TITLE:
Breeding Biology of Isolated Captive Dalmatian Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) at the Shanghai Zoo, China
AUTHORS:
Zhengqiang Xu, Ying Zhou, Zhibing Chen
KEYWORDS:
Egg Size, Expected Heterozygosity, Fertility, Inbreeding Depression, Isolated Population, Survival Rate
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.11 No.10,
September
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: The breeding biology of a captive, isolated population of Dalmatian
Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) at theShanghaiZoo,China,
was studied from 2007 to 2019. The
breeding age of the Dalmatian Pelicans was estimated at three to four years old, and they started breeding in late October or early November. The
clutch size varied between one and two eggs per nest, and the eggs were 83.2 ±4.8 mmin length, 55.6 ±2.9 mmin breadth and 136.1 ±21.5 gin weight. The
fertility fluctuated slightly, with an average rate of 38.7% ± 9.7%, but
remained consistently low. The survival rate of chicks fluctuated substantially
from 0% to 100%, with an average survival rate of 68.6% ± 27.6%. The averaged values of observed heterozygosity, expected
heterozygosity and polymorphism information content were 0.468, 0.465
and 0.446, respectively. It indicated that
the population had a low heterozygosity and genetic diversity. There was
a significant change in the breeding index compared to that recorded 40 years ago, which indicates that inbreeding depression
has occurred in this small, isolated, captive population of Dalmatian
Pelicans. These results can be used to improve management of Dalmatian Pelicans
in captivity.