De Novo Transcriptome Assembly, Functional Annotation and SSR Marker Discovery of Qinling Takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi)

The takin (Budorcas taxicolor) is an endemic ruminant species belonging to the bovine family. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as an endangered and vulnerable species. However, little is known about its molecular characterization since it lacks a reference genome. This study used RNA sequencing followed by de novo assembly, annotation and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) prediction to assess the transcriptome of Qinling takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi) muscles. In total, 21,648 unigenes with an N50 and mean length of 1388 bp and 817 bp, respectively, were successfully detected and annotated against the public databases (NR, GO, KEGG, and EggNOG). Furthermore, 6222 SSRs were identified using the MIcroSAtellite (MISA) identification tool software. Taken together, these findings will provide valuable information for genetic, genomic, and evolutionary studies on takin.

First photographic record of Mishmi Takin Budorcus taxicolor taxicolor and Red Goral Nemorhaedus baileyi from Kamlang Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India

This study presents a first photographic record of two ungulate species Red Goral Nemorhaedus bailey and Mishmi Takin Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor in Kamlang Tiger Reserve. This area has a high potential for sustaining many endemic and endangered species but unfortunately is less studied due to the complexity of terrain and a paucity of funds. This article establishes a baseline information with the help of advanced technology such as camera trapping and motivates further scientific survey in the region.

Spatiotemporal occurrence of Mishmi takin Budorcas taxicolor in Dulongjiang Region, southwestern China

Here, we assessed the spatiotemporal distribution of the poorly studied Mishmi takin Budorcas taxicolor to gain a preliminary understanding of the spatiotemporal ecology of the species. We used presence data from line transects and camera-trap surveys combined with a presence-only species distribution model to identify the key factors relevant to takin distribution. Distance to residential site was the main contributing factor to the model predicting habitat suitability for takin. Mishmi takin appeared to prefer habitats far away from residential locations. Our predicted suitable habitats for takin were highly fragmented and were constrained in narrow ranges of remote mountain areas. A circular distribution curve fitted to camera events indicated that grouped takin were more active during the day and less active at night compared to solitary takin. Differences in activity patterns between takin in groups and solitaries might relate to sexual segregation and calve attendance. Our information on the distribution and habitat characteristics of the species will assist habitat management and our prediction map could guide future field surveys for locating a long-term monitoring program.