Zhang Yuyu, Lei Wanxin, Luo Wei, Dai Qinlong, Han Han, Nie Yonggang
Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China.
Giant Panda College, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Dec 5;14(23):3512. doi: 10.3390/ani14233512.
The red panda (Ailurus), a rare and endangered mammal native to the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains, has a specialized bamboo diet. Combining morphological and genomic evidence, red pandas have been classified as and . However, previous studies focused on ecological aspects such as foraging behaviors, habitat use and threats within specific distributions; hence, there is still a gap in quantitative comparative studies on the trophic niches of these two species. In this study, we calculated and compared the isotopic trophic niche widths of and by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in hair keratin of 102 red pandas, then conducting a fecal analysis to explore the diet of a population. The results showed that (1) there was no significant difference in δC values between . (-24.73 ± 1.26‱, N = 86) and (-24.43 ± 1.20‱, N = 16); however, . had 1.4‱ higher average δ⁵N value than that of and the isotopic niche widths converted by Bayesian ellipse model were . SEA = 4.40‱, SEA = 4.70‱, which might be caused by their lower and narrower altitude distribution. (2) Niche widths of three genetic populations in . were XXL-LS (5.16‱), EH-GLG (3.40‱), QL (2.31‱), and the comparison of the fecal composition suggested their diet diversity, which might imply a degree of competitive pressure with sympatric animals. (3) Sichuan red pandas occupied a lower trophic position compared to other herbivores but higher than giant pandas in the same ecosystem, and the niche width of red pandas was two times larger than that of sympatric giant pandas, which was related to the foraging strategies and microhabitat selection of the giant and red panda. This research provides basic stable isotopic data for red pandas, offers scientific support for the differentiated and refined conservation and management of the red panda and its habitat, and develops the application of stable isotope analysis in the ecological studies of endangered species.
小熊猫（小熊猫属）是一种原产于喜马拉雅 - 横断山脉的珍稀濒危哺乳动物，以竹子为特殊食物。综合形态学和基因组证据，小熊猫已被分类为[此处原文缺失具体分类信息]。然而，以往的研究集中在生态方面，如特定分布范围内的觅食行为、栖息地利用和威胁等；因此，在这两个物种营养生态位的定量比较研究方面仍存在差距。在本研究中，我们通过测量102只小熊猫毛发角蛋白中的碳和氮稳定同位素，计算并比较了[此处原文缺失具体物种名称]的同位素营养生态位宽度，然后进行粪便分析以探究一个种群的饮食情况。结果表明：（1）[此处原文缺失具体物种名称1]（-24.73±1.26‰，N = 86）和[此处原文缺失具体物种名称2]（-24.43±1.20‰，N = 16）的δC值之间无显著差异；然而，[此处原文缺失具体物种名称1]的平均δ⁵N值比[此处原文缺失具体物种名称2]高1.4‰，并且通过贝叶斯椭圆模型转换的同位素生态位宽度分别为[此处原文缺失具体物种名称1]（SEA = 4.40‰）、[此处原文缺失具体物种名称2]（SEA = 4.70‰），这可能是由于它们较低且较窄的海拔分布所致。（2）[此处原文缺失具体物种名称]的三个遗传种群的生态位宽度分别为XXL - LS（5.16‰）、EH - GLG（3.40‰）、QL（2.31‰），粪便成分的比较表明它们的饮食具有多样性，这可能意味着与同域动物存在一定程度的竞争压力。（3）四川小熊猫在同一生态系统中相比其他食草动物处于较低的营养级，但高于大熊猫，并且小熊猫的生态位宽度是同域大熊猫的两倍，这与大熊猫和小熊猫的觅食策略及微生境选择有关。本研究为小熊猫提供了基础稳定同位素数据，为小熊猫及其栖息地的差异化和精细化保护管理提供了科学支持，并拓展了稳定同位素分析在濒危物种生态研究中的应用。
