Naemorhedus Caudatus Research Articles

Comparative Analysis of Gut Microbiota between Captive and Wild Long-Tailed Gorals for Ex Situ Conservation.

The long-tailed goral is close to extinction, and ex situ conservation is essential to prevent this phenomenon. Studies on the gut microbiome of the long-tailed goral are important for understanding the ecology of this species. We amplified DNA from the 16S rRNA regions and compared the microbiomes of wild long-tailed gorals and two types of captive long-tailed gorals. Our findings revealed that the gut microbiome diversity of wild long-tailed gorals is greatly reduced when they are reared in captivity. A comparison of the two types of captive long-tailed gorals confirmed that animals with a more diverse diet exhibit greater gut microbiome diversity. Redundancy analysis confirmed that wild long-tailed gorals are distributed throughout the highlands, midlands, and lowlands. For the first time, it was revealed that the long-tailed goral are divided into three groups depending on the height of their habitat, and that the gut bacterial community changes significantly when long-tailed gorals are raised through ex situ conservation. This provides for the first time a perspective on the diversity of food plants associated with mountain height that will be available to long-tailed goral in the future.

Molecular evidence for occurrence of endangered long-tailed goral in Seoul metropolitan city, South Korea

The study examined the habitation and the number of long-tailed gorals by molecular identification, sexing discrimination, and identity tests on feces and hair samples estimated to be endangered long-tailed goral in Mt. Yongmasan, Mt. Achasan and Mt. Inwangsan near Seoul metropolitan city. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences showed that the DNA samples from the three mountains were those of long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus). The molecular sexing results showed that there were a female and a male in Mt. Yongmasan, a male in Mt. Achasan, but no informative results for Mt. Inwangsan. The identity test results indicated that the males of Mt. Yongmasan and Mt. Achasan were the same male, estimating the shift of this male from Mt. Yongmasan to Mt. Achasan. In addition, the goral of Mt. Inwangsan had a different COI sequence from those of Mt. Yongmasan and Mt. Achasan estimated to be this male with a different maternal lineage. Our present findings provide molecular evidence that at least three gorals have been inhabiting or continuously visiting the mountainous areas of Seoul metropolitan city, suggesting that a management system may be necessary for protecting this natural habitat of endangered long-tailed goral.

Modern mammal fauna of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and the Bastak Nature Reserve

Based on the literature and our own information, the most complete list of the modern theriofauna of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast was compiled, including 68 species and subspecies. Sixty species and subspecies are found in the Bastak Nature Reserve; 12 of which are listed in the Red Data Book of the region and two in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation. Four species are new for the fauna of the reserve (Amur hedgehog, spotted deer, domestic dog and cat). Another addition is the synanthropic subspecies of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus norvegicus). For the fi rst time, lists are given separately for the clusters of the reserve. Negative changes in the theriofauna of the JAO since the 1930s are described – introduction of eight alien species and subspecies and extinction of four native species and subspecies, three of which are included in the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation (Amur leopard, dhole, long-tailed goral).

Ecoinformatic Analysis of the Gut Ecological Diversity of Wild and Captive Long-Tailed Gorals Using Improved ITS2 Region Primers to Support Their Conservation.

Ex situ conservation is used to protect endangered wildlife. As captive and wild long-tailed gorals are known to be similar, individuals under ex situ conservation can be reintroduced into nature. However, there is no appropriate indicator to evaluate them. Here, we amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region and compared the gut ecological information (eco-information) of captive and wild long-tailed gorals. We validated the existing ITS86F and ITS4 universal primers using reference sequences of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and improved their matching rates. We compared the gut eco-information of captive and wild long-tailed gorals obtained through experiments using the improved primer pair and found that the gut ecological diversity of captive gorals was low. Based on this, we suggested that the gut eco-information can be used as an evaluation index before reintroducing captive long-tailed gorals. Furthermore, we identified four plant types from the gut eco-information of wild long-tailed gorals, which can be the additional food sources to enhance the reduced intestinal ecological diversity of the captive animals.

Relative Abundance of Mammals and Estimation of Minimum Trapping Effort Using Camera Traps in Jangsudae, Seoraksan National Park

In Jangsudae of Seoraksan National Park, South Korea, 14 mammal species have been listed, including ten medium- and large-sized species; additionally, this region is an important habitat for the endangered long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus). In this study, a camera trap survey was conducted over 103 monitoring days at 18 sites in Jangsudae to evaluate the minimum trapping effort (MTE) needed to detect the ten listed mammal species. The most photographed species were the long-tailed goral, wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Asian badger (Meles leucurus), accounting for 77.1% (n = 366) of the total independent photographs. Long-tailed goral, the most frequently captured mammal species (44.8%), was captured at 17 camera sites (relative abundance index = 206.8). According to the rarefaction analysis, 1840 camera days (102.2 monitoring days at 18 camera sites) were required to photograph all ten resident species. Moreover, at least 1010 and 664 camera days were required to detect 95% and 90% of the ten residential species, respectively. MTE was evaluated in summer when wild species were highly detectable owing to their high activity. Future studies should evaluate MTE through one-year long-term monitoring that includes all four seasons, and compare the results with those of this study.

Cross-sectional and skeletal anatomy of long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) using imaging evaluations.

Accurate diagnosis of diseases in animals is crucial for their treatment, and imaging evaluations such as radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important tools for this purpose. However, a cross-sectional anatomical atlas of normal skeletal and internal organs of long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) has not yet been prepared for diagnosing their diseases. The objective of this study was to create an anatomical atlas of gorals using CT and MRI, which are imaging techniques that have not been extensively studied in this type of wild animal in Korea. The researchers used CT and MRI to create an anatomical atlas of gorals, and selected 37 cross-sections from the head, thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum parts of gorals to produce an average cross-sectional anatomy atlas. This study successfully created an anatomical atlas of gorals using CT and MRI. The atlas provides valuable information for the diagnosis of diseases in gorals, which can improve their treatment and welfare. The study highlights the importance of developing cross-sectional anatomical atlases of gorals to diagnose and treat their diseases effectively.

К ВОПРОСУ О ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИИ ПОПУЛЯЦИИ АМУРСКОГО ГОРАЛА (NEMORHAEDUS CAUDATUS) НА СЕВЕРЕ ЕГО ИСТОРИЧЕСКОГО АРЕАЛА

The value of the Amur goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) as a fauna representative is in its rarity. Special measures for this species preservation include prohibition of hunting and its inclusion in both the Federal and some other Russian Federation subjects Red Books. However, the time proves the measures insufficient to restore it within its historical habitat, taking into account a strict territoriality of this “red book” species. This situation needs taking additional measures. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the regional state nature reserve “Dichun” suitability for the purpose of the Amur goral reintroduction. The study of this species ecology, protection and restoration has been carrying out since 1970s. Methods of trapping individuals, overexposure and transportation of them have been developed and tested for the goral population in Primorie. The analysis of the Amur goral historical habitat in Russia has shown the population subdivision into two loosely related groups – the sea coast and continental (including the Small Khingan mountains). There is no experience in the continental group reintroduction. The article substantiates the prospects for the nature reserve “Dichun” use as a landfill for the Amur goral habitat reintroduction. This area in Small Khingan mountains has been under special protection for 60 years. Restoration of the Amur goral population in the north of its historical habitat is of great importance for natural biodiversity and for attraction of tourists to the region.

YOLOv4를 이용한 산양 탐지 시스템

Global industrialization has made human life comfortable, while causing environmental pollution. Environmental pollution has destroyed wildlife habitats, and as a result, several animals are endangered. In particular, long-tailed goral (Naemorhaedus caudatus) is an international endangered species that must be restored. A huge amount of photographic data has been accumulated through camera trap research for the restoration of endangered species. Until now, analysis of such photo data has only relied on experts, so it took a lot of time to analyze camera trap data. The goral detection system developed in this study, based on goral camera trap data, can enable goral data analysis at a faster than conventional methods. YOLOv4 was used as an object detection algorithm for goral detection. YOLOv4 is a network based on CSPDarknet53 and has improved performance through Bos (Bag of Specials) and BoF (Bag of Freebies). As a result, goral detection was possible with high accuracy and high speed. The performance of the goral detection system can be decreased by luminance at night. In this work, we propose a light invariant goral detection system by appropriately distributing day and night datasets for training YOLOv4. Test results on the night dataset showed an mAP of 0.907 and test results on the day dataset showed an mAP of 0.927. As a result, the goral detection system showed robust detection performance at night.

Zoo animal manure as an overlooked reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes and multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Animal fecal samples collected in the summer and winter from 11 herbivorous animals, including sable antelope (SA), long-tailed goral (LTG), and common eland (CE), at a public zoo were examined for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Seven antibiotics, including meropenem and azithromycin, were used to isolate culturable multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The manures from three animals (SA, LTG, and CE) contained 104-fold higher culturable MDR bacteria, including Chryseobacterium, Sphingobacterium, and Stenotrophomonas species, while fewer MDR bacteria were isolated from manure from water buffalo, rhinoceros, and elephant against all tested antibiotics. Three MDR bacteria-rich samples along with composite samples were further analyzed using nanopore-based technology. ARGs including lnu(C), tet(Q), and mef(A) were common and often associated with transposons in all tested samples, suggesting that transposons carrying ARGs may play an important role for the dissemination of ARGs in our tested animals. Although several copies of ARGs such as aph(3')-IIc, blaL1, blaIND-3, and tet(42) were found in the sequenced genomes of the nine MDR bacteria, the numbers and types of ARGs appeared to be less than expected in zoo animal manure, suggesting that MDR bacteria in the gut of the tested animals had intrinsic resistant phenotypes in the absence of ARGs.

Diversity and vertical distribution patterns of wildlife in Tianzhushan, Shaanxi Province, China.

Biodiversity monitoring is an important means by which to evaluate management effectiveness and develop sound conservation plans. In this study, 52 cameras were installed in the study area of Tianzhushan to assess wildlife diversity and elevational patterns from 2018 to 2019. In total, 9 541 independent photos were collected within 26 565 camera-days. We analysed the relative abundance index (RAI), activity patterns and seasonal activity rhythms of the five most abundant species at 200-m elevational intervals throughout the study area (elevation range 1 400–2 000 m a.s.l.). Based on RAI results, the activity patterns of the five most abundant species (i.e. Susscrofa, Naemorhedusgriseus, Muntiacusreevesi, Arctonyxcollaris and Capricornismilneedwardsii) were analysed. Amongst the detected wild mammals, Susscrofa had the highest RAI value of 9.91, while the occurrence of Tamiopsswinhoei had the lowest RAI at 0.004. In addition, there were significant differences in species activity during the daytime and night-time. RAI of the ungulate community peaked at the 1 600–1 800 m a.s.l. elevational range, thus showing a mid-elevational peak pattern. Differences in vertical distribution patterns were detected for the five most abundant species. Mainland serows and wild boars preferred mid-elevation habitats (1 600–1 800 m a.s.l.), long-tailed gorals preferred mid- and high altitudes (1 600–2 000 m a.s.l.) elevation habitats and Chinese muntjacs and hog badgers preferred low elevation habitats (1 400–1 600 m a.s.l.). Taken together, this is the first study to reveal the five dominant species activity patterns in Tianzhushan, which is of importance for wildlife conservation.

Geographical Relationships between Long-Tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) Populations Based on Gut Microbiome Analysis.

The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is an endangered species found in the mountains of eastern and northern Asia. Its populations have declined for various reasons, and this species has been designated as legally protected in South Korea. Although various ecological studies have been conducted on long-tailed gorals, none have investigated the gut microbiome until now. In the present study, we compared the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome of seven populations of Korean long-tailed gorals. By analyzing the gut microbiome composition for each regional population, it was found that four phyla—Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria—were the most dominant in all regions on average. The alpha diversity of the gut microbiome of the goral population in the northern regions was high, while that in the southern regions was low. Through the analysis of beta diversity, the seven long-tailed goral populations have been divided into three groups: the Seoraksan population, the Samcheock population, and the Wangpicheon population. It was possible to confirm the regional migration of the animals using the gut microbiome based on the site-relational network analysis. It was found that the most stable population of long-tailed gorals in Korea was the Seoraksan population, and the closely related groups were the Samcheok and Wangpicheon populations, respectively. Wangpicheon appeared to be a major point of dispersal in the migration route of Korean long-tailed gorals.

Habitat Characteristics Coincidence of Dead and Living Long-Tailed Gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) According to Extreme Snowfall.

Simple SummaryThe long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus Milne-Edwards) is a critically endangered herbivore in South Korea. From March to June in 2010, 24 animals were found to have died due to heavy snowfall in the Wangpi Stream basin. In this study, we hypothesized that gorals that died due to snowfall are low-status individuals that lived in the sub-optimal or non-suitable areas. The results suggested that the sites where dead gorals were found were highly related to typical goral habitats. The optimal goral habitats could become uninhabitable following heavy snowfall. Most of the dead animals were pregnant females or were young, implying that they could not escape their primary habitats due to lower mobility. Thus, when there is a climate catastrophe, the optimal goral habitats should be considered for rescue and artificial feeding.The long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) is a critically endangered herbivore in South Korea. Despite government efforts to recover the population through reintroduction programs, the animal remains vulnerable to heavy snowfall. From March to June 2010, 24 animals were found dead due to heavy snowfall in the Wangpi Stream basin. In this study, we hypothesized that gorals that died due to snowfall are low-status individuals that lived in the sub-optimal or non-suitable areas. Using the occurrence data from extensive field surveys from 2008 to 2010 in the Wangpi Stream and the carcass location data, we (1) defined the goral habitat characteristics and (2) compared the habitat characteristics between dead and living gorals using ensemble species distribution modeling. The results suggested that the sites where dead gorals were found were highly related to typical goral habitats. These results implied that the optimal goral habitats could become uninhabitable following heavy snowfall. Most of the dead animals were pregnant females or were young, implying that they could not escape their primary habitats due to lower mobility. Thus, when there is a climate catastrophe, the optimal goral habitats should be considered for rescue and artificial feeding.

Morphological keys for identifying long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) and population composition in the Osaek Region of South Korea.

The objectives of this study were to select morphological keys for the identification of individual endangered long-tailed gorals through analysis of photographic data and to use these morphological keys to determine the number and population composition of gorals living in the Osaek Region of Seoraksan National Park. Amongst 8149 photos taken using 73 cameras in the Osaek Region, 2057 photos of faces and horns were analysed. The presence and absence of horns, shape of the horns, proportion of the ring to the length of the horn and facial colour pattern were selected as morphological keys to identify individual gorals. To verify the accuracy of the morphological keys for identifying gorals, a blind test was performed on gorals residing in the sanctuary of the Yanggu Goral Restoration Center. The test revealed that the population and age of gorals were discerned correctly by the morphological keys, but there was a 12.5% error in discriminating between sexes in gorals aged over 10 years. Fifty-six gorals were identified from 2057 pictures, based on the morphological keys and methods developed in this study. The population of 56 individuals consisted of 43 individuals aged over 2 years (subadult or adult) and 13 offspring aged less than 2 years, with a ratio of 3.3:1. Of the total 56 individuals, 45% were adults aged 10 years or older, 18% were adults aged 3–10 years, 7% were subadults aged 2–3 years, 23% were offspring aged less than 2 years and 7% were individuals aged 2 years or older, whose age and sex could not be confirmed. The sex ratio of males to females was 1.17:1, with a corrected sex ratio of 1:1 considering the 12.5% error rate for gorals aged over 10 years, amongst the 39 gorals aged over 2 years.

Phylogenetic reassessment of gorals with new evidence from northern Myanmar reveals five distinct species

AbstractResearchers have recognised one to seven species of goral (Naemorhedus spp., Caprinae, Bovidae). We compared all available whole mitogenomic sequences, including eight new ones from northern Myanmar, and now recognise five distinct species. Naemorhedus caudatus remains a valid species. Naemorhedus griseus is a synonym of Naemorhedus goral. Naemorhedus evansi is a valid species, with a geographic range that extends northwards into southwestern China. Naemorhedus cranbrooki and Naemorhedus baileyi are distinct species, not synonyms. Molecular divergence analyses suggest that goral speciation was closely related to the rapid uplift of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau and Hengduan Mountains from the early Pliocene to the Pleistocene.

Genetic integrity and individual identification-based population size estimate of the endangered long-tailed goral, Naemorhedus caudatus from Seoraksan National Park in South Korea, based on a non-invasive genetic approach

ABSTRACT The long-tailed goral (also called the Amur goral) Naemorhedus caudatus (subfamily Caprinae), a vulnerable and protected species designated by IUCN and CITES, has sharply been declining in the population size and is now becoming critically endangered in South Korea. This species has been conserved as a natural monument by the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration since 1968. In this study, using 78 fecal DNA samples with a non-invasive genetic approach, we assessed the genetic integrity and individual identification-based population size for the goral population from Seoraksan National Park representing the largest wild population in Korea. Using the successfully isolated 38 fecal DNA, phylogeographic and population genetic analyses were performed with mitochondrial DNA control region (CR) sequences and nine microsatellite loci. We found seven CR haplotypes, of which five were unique to the Seoraksan population, considering previously determined haplotypes in Korean populations. The Seoraksan population showed higher haplotype diversity (0.777 ± 0.062) and mean number of alleles (4.67 ± 1.563) relative to southern populations in Korea reported from previous studies, with no signal of a population bottleneck. Microsatellite-based individual identification estimate based on probability of identity (PID) indicated a population size of ≥30 in this population. Altogether, we suggest that for future management efforts of this species in the Seoraksan National Park, conserving its genetic integrity as an ‘endemic’ lineage, and curbing a decrease in its number through mitigating habitat destruction might be key to secure the population for the long term.

Habitat Analysis of Endangered Korean Long-Tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus raddeanus) with Weather Forecasting Model

Climate simulation is often used for evaluation of the sustainability of a species in global scale but not applicable for our study because the global data is too coarse to be used in small and fragmented habitat areas. We examined a weather forecasting model for the habitat analysis of the endangered species of the Korean long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus raddeanus). The weather research forecasting (WRF) model is implemented to downscale global climate data for a small fragmented habitat of the goral. The coordinates of goral fecal samples were collected during winter 2005 and summer 2006 using GPS and the goral habitat was set with the elevations of fecal samples mostly found. The atmospheric parameters of the habitat were then simulated by WRF and defined as the atmospheric signature of the goral suitable habitat. A series of temperature changes was then projected for the period from 2010s to 2090s to evaluate the change of the habitat for summer (June) and winter (December) seasons. As a result, the suitable habitat of the Korean long-tailed goral would be significantly declined and almost disappeared in the 2070s for summer or 2050s for winter under the climate scenarios of RCP 8.5 by IPCC.

Reconstruction of the habitat range suitable for long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus) using fossils from the Paleolithic sites

Fossil data, which indicate the changing distribution of species, have been used to understand the responses of species to physical and social environmental changes. The current distribution of long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus, hereinafter “goral”), which is an endangered species in the Republic of Korea (ROK), is restricted to a few high mountain areas in the mid-eastern Korean Peninsula (KP). However, there is a discrepancy between their current distribution and the locations where the fossils of goral have been found. This discrepancy could explain the range shift of gorals on the KP in relation to environmental changes, climate change and human disturbances. The purposes of this research are 1) to reconstruct the past distribution of goral, 2) to explain the range shift of goral over time and 3) to understand the causes of the range shift in relation to environmental change, especially climate warming, and human disturbances. For this, we first reconstructed the past geographical range of goral with fossil data and analyzed the geomorphological characteristics of current and past habitats. Then, the current range and habitat characteristics were compared with the ones reconstructed from the fossil data. The results showed that the fossils of goral were found in 12 caves located at average elevations of 276.0 m calculated from the 1 km radius of the sites and 298.0 m from the 10 km radius of the sites. These sites were not only remote from the current goral habitats, but also had a significantly lower elevation than the elevational ranges of current habitats. Based on our analyses, the goral lived in much wider and lower areas on the KP during the Pleistocene. Climate warming since the Holocene era and increased human disturbances, mainly hunting by Paleolithic men, could explain the goral range shift toward higher elevations and steep slopes on the KP. In particular, considering the fact that the fossils were mostly found in caves, which were the homes of Paleolithic men, hunting could be more influential than climate warming in explaining the current distribution of goral on the KP. Our results could contribute to further goral research and provide the fundamental knowledge of alternative habitats for the endangered long-tailed gorals on the KP.

Reference Values of Body Measurements, Helmatology and Biochemistry and Parasite Prevalence in Fecal Samples of Proliferating and Restoring Korean Gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus

Reference Values of Body Measurements, Helmatology and Biochemistry and Parasite Prevalence in Fecal Samples of Proliferating and Restoring Korean Gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus

Comparison of hair‐trapping methods for the long‐tailed goral

ABSTRACTIn South Korea, there is a need for more ecological information about endangered herbivores such as the long‐tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus). This species lives in steep, rocky valleys and is difficult to trap and study. Noninvasive hair capture techniques have frequently been applied to carnivores to enable DNA or isotope analysis. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of hair‐trapping using a population of goral in the Wangpi River basin in South Korea. To compare efficiency of the different shapes of hair traps, we used barbed traps at 4 (2008) and 9 sites (2009), and a hook‐style trap (2010) with barbed traps at each of 15 sites. In 2008, we collected 15 hairs at all 4 sites with barbs. In 2009, we obtained 48 hairs at 8 of the 9 sites using barbs; and in 2010, we collected 99 hairs (barbed: 50 hairs, hook traps: 49 hairs) at 10 of the 15 sites using both traps. In 2010, the 2 shapes of hair traps were equally efficient at providing samples. We concluded that the hair‐trapping method allows for noninvasive monitoring of the endangered goral, and could be used to monitor other species in South Korea. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogeny of a wild goral from the western Sichuan of China (Naemorhedus caudatus griseus)

The goral (Naemorhedus caudatus), a species of the Caprinae, is classified as globally vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of its sharply declining population size, which is attributable to habitat destruction. In this study, we determined and described the complete mitochondrial genome of N. c. griseus, a goral subspecies from the western Sichuan of China; the mitochondrial genome of this goral is 16,557 bp in length (GenBank accession No: MG865962) and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 23 tRNA genes, and one control region (D-loop). Ten PCGs start with ATG, but ND2, ND3, and ND5 use ATA as the start codon. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA is 34.6% A, 28.6% T, 22.4% C, and 14.4% G. The G+C content is 36.8%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that N. c. griseus clustered into a clade with other Naemorhedus species with high bootstrap support. This work provides additional molecular information for studying the conservation genetics and evolutionary relationships of this endangered species.