Skeletochronological Age Estimates For The Enhydris chinensis

44 Enhydris chinensis (29 females,14 males,1 focus) got in the market were used in the examination of the middle cross-sections of vertebrae ground in an ordinary abrasive disc way (taking five vertebraes near the heart).Under a microscope their annual rings were observed.We can see that the older the snakes are,the clearer their rings are.Correctness of the resorbed growth layers in the process of the skeleton growth by the regression equation of vertebrae radius vs growthlayer width and von Bertalanffy growth equation indicates that the ages of the Enhydric chinensis specimens range from 0-11.2 years,their ages and their body length form a ringe relationship,the regression equation of the females is L (total length)=272.4＋647.2l g A (year),r=0.9598,P<0.01;that of the males being L=317.5＋46.3 A (year),r=0.9527,P<0.01,and the earliest sexual maturity of the females appears at the age of 1.8 years,that of the males at 1.0 year.