Species Composition, Distribution, Relative Abundance and Habitat Association of Rodents in Arbaminch Forest and Farmlands, Ethiopia.
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Date
2006
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
A comparative study of species composition, distribution and habitat
association of pest rodents was carried out in Arbaminch Forest and
nearby farmlands from August, 2005 to April, 2006. Six different types of
habitats, four from natural forest and two from farmlands were randomly
selected. These samples were from ground water forest, riverine forest,
deciduous bushland, Lake Abaya shore, maize plantation and cotton
plantation. In each habitat type, one representative trapping grid was
randomly selected for live trapping. In addition, rodents were also
surveyed from each habitat by snap trapping. Sixteen species of small
mammals that including two shrews were recorded from the study area.
Thirteen small mammals trapped were Mastomys natalensis (32.9%),
Arvicanthis dembeensis (30.6%), Acomys cahirinus (10.3%), Lemniscomys
striatus (8.3%), Mastomys erythroleucus (5.7%), Tatera robusta (3.4%),
Arvicanthis niloticus (2.9%), Stenocephalemys albipes (2.1%), Grammomys
dolichurus (1.3%), Mus musculus (1.3%) and Mus tenellus (0.3%), Crocidura
flavescence (0.6%) and Crocidura fumosa (0.3%). The distribution of
species varied from habitat to habitat and season to season. Eleven and
seven rodent species were trapped from natural habitats and farmlands,
respectively. Among trapped rodents, M. natalensis was the most widely
distributed species, whereas T. robusta and L. striatus were the least. The
population was also varied from season to season, high during the dry
season and less during the wet season. Four rodent species (M. natalensis,
A. dembeensis M. musculus and, Hystrix cristata ) were recoded as pests
species of maize crops in farmlands.
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Biology