Social risk to infant: The role of kin for maternal visual monitoring in Tibetan macaques.

Maternal monitoring of conspecifics is a crucial anti-predator strategy that also protects infants against risks within the social group. This study examines how maternal characteristics, infant characteristics, mother-infant distance, and the social environment affect maternal monitoring behaviors in free-ranging Tibetan macaques (). We observed 12 females with infants and analyzed their visual monitoring patterns.

Integrative systematics and evolutionary history of (Mammalia, Rodentia, Muridae).

The Bower's Berylmys () is one of the largest rodent species with a wide distribution range in southern China and the Indochinese Peninsula. The taxonomy and evolutionary history of the is still controversial and confusing. In this study, we used two mitochondrial ( and ) and three nuclear (, , and ) genes to estimate the phylogeny, divergence times, and biogeographic history of .

Morphological characteristics influence the spatial mixing patterns of shorebirds at Shengjin Lake.

The coexistence of species with similar ecological niches is one of the core interests of community ecology research. However, how functional feeding traits, including bill size and leg length, determine the niche of mixed flocks of shorebird species has seldomly been studied, as well as, microhabitat variables affect the spatial patterns of availability and the quality of patches for wintering. From October 2016 to March 2017 at Shengjin Lake, Anhui Province, China, we recorded 226 scan samples from the different microhabitats and 93 focal animal videos of four common shorebird species: common greenshank, spotted redshank, Kentish plover, and little ringed plover.

Distribution patterns and drivers of nonendemic and endemic glires species in China.

Spatial patterns and determinants of species richness in complex geographical regions are important subjects of current biogeography and biodiversity conservation research. Glires are small herbivorous mammal species with limited migratory ability that may serve as an indicator of biodiversity and ecosystems. Herein, we aimed to evaluate how multiple ecological hypotheses could explain the species richness patterns of glires in China.

Female behavioral strategies during consortship in Tibetan macaques ().

Consortship has been defined as a temporary association between an adult male and an estrous/receptive female. It has been considered as male mating strategies to improve male mating success and potential reproductive success. However, the female roles have been more or less neglected, and thus, less is known about female behavioral strategies during the consortship periods.

Habitat characteristics or protected area size: What is more important for the composition and diversity of mammals in nonprotected areas?

The margins of protected areas are usually considered to have greater forest degradation, and given that most mammals live outside protected areas, researchers and conservation practitioners are increasingly recognizing that nonprotected areas must be incorporated into conservation strategy. However, the strategy used to manage these areas still involves increasing the size of protected areas, while not considering the habitat characteristics and requirements of the species. In this study, during a 3-year period, camera trap and habitat characteristic surveys were used to estimate composition, diversity, and habitat characteristics of mammals to determine habitat characteristics or increase the size of protected areas what should be considered first for mammals' conservation in a nonprotected area near the Huangshan Mountains in Anhui Province, China.

Effect of conspecific neighbors on the foraging activity levels of the wintering Oriental Storks (): Benefits of social information.

Animals prefer to aggregate in patches with high abundance and availability of food resources. Group foragers typically receive information about food resources by monitoring external events and the behavior of neighbors. The Information Centre Hypothesis proposes that aggregations increase foraging activity levels as a result of social information provided by conspecifics.

Development of sexual dimorphism in two sympatric skinks with different growth rates.

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is widespread in animals, especially in lizards (Reptilia: Squamata), and is driven by fecundity selection, male-male competition, or other adaptive hypotheses. However, these selective pressures may vary through different life history periods; thus, it is essential to assess the relationship between growth and SSD. In this study, we tracked SSD dynamics between a "fading-tail color skink" (blue tail skink whose tail is only blue during its juvenile stage: ) and a "nonfade color" tail skink (retains a blue tail throughout life: ) under a controlled experimental environment.