Revealing the Circadian Rhythm of Taliang Crocodile Newt(Liangshantriton taliangensis)During Breeding Migration Using a Novel Monitoring Technique

Many animals migrate during the breeding season.It is important to study the patterns of breeding migration of wild animals,especially rare and endangered species.However,current data acquisition methods are too coarse and imprecise for investigating the circadian rhythms of migrations in amphibians.Based on the frustrated total reflection image(FTRI),we developed a new device and recorded the precise migration time of an endangered salamander,Liangshantriton taliangensis.During the breeding period,a total of 33 individuals were effectively recorded.Analysis of the data indicated that the circadian rhythm of breeding migration in L.taliangensis was bimodal,and migration mainly occurred from 05:00 to 13:00(81.82%of the total migration records).The average relative activity intensity index(RAI)of breeding migration peaked in the temperature range of 14.0-16.0℃.With increased average relative air humidity,the activity intensity first increased and then decreased,reaching a peak in the humidity range of 91.0%-97.0%.These results demonstrate that our new device is a viable and accurate method for recording the migration time of target species.It is important to reveal the breeding migration pattern of L.taliangensis,which is important for the conservation of this species.Meanwhile,this new device can be used for field monitoring and conservation studies of amphibians,reptiles and other animals.