2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Study in the life history, impact and control of introduced small Asian mongoose on Okinawa island, Ryukyu archipelago, thouthern part of Japan
| Project/Area Number |
14580595
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
環境保全
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| Research Institution | University of the Ryukyus |
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Principal Investigator |
OGURA Go University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of agriculture, Assistant, 農学部, 助手 (10284960)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ISHII Nobuo Tokyo Woman's Christian University, College of Arts and Sciences, Professor, 文理学部, 教授 (80385377)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | mongoose / introduced animal / control / eradication / Okinawa island / exclude fence / lure / zoonosis |
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| Research Abstract |
We tried in confirming the results of the mongoose luring effect of scent to facilitate the development of effective trapping methods for mongoose populations with low population densities. The scents we used contained volatile fatty acids and gland lures, with the mongoose displaying most interest in the gland lures. We positioned exclusion fences for mongooses at the southern limit of the Yanbaru region and conducted the mongoose escape test accordingly. A metal fence with a height of 1200 mm and a smooth metal plate could block almost every mongoose. This fence was then selected as the most applicable among all the tested metal fences ; this is because outriggers are not attached on this fence and the fence dose not affects human activities. We have been investigating the preying effects of the mongoose on the native species by analyzing the contents in the digestive tract of mongooses caught in the northern part of Okinawa island. Lizards and other reptiles are abundantly preyed upon by the mongooses. Moreover, almost all reptiles are hunted to near extinction in forests in which mongooses have inhabited for more than 10 years. Apart from the reptiles, the mongoose extends its preys to include other species such as aves, mammals, amphibians and anthropoda. In fact, the mongoose feeds on all species of small-sized animals. Furthermore, it has become evident that relict species face the risk of extinction, such as Watase's shrew, Ryukyu robin, Okinawan tree lizard and Anderson's crocodile newt are being preyed upon by the mongoose as well. In addition, the mongoose is a host for zoonosis and is known to serve as an agent for the transmissions of leptospirosis. The high incidence rate of Okinawan mongoose serving as a host for leptospirosis has been confirmed.
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Research Products
(4 results)
