Constant adaptation to environmental changes is required by ruminants to allow them to adapt to different ecological niches and feeding habits. In addition, the morphology and function of ruminant digestive systems reveal some adaptive evolutionary characteristics. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) display a variety of morpho-physiological adaptations that are typical of grazers. In this study, we collected 64 adult blue sheep samples (whole animal carcasses) from the Helan Mountains, China, during different seasons. The external morphological parameters, digestive system morphological indexes, and rumen surface enlargement factors were determined. Our results reveal that the rumen and reticulum weights were positively correlated with the body weight (p = 0.004), while the food channel aperture, intestinal length, and weight of the blue sheep digestive tract presented no significant differences between different seasons (p > 0.05) and sexes (p > 0.05). There were significant differences (p < 0.001) in the density, length, and width of mastoids, and the rumen surface enlargement factor was 2.85 ± 1.37, which is typical of roughage feeders. The nutritional and ecological characteristics of blue sheep represent obvious morphological and physiological adaptations to an herbivorous diet. Adopting a quick foraging strategy allows blue sheep to rapidly consume and excrete large amounts of feed, thus obtaining the required energy for their activities and facilitating better adaption to environmental changes.

Explaining the mechanism of the coexistence of sympatric species is an important goal of ecology. Five species of woodpeckers coexist in the broadleaved Korean pine forest of Liangshui National Nature Reserve, including the Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor), Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus), and White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos). Woodpeckers are considered to be keystone species because of their role as ecosystem engineers, creating breeding and shelter sites for many vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. As woodpeckers are predominant in primary forests, they are sensitive to changes in forest ecosystems. To understand their coexistence mechanisms and propose conservation strategies, it is necessary to investigate their foraging niche differentiation. This study aimed to identify the foraging behavior parameters and foraging tree parameters of five woodpecker species in Liangshui Reserve from October to December. The foraging niches of five woodpecker species were observed, including the type of foraging techniques, foraging height, foraging site, foraging duration, tree species being foraged upon, diameter of the foraging tree at breast height, foraging tree height, and decay status of trees. Our results identified that there were significant differences in the overall foraging ecology of the five species of woodpecker at Liangshui Reserve. The Great Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker had more diverse foraging patterns and preferred to forage on live trees. The Black Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker excavated and pecked at the trunks of decaying spruce and fir trees. The White-backed Woodpecker preferred to forage in broadleaved trees. The choice of foraging sites was complicated. The size of the foraging trees and decay status of trees were important bases for woodpeckers when choosing trees to forage from. Different woodpeckers achieve stable coexistence through the separation of their foraging niches. This information regarding foraging behavior and foraging tree characteristics provides a basis to study the coexistence patterns of woodpeckers. Our research into woodpecker foraging should be used to inform forest management practices, protect forest ecosystem diversities, and maintain woodpecker community diversity.

Wildlife activity patterns, which reveal the daily allocation of time and energy, are crucial for understanding survival pressures, adaptive strategies, and behavioral characteristics in different environments. Among ungulates, grouping behavior is a prevalent adaptive trait that reflects the population structure, mating systems, and life history strategies formed over long-term evolutionary processes. This study aimed to elucidate the daily activity patterns and grouping characteristics of the rare goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) in the Helan Mountains of western China from 2022 to 2023 using camera trap monitoring. With a total of 3869 camera days of effective trapping, we recorded 442 independent detections of goitered gazelles. The results revealed the following: (1) Goitered gazelle is primarily active during the day, showing an activity pattern similar to crepuscular animals, with two activity peaks occurring after dawn and before dusk. (2) Daily activity patterns showed both seasonal and sex differences. In the warm season, morning activity peaks occurred earlier, and afternoon peaks occurred later compared to the cold season. The overlap in daily activity patterns between females and males in the warm season was lower than that in the cold season, and this trend persisted throughout the year. (3) The number of times different types of groups were observed varied significantly, with single males and single females accounting for a larger proportion of all observed groups. There was no significant difference in group size across seasons, with groups typically consisting of 1–2 individuals. Our study provides detailed insights into the temporal ecology and population structure of goitered gazelles in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. This information will guide the identification of future conservation priorities and the development of management plans for the reserve.

There is a need to reduce human–wildlife conflicts in the area around Liupanshan Nature Reserve in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. This study investigated the financial losses caused by wild boar and their causes. A questionnaire investigation (n = 135) and a field test were conducted, which included 108 sample lines and 97 infrared cameras. A principal component analysis and generalised linear model was used to analyse the importance of the effect of the factors on wild boar damage. Based on an estimate of 17,049 wild boars in the study area, we found that in the agricultural land owned by the residents, the boar density of each county and distance from the village to the nature reserve were the most significant factors that affected crop damage. Then, financial losses in spring, summer, and autumn had a moderate effect on financial loss, and the crop type had the lowest effect. We recommend reducing the wild boar population by increasing leisure hunting and the number of leopards. Additionally, a focus on farmland protection is a practical way to prevent wild boar invasions. Meanwhile, it is also necessary to conduct long-term monitoring of wild boar population status and manage the relationship between the government, research teams, and local people to more efficiently and comprehensively reduce conflicts between humans and wild boars.

Since ruminants needs a constant adaptation to the environmental changes, therefore they adapt different ecological niches and feeding habits. In addition the morphology and function of digestive system also reveals some adaptive evolutionary characteristics. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) display a variety of morpho-physiological adaptations–typical for grazers. We collected 64 adult blue sheep samples (whole animal carcass) in different seasons from the Helan Mountains, China. The external morphological parameters, digestive system morphological indexes and rumen surface enlargement factor were determined. Our results revealed that the weight of rumen and reticulum was positively correlated with body weight (P = 0.004), while the food channel aperture, intestinal length and weight of blue sheep digestive tract have no significant difference between different seasons (P > 0.05) and gender (P > 0.05). Therefore, it is difficult for blue sheep to delay the flow rate of large food particles in the rumen and reticulum by adjusting the aperture of the mesh flap. There were significant differences (P < 0.001) in the density, length and width of mastoid for blue sheep, and the rumen mucosal surface dilatation coefficient was 2.85 ± 1.37, which is the typical characteristic of roughage feeders. The nutritional and ecological characteristics of blue sheep are the obvious morphological and physiological adaptations to the herbivorous diet. They can adopt the quick foraging strategy for consuming large amount of food and rapid excretion to obtain the energy needed for their activities and to better adapt with the environmental changes.