Abstract
The Transbaikal zokor (Myospalax psilurus) is a dominant rodent distributed in the meadow steppe of Inner Mongolia in northern China. Due to long history of evolution in subterranean environment, the zokor has an adaptive behavior: sealing burrow entrances. When a burrow is damaged, exposed entrances appear, and within a relatively short time, the zokor would be active in sealing the entrances to reduce risks to its survival. In general, it is thought that zokors avoid light and wind, which is consistent with their behavior of sealing burrow entrances. However, direct evidence from field experimental research has been lacking. This study set up 68 field sampling points in a meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia from August to September, 2014 and used a wind–light isolator to study the effects of wind and light factors on zokor burrow entrance sealing behavior. The results showed that there were no significant correlations between wind or light factors and the frequency of zokor burrow entrance sealing. Therefore, wind and light factors are not direct factors associated with zokors actively sealing burrow entrances.
Highlights
The zokor is a subterranean rodent that feeds on plant underground organs
For the zokor distributed in the north meadow steppe of China, whether effect of the wind or light, or combination effects of wind and light on giving zokors a stimulus to seal the opened en‐ trances? In order to obtain direct evidence from field experiments, we studied how wind and light factors determine the burrow en‐ trance sealing behavior of the Transbaikal zokor in the wild natural environment
Animal behavior plays a key role in animal adaptation to the environ‐ ment and is formed through ecological adaptation over long‐term animal evolution and life history
Summary
There are seven species of zokor in grassland, farmland, and forests in northern China, that is, the Chinese zokor (Eospalax font‐ anieri Milne‐Eedwards 1867),the Rothschild’s zokor (Eospalax roth‐ schildi Thomas 1911), the Qingling Mountain zokor (Eospalax rufecens Allen 1909), the Smith’s zokor (Eospalax smithii Thomas 1911), the Siberian zokor (Myospalax myospalax Laxmann 1773), the Steppe zokor (Myospalax aspalax Pallas 1776), and the Transbaikal zokor (Myospalax psilurus Milne‐Eedwards 1874) (Ellerman, 1956; Li, 1995; Zheng, Jiang, & Chen, 2012; Jiang et al, 2015) These mammals generally have two seasonal activity peaks annually: the breeding season starting in mid‐May to late May and the food storage period beginning in late August. In order to obtain direct evidence from field experiments, we studied how wind and light factors determine the burrow en‐ trance sealing behavior of the Transbaikal zokor in the wild natural environment.
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