Abstract
We investigated intraspecific and interspecific behaviors that function as mechanisms of social spacing and tolerance to allow coexistence of sympatric species of desert rodents. Radiotracking data showed overlap in home ranges of two species of kangaroo rats, Dipodomys ordii and D. merriami. Home ranges of males of both species overlapped females; females exhibited exclusive home ranges. Although D. ordii dominated D. merriami in paired encounters in the laboratory, D. merriami avoided D. ordii, and aggression was infrequent Tests for recognition by olfactory cues revealed that kangaroo rats did not respond to heterospecific scent and behaviors of intraspecific recognition of D. ordii were similar to those described previously for D. merriami. Females responded to the scent of conspecific females and preferred the scent of familiar, conspecific males; males showed no preferences. These two species of kangaroo rats probably coexist through interspecific avoidance and intraspecific spacing mediated by familiarity and neighbor recognition in females.
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