Male, female burrow occupancy pattern of the South Indian Gerbil Tatera indica cuvieri

3 Pages·1997·1.8 MB·

by  Bijub B Thomas

.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
149
responded quite well and by 1991 we had trees of had settled on theupperbranchesand apparentlythey
2.5-3 m in height. In May 1991, on a full moon liked the juice of the tender phyllodes. Since then
evening, I noticed a few flying foxes Pteropus they have been coming every summer in hundreds
giganteus for the first time on the top most branch from March onwards and are surprisingly absent
of an Acacia auriculaeformis squabbling and during the winter months. Although now they have
flapping. I wondered what these bats were up to. almost become pests of these Acacias, destroying
Coming back next morning to inspect the tree, I most ofthe tender phyllodes, it is interesting to note
noticed some green chunks of residual matter that achange in the feeding preference offruit eating bats
had been spat out by the bats on the ground. The now relishing the phyllodes of an exotic tree.
supple fleshyphyllodes on the top mostbranch were
absent and it was obvious that the bats had fed on September 18, 1996 E.P ERICD’CUNHA
them. I decided to observe them again that evening Wild Chalet Resort,
and I noticed more bats had settled on more Acacia Kanha National Park,
trees. There was more squabbling and shrieking as P.O. Kisli, Dist. Mandla
they fed on the phyllodes in a frenzy. Most ofthem Madhya Pradesh 481 768.
MALE, FEMALE BURROW OCCUPANCY PATTERN OF THE SOUTH INDIAN
9.
GERBIL TATERAINDICA CUVIERI
(With one textfigure)
Rodents have evolved several physiological currently inhabited burrow. As all the emergency
and behavioural mechanisms ensuring maximum exits were closed prior to breaking into the burrow,
reproduction (Davies 1991). They may be colonial, the gerbils tend tomove tothedistal end ofthetunnel,
solitary, or sometimes both (Barnett and Prakash where they group together, enabling a complete
1982); and their burrow habits are usually capture of all animals of the burrow. Altogether 41
complicated assuringthem betterprotection (Hanney burrows, from which complete collections could be
1975, Prakash and Mathur 1987). Though tropical made, were considered for detailed study. Animals
rodent species are diverse, and economically collected from each burrow were sexed and counted
important, information regarding their field habits separately, and were categorized into adults, sub
are scarce. Hence the present study on the habitat adults and juveniles based on the specific
ethology ofSouth Indian gerbil Tatera indicacuvieri morphological features.
was undertaken with regard to their burrow Two types of burrow' patterns were observed
occupancy and social grouping. among Tatera indica cuvieri thoseinhabited by adult
;
Studies were conducted in selected coastal females along with young ones (subadults/juveniles),
areas of Trivandrum district, where the burrows of and those inhabited by adult males. The latter were
Tatera indica cuvieri are common. Once a burrow comparatively smaller, with lesser number of
m
was located, the grass and surface soil around 3 of branches and fewer emergency exits. From 41
the burrow were cleared; and all exits used by the burrows investigated, a clear diversity of male,
animals to escape wereclosed. The tunnels werethen female burrow occupancy is discernible, the details
carefully excavated from the entry point into the ofwhich are shown in Fig. 1
A
interior. soil plug within the tunnel a few feet from The malelivingindependently, andthe females
theentrance, and the presence ofrat fleas in the fresh living with young ones (subadults/juveniles) in
soil collected from the floor ofthe tunnel indicate a separate burrows can be a kind of evolutionary
150 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol . 94 (1997)
X?
(0
1 *
2
|
3 i
cu'vieri
indica
Tatera
of
pattern
occupancy
Burrow
1.
Fig.
(%)A3uedn330 Mating
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 151
adaptation, providing better security and maternal existence prior to parturition, providing ecological
care to growing subadults and juveniles. Such a space fortheir offspring (Lidicker 1975). In any case,
dichotomy in male-female burrow dwelling pattern the male T indica cuvieri staying away from young
f
is quite interesting. Inspite of several reports of ones subscribes to their negligible role in parental
colonial existence ofsubterranean rodents, this type care. Such sex-wise separate existence can also
of burrow dimorphism with regard to occupancy indicate the absence of a long term monogamous
has not been projected. Since Indian rodents like the relationship. In such a setup, the females ofT. indica
short tailed mole xdiNesokia indica and gerbil Totem cuvieri face the possibility of mating with different
indica Hardwicke also exhibit a kind of colonial males (multiple male matings), as in the case of
existence(Barnett and Prakash 1982), a dimorphism Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus (Agren
in male and female burrow occupancy among South et al 1989), probably to avoid inbreeding.
Indian gerbils is characteristic. It was also noticed
thatin the majority ofthe burrows containing young November 26, 1 996 BIJU B THOMAS
MATHEW OOMMEN
ones, the only adult present was the female (may be M.
their mother). Probably, males avoided such Dept ofZoology,
.
burrows, or were chased away by the females after University ofKerala,
mating. In several microtine rodents, adult females Kariavattom, Trivandrum,
move away from the colony and seek separate Kerala 695581.
References
Agren, G., Q. Zhou & W. Zhong (1989): Ecologyandsocial Hanney,P.W. (1975): Rodents,theirlivesand habits.Taplinger
behaviourofMongolian gerbils,Meriones unguiculatus Publishing Co., New York.
,
at Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Anim. Behav. 37: 11- Lidicker (Jr.), W.Z. (1975): The role of dispersal in the
27. demography of small mammals, pp. 103-128. In: EP.
Barnett, S.A. & I. Prakash (1982): Rodents of economic Golley, K. Petrusewicz & L. Ryszkowski (eds.), Small
importance in India. Amold-Heinemann, New Delhi. mammals: their productivity and population dynamics.
Davies, N.B. (1991): Mating systems, pp. 263-294. In: J.R. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Krebs and N.B. Davies (eds.), Behavioural Ecology, an Prakash, I & R.P. Maihur (1987): Management of rodent
evolutionary approach. Blackwell ScientificPublications, pests. Publication andInformationDivision,I.C.A.R,New
London. Delhi.
NEW RECORDS OF THE MALABAR SPINY DORMOUSE {PLATACANTHOMYS
10.
LASIURUS BLYTH) IN THE INDIRA GANDHI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, TAMIL NADU
In March 1994, we were conducting night During the last one year of live trapping of
transects in the wet evergreen forests in the Indira terrestrial rodents in rainforests in the Indira Gandhi
Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary for surveying nocturnal Wildlife Sanctuary and in someprivate forests in the
arboreal mammals. On 4thMarch we were on anight area, I trapped a few more individuals oftheMalabar
transect along a foot path in the Varagaliar shola, 25 Spiny Dormouse. Some were in the Akkamalai hills
km south ofTop Slip at an altitude of650 m. After at an elevation of 1280 m, far above the range of
m
spotting and observing a couple of flying squirrels 600-900 suggested by Ellerman (1961). Shankar
we were on our way back to the camp, when we (1996) recorded the Spiny Dormouse at an even
spotted aMalabar SpinyDormouse (Platacanthomys higher altitude (2000 m) in the Upper Bhavani hills
lasiurus) that hadjust fallen from a treerightin front of the Nilgiris. Some other recent reports of the
ofus. species have been within or close to the altitudinal