Nesting and digging habits as well as shelter locations were studied in Akodon azarae and Calomys laucha under laboratory conditions. Shelter locations were compared with burrow and nest locations in the field. Laboratory results showed that A. azarae built more burrows than surface nests while C. laucha built both surface nests and burrows and both species selected sods from external borders of cropfields (area out of the wire fences characterized by the most compacted soils and abundant plant cover) for building their shelters. Field observations showed that both A. azarae and C. laucha used burrows. In the field A. azarae shelters were located in the internal borders of cropfields (habitat with heavy plant cover placed under wire fences), while those of C laucha were found in cropfields (the most perturbed habitat). We conclude that nesting and digging behavior in the laboratory reflects only soil selection while in the field it is also affected by interspecific competition; which causes spatial segregation of shelter locations between the two species.
Documento: | Artículo |
Título: | Nesting and digging behavior in two rodent species (Akodon azarae and Calomys laucha) under laboratory and field conditions |
Autor: | Hodara, K.; Suárez, O.V.; Kravetz, F.O. |
Filiación: | Departamento de Cieneias Biologicas, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellon II, 4 Piso, (1428) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Palabras clave: | Akodon azarae; Calomys laucha; burrow; digging; nesting; shelter |
Año: | 1997 |
Volumen: | 62 |
Número: | 1 |
Página de inicio: | 23 |
Página de fin: | 29 |
Título revista: | Zeitschrift fur Saugetierkunde |
Título revista abreviado: | Z. SAUGETIERKD. |
ISSN: | 00443468 |
CODEN: | ZSAEA |
Registro: | https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_00443468_v62_n1_p23_Hodara |