REPRODUCTION OF ANOUROSOREX SQUAMIPES POPULATIONS IN DIFFERENT AGES AND SEASONS

The study on the reproduction differences in different ages and seasons of wild Anourosorex squamipes populations was made from September, 2003 to August, 2004 in Nanchong, Sichuan. The results showed that the sex ratios of wild populations and reproductive populations of A. squampies were 1.05 and 1.08 (♀/♂) respectively, and there was no significant difference between male and female ones. The sizes and weights of testicles among the three age groups were not significantly different from January to February in 2004, but greatly differed during the rest ten months. The seasonal variations of testicles size and weight among the three age groups were insignificantly different between January and February; the seasonal variations of age group Ⅰ from September to December in 2003 and from March to August in 2004 were significantly diffenrent, but insignificantly during the rest two months and between age group Ⅱ and age group Ⅲ. In main breeding seasons, the mean litter size was 4.05±0.14 (N=76) and the numbers of womb spots were from one to ten. The reproduction ability reached the highest point in April and September with the reproductive index as 2.37 and 1.45, respectively. The mean litter sizes and reproduction between age groupⅡ and age groupⅢ were insignificantly different from April to October, and the seasonal variation of mean litter sizes and reproductive ability of age group Ⅲ were insignificantly different. From January to February A. squampies could reproduce but not in the rest ten months. Tab 2, Ref 24