Noninvasive Individual Identification of the Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) by Molecular-Genetic Methods

摘要

The procedure of noninvasive individual identification of tigers by molecular-genetic methods was developed within the framework of the Program of the Amur Tiger Research in the Russian Far East. Using this procedure, the number, sex, and relationships in a group of tigers in Ussuri Nature Reserve, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences was defined. The comparison of the results of isolation, amplification, and analysis of nuclear DNA fragments from different samples (blood, hair, and feces) showed their significant similarity in the microsatellite fragment lengths. This indicates the possibility to use feces and hair collected in the Amur tiger habitats for noninvasive individual identification of these animals.