'Fingerprints' identify cheetahs 研究:“趾纹”助识别猎豹
文章来源:未知 文章作者:meng 发布时间:2009-09-24 03:12 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Conservationists have developed a new technique to identify cheetahs2 in the wild from just their paw prints.

环境保护者发明了一种在野外根据爪印辨别猎豹的新方法。

One of a kind, a <a href=cheetah1" width="226" border="0" s="" paw="" src="/upimg/090924/4_032448_1.jpg" />
One of a kind, a cheetah's paw print

The technique works in a similar way to that which allows humans to be identified by fingerprints4.

By photographing paw prints in the wild researchers can monitor cheetahs(猎豹) without ever seeing them.

It is hoped that this non-invasive technique may aid conservation efforts to protect the cheetah population in the wild.

The footprint identification technique (FIT) has already helped researchers study other big cats and endangered species including bengal tigers and polar bears.

Now the method has been developed for the first time with cheetahs in a international collaboration5(合作,通敌) involving conservation organisations N/a'an ku sê sanctuary6, Wildtrack, AfriCat and Chester Zoo.

Unique print

The technique is based on the assumption that every paw print is unique to that cheetah and can be identified similar to a human fingerprint3.

The local San people in Namibia have been able to identify individual animals from their tracks for many years.

Whereas each human fingerprint has a unique pattern of ridges7(带钢单向皱纹) and whorls(锭盘), each cheetah produces a paw print of unique size, shape and character.

Digital photographs of each cheetah's prints are taken and fed into a computer database.

When a new print in sighted and recorded, a bespoke8(预约,显示) computer program then scans these photographs, recording9 the distances between specific points on the paw print, until it finds a match.

So far, researchers have photographed and taken measurements of footprints from wild and captive cheetahs held in N/a'an ku sê sanctuary in central Namibia, Africa and Chester Zoo in the UK.

They now hope to increase the size of their database to include many more wild cheetahs, allowing the cats to be identified in a non-invasive way.

Paw prints from individual animals will enable scientists to understand the movements and interactions of cheetahs plus how many there are in a certain area.

"It is extremely important because you can never catch and collar all cheetah to find out about their population size and structure, their interactions and how the population changes over time," says Florian Weise co-ordinator of the N/a'an ku sê research programme.

Problem cats

This technique will also enable problem animals to be identified and relocated protecting them for future generations.

Cheetahs in Namibia that stray out of conservation zones and onto farmland are often killed by farmers who fear they are a threat to their livestock10.

In the first year of study on commercial farmland in the Windhoek area of Namibia researchers have identified 18 resident cheetahs in an area of 20,000 ha.

Out of this population, two cheetahs were identified as problem animals and subsequently relocated.

The team hope to develop the technique so that they can make it available to other conservation programmes across Africa.

They also aim to continue their work with local farmers and land owners to reduce cheetah and human conflict.



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 cheetah 0U0yS     
n.(动物)猎豹
参考例句:
  • The cheetah is generally credited as the world's fastest animal.猎豹被公认是世界上跑得最快的动物。
  • The distribution of the cheetah ranges from Africa to Central Asia.印度豹的足迹遍及从非洲到中亚的广大地区。
2 cheetahs 49fe48184ec612a4c6ab48e2544552ef     
n.(奔跑极快的)非洲猎豹( cheetah的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Unlike lions or cheetahs, leopards are secretive, solitary cats. 花豹不像狮子或印度豹,是属于较神秘而隐居的大猫。 来自互联网
  • Among this lot are cheetahs, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, spotted hyenas and elephants. 印度豹、狮子、花豹、犀牛、斑点土狼、大象等,都是此地的居民。 来自互联网
3 fingerprint 4kXxX     
n.指纹;vt.取...的指纹
参考例句:
  • The fingerprint expert was asked to testify at the trial.指纹专家应邀出庭作证。
  • The court heard evidence from a fingerprint expert.法院听取了指纹专家的证词。
4 fingerprints 9b456c81cc868e5bdf3958245615450b     
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
  • They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套,以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 collaboration bW7yD     
n.合作,协作;勾结
参考例句:
  • The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
  • He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。
6 sanctuary iCrzE     
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区
参考例句:
  • There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
  • Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
7 ridges 9198b24606843d31204907681f48436b     
n.脊( ridge的名词复数 );山脊;脊状突起;大气层的)高压脊
参考例句:
  • The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
  • Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上,这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。
8 bespoke 145af5d0ef7fa4d104f65fe8ad911f59     
adj.(产品)订做的;专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 );订(货);证明;预先请求
参考例句:
  • His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence. 他的衣着风格显得十分自信。
  • The haberdasher presented a cap, saying,"Here is the cap your worship bespoke." 帽匠拿出一顶帽子来说:“这就是老爷您定做的那顶。” 来自辞典例句
9 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
10 livestock c0Wx1     
n.家畜,牲畜
参考例句:
  • Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
  • The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。
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