there is no significant difference among the groups (p>0.05, Tukey's HSD test). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following examples are provided to further illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] The stink shrew is mainly insectivorous and has a keen sense of smell. It hides during the day and comes out at night. It often forages for food or performs other activities in moist areas covered with vegetation. Therefore, this embodiment uses a trigger-type mousetrap with a specification of 225*110*110mm, hangs a fragrant ham sausage block as bait in the mousetrap, and places the cage under a wet bush at dusk, waiting to capture the stink shrew.

[0045] For every 12 mousetrap traps placed in the area where shrews are active, 1-3 shrews can be caught the next day.

[0046] After trapping the shrew, in order to prevent it from having a stress reaction, place it together with the mousetrap cage in a quiet, dark place in the breeding room, with a temperature of 22℃-25℃ and a relative humidity of 60%, and use an opaque cardboard enclosure to block the light. At the same time, provide each shrew with 4g of live mealworms and water. After about 2 hours of environmental adaptation and transition, transfer it to the breeding cage for individual breeding. Figure 1 shown.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] The stink shrew is a small warm-blooded mammal that is easily stressed by surrounding sounds and strong light. It is timid, prefers a warm and dim environment, and has a strong ability to bite. Therefore, the cage layout and breeding environment of individuals at different stages are provided with the following conditions:

[0049] A. The cages are modified from experimental mouse cages with buckles and drinking bottles of 320*215*170mm or 370*270*170mm, and use clean-grade corn cobs or poplar shavings as bedding;

[0050] B. Each cage is equipped with a disposable opaque paper cup as a semi-enclosed nest to avoid light;

[0051] C. Each cage is covered with a dark opaque cover of appropriate size to block light;

[0052] D. The breeding environment temperature is about 22℃-25℃, the relative humidity is about 60%, and it should be kept clean, dim and quiet.

[0053] Common shrews were fed twice a day, at 10:00 and 18:00 respectively. Each meal consisted of a mixture of live mealworms and earthworms in a mass ratio of 1:1 (accounting for 80% of the food intake), oatmeal (accounting for 5% of the food intake), dried mealworms (accounting for 10% of the food intake) and cooked egg yolks (accounting for 5% of the food intake). The total weight of the food was 8 g / meal*individual (Table 1). Sufficient drinking water was provided using a drinking fountain.

[0054] Keep the litter dry and change it every 3 days. Meanwhile, weigh the individual shrews and observe and record their living conditions.

[0055] If after capture, a female shrew is found to have obvious mammary glands on its abdomen, continues to gain weight, and has a hard lump felt in the uterine area in the lower abdomen when raised alone, it can be determined that she is pregnant.

[0056] For pregnant or already-born shrews, the feeding frequency will be increased to three times on the basis of daily feeding, with the feeding times being 10:00, 18:00, and 22:00 respectively. The amount of each feeding remains unchanged at 8g / cup per meal. Until the pups are observed to try to eat food other than breast milk, feeding can be resumed twice a day, and the total amount of each feeding can be appropriately increased by 4g / meal*cup according to the number of pups. If the feed is not increased, the mother shrew will gnaw on the pups, or the pups will starve to death. After the pups have been eating independently for about a week, you can try to separate the pups from the mother shrew and raise them separately. The feeding amount for each shrew pup that eats independently is 4g / meal*cup. After two weeks of independent feeding, the feeding amount of the shrew pups is increased to 8g / meal*cup.

[0057] In captivity, the Figure 2-Figure 4 As shown in Figure 2, the conditions of the third and sixth day-old shrew pups born in captivity were as follows: Figure 5 , Figure 7 As shown in Figure 2, the sixth-day-old shrew pups were still kept in the same cage with their mothers ( Figure 6 ).

[0058] Table 1 Feeding time and composition of artificially reared shrews

[0059]

[0060] After the captured stink shrews have been adapted to transitional feeding, they are transferred to breeding cages and their rectal temperatures and weights are measured and recorded. Since stink shrews are timid and easily stressed, and measuring rectal temperature requires contact with the stink shrew and is invasive (inserting a probe into the anus and waiting for the measuring instrument to stabilize the reading), it is necessary to measure the body temperature according to the state of the stink shrew. The rectal temperature measurement results in Table 2 were obtained from measurements of stink shrews that were artificially raised for different periods of time. The rectal temperatures of stink shrews that were artificially raised for different periods of time are close, which to a certain extent indicates that their living conditions are stable and good. In addition, Figure 8 The weight of different individuals of the shrews in the experiment also remained stable, and the weight of the shrew pups also increased steadily under artificial feeding. In summary, the results show that the rectal temperature and weight of the shrews after artificial feeding are stable (Table 2, Figure 8 ), and can ensure the birth and lactation of pregnant shrews; shrew pups under artificial breeding conditions can also grow weight normally and steadily.

[0061] Table 2. Record of rectal temperature measurement of artificially reared shrews

[0062] Individual number gender Measurement date Rectal temperature (℃) 20231103 male 2023-11-04 35.6 20231102① male 2023-11-04 35.1 20230917②b male 2023-11-04 35.3 20230917① male 2023-11-04 34.1 20230818 male 2023-11-04 34.3 20230917① male 2024-01-23 34.0 20230906 female 2024-01-23 33.4 20230917②A female 2024-01-23 35.8

[0063] After the shrews were fed according to the above-mentioned rearing conditions, fresh feces were collected and frozen in the rearing cages.

[0064] The microbial diversity of the fresh feces collected was further sequenced, and the intestinal microbial diversity of newly captured wild shrews and artificially raised shrews (more than 100 days and less than 100 days) was compared. The results showed that the microorganisms in the feces of shrews were mainly from the phylum Firmicutes and Pseudomonas, and there were also microorganisms such as Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota ( Figure 9-12 ). According to Tukey's HSD test, there was no significant difference in the microbial diversity in the feces of ordinary individuals of artificially raised shrews for more than 100 days, artificially raised for less than 100 days, and wild shrews ( Fig.13 ), indicating that the intestinal microbial species of the stinky shrew are not affected by the artificial breeding method, conditions and duration described in this example, suggesting that the breeding method and conditions described in this example can provide the necessary conditions for the good survival of the stinky shrew.

Claims

1. A feed for raising shrews, characterized in that: Calculated by mass percentage, the composition is as follows: 80% of a mixture of live mealworms and earthworms mixed in a mass ratio of 1:1, 5% oatmeal, 10% dried mealworms, and 5% cooked egg yolk.

2. Use of the feed according to claim 1 in artificially raising shrews.

3. A method for artificially raising a stink shrew, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Place the mousetrap with captured shrews in a quiet and dark place, provide mealworms and water according to the number of captured shrews, and carry out environmental adaptation and transition feeding for 2 hours; S2. The shrew is transferred to a breeding cage for separate breeding, fed with the feed according to claim 1 and provided with sufficient drinking water; Common shrew individuals or pups that have started to eat food other than breast milk should be fed 2 meals a day at regular intervals, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6g / meal*each; Pregnant shrews were fed three meals a day, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6 g / meal*each; For shrews that have already given birth and whose pups have not yet eaten anything other than breast milk, feed them three times a day, with a feeding amount of 6.4-9.6g / meal*each; and depending on the number of shrew pups, the feeding amount can be increased by 4g / meal*each; After one week of independent feeding, the shrew pups were separated from their mothers and fed 2 meals a day at a rate of 4 g / meal per shrew. After two weeks of separate feeding, they were fed 2 meals a day at a rate of 6.4-9.6 g / meal per shrew. The bottom of the breeding cage is covered with bedding, equipped with a light-proof semi-enclosed nest, and covered with a light-proof upper cover; The breeding conditions are: temperature 22°C-25°C, relative humidity 60%, and the breeding cage is kept clean, dim and quiet.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The specification of the breeding cage is 320*215*170mm or 370*270*170mm, and it is provided with a buckle and a drinking water bottle.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the step S1, 4 g of mealworms are provided to each shrew according to the number of captured shrews.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The bedding material is clean-grade corn cobs or poplar wood shavings.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The bedding is replaced every 3 days.

8. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The step S2 is: The shrews are transferred to a breeding cage for individual breeding, fed with the feed described in claim 1, and provided with sufficient drinking water; Common shrew individuals or pups that have started to eat food other than breast milk should be fed 2 meals a day at regular intervals, with a feeding amount of 8g / meal / each; Pregnant shrews were fed 3 meals a day, with a feeding amount of 8 g / meal*each; The shrews that have given birth and whose pups have not eaten anything other than breast milk are fed 3 meals a day, with a feeding amount of 8g / meal / each; and According to the number of shrew pups, the feeding amount was increased by 4g / meal*each; After eating independently for one week, the shrew pups were separated from the mother and fed 2 meals a day at a feeding amount of 4 g / meal per individual. After being separated for two weeks, they were fed 2 meals a day at a feeding amount of 8 g / meal per individual.

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