Abstract
Dietary habits of bandicoot rats (bandicota bengalensis) were investigated in the agricultural crops of the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan by analysing stomach contents. The research activities were conducted in major field crops including wheat-groundnut and in the fallow lands during non-crop season at the field boundaries. The specimens were captured from the fields using kill/snap traps, and dissected to collect their stomach samples for laboratory analysis. Light microscopic slides of the plant material were recovered from stomach samples and the reference materials were collected from the field. Results revealed that the bandicoot rat predominantly fed upon cultivated crops during cropping season but consumed wild vegetation during non-cropping season. There was no significance difference between summer and winter diets. Most frequently consumed crop food items were wheat (Triticum aestivum; 28.57%), groundnut (Arachis hypogea; 11.26%), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor; 10.17%), chickpea (Cicer arietinum; 9.52%), maize (Zea mays; 6.49%), millet (Pennisetum glaucum; 5.84%), barley (Hordeum vulgare; 4.98%) and mustard (Brassica campestris; 4.98%). Among wild vegetation were consumed khbal gha (Cynodon dactylon; 7.79%), baron dhab (Demostachya bipinnata; 7.36%) and Prickly flower (Achyranthes aspera; 3.03%). The study concludes that, in addition to consuming wheat and groundnut crops, the Lesser bandicoot rat also subsists on grasses, weeds, and some fodder crops, as important component of its diet in agro-ecosystem of the Pothwar Plateau.
Highlights
Among all mammalian groups, rodents are the largest one, comprising of nearly 2700 species belonging to 30 families (Aplin et al 2003)
A total of 20 specimens were trapped during the study period, whereby the trapping success was higher in cropping season of wheat (n = 12), followed by groundnut (n = 08) crops
During non-cropping season, the success was low and most of the capturing was done from the field boundaries of the wheat and two specimens were captured from the field boundaries of the groundnut fields
Summary
Rodents are the largest one, comprising of nearly 2700 species belonging to 30 families (Aplin et al 2003). Rodents are a natural constituent of agricultural ecosystems where they play a significant role, in food chains. Their characteristic is a high rate of reproduction and associated fluctuation in their richness within seasons of the year and over periods of several years. They thrive in agricultural areas well-interspersed with woodlots and riparian habitat, favoring early successional stages, which keep brush and sapling browse within reach (Craven and Hygnstrom, 1994). Rodents presumably benefit more from edges adjacent to agricultural fields, streams, and grasslands during non-crop period where they can have access to shrubs and forbs, which comprise some of their main forage sources (Retamosa et al, 2008)
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