关键词: 林麝, 体重, 体尺, 主成分

Abstract: [Objective] The traits of body weight and size are importantly significant for assessing the development and growth of forest musk deer and breeding selection. [Method] In this study, the body weight and size(forehead width, head length, ear length, spinal length, chest circumference, hum length, thigh length and leg length) of musk deer at the stages of birth, 1-week, 1-month, 1-year and 4-year(each stage:40) were measured, and analyzed by principal component analysis(PCA). [Results] The results showed that the traits of body weight and size have varying degree of correlation, while the correlation have significant different at different development and growth stages. When the eigenvalue of PCA was more than 1, one principal component at the birth, two principal components at the stages of 1-week and 1-month, and three principal components at the stages of 1-year and 4-year were gotten respectively. [Conclusion] The traits of body weight and size have varying degree of correlation, while the correlation have significant different at different development and growth stages. Therefore, the PCA of body weight and size was necessary for different development and growth stages of forest musk deer if these traits were summarized a combined index in breeding.

Key words: forest musk deer, body weight, body size, principal component analysis (PCA)