Foraging activity of commensal Mus musculus in semi-captivity conditions. Effect of predator odours, previous experience and moonlight.
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Mus musculus is a pest in urban and rural habitats where it consumes and contaminates food and may transmit diseases to human and domestic animals. Its control by anticoagulants is partially effective because of aversive behaviours and resistance. In this context, we wanted to assess the potential of the use of predator odours as repellents in experimental feeding trials using urine and faeces of domestic cats and faeces of geoffroyi cat, a wild small felid that is one of the main rodent predators in the study area. We also assessed the effect of previous experience and moonlight on foraging activity. RESULTS We did not find an aversive response to cat odours in Mus musculus individuals. There was a trend to consume food in the same feeding stations over time, and the visit rate was lower in periods with high moonlight than in periods with low moonlight. CONCLUSIONS Predator odours did not seem to be useful as rodent repellents, but maintaining illumination may lower rodent foraging activity. As rodents maintain their feeding sites over time, toxic baits may be more efficiently placed at sites previously known to be used by rodents.
منابع مشابه
Detection of Zoonotic Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella spp. Carrying Virulence Genes in Rural Mus musculus, Golestan Province, North of Iran
Background and aims: Salmonella spp. infect cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals and maycause a worldwide zoonotic disease, salmonellosis, in infected animals. Rodents can be Salmonellacarriers without any signs of salmonellosis. The frequency of salmonella contamination, the presence ofvirulence genes (SpvR and SpvB) and antibiotic resistance pattern of isolated Salmonella w...
متن کاملConverting Predation Cues into Conservation Tools: The Effect of Light on Mouse Foraging Behaviour
Prey face a conflict between acquiring energy and avoiding predators and use both direct and indirect cues to assess predation risk. Illumination, an indirect cue, influences nocturnal rodent foraging behaviour. New Zealand holds no native rodent species but has introduced mice (Mus musculus) that severely impair native biodiversity. We used Giving-Up Densities (GUDs) and observations of foragi...
متن کاملEvaluation of effectiveness of some mitochondrial genes in biosystematics and phylogeographic studies of house mouse (Mus musculus ) subspecies
The identification of the efficiency of some mtDNA genes of Mus musculus species complex (house mouse) for biosystematics research was studied in this approach. Recent studies have made use of different mitochondrial genes including NADH dehydrogenase genes, cytochrome b gene, cytochrome oxidase genes, D-loop region and whole mtDNA genome to study the house mouse species. Usage of each of these...
متن کاملLeptospirosis in small mammals of Iran: II: Isolation of Leptospira grippotyphosa, from Mus musculus
متن کامل
A survey on helminthic infection in mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) in Kermanshah, Iran
Parasitic infections of rodents can compromise scientific research as well as the health of the animals and humans. Based on previous studies, infection rate of parasitic helminths is different in various regions of Iran. The current survey was aimed to determine endoparasitic helminths infection in 138 trapped rodents of Kermanshah county, Iran. Mice and rats were trapped using metal snares fr...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Pest management science
دوره 71 12 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2015