Land molluscs as food of Malayan rodents and insectivores

Abstract

Laboratory and field experiments demonstrate that, contrary to previously published stomach analysis data, rats selectively consume land molluscs. Rattus jalorensis and R. argentiventer prefer molluscs as food, while R. exulans and R. r. diardi are less inclined to do so. Macrochlamys resplendens, a land snail, is most favoured, with the slug Micropar‐mariort malayanus next in preference. The heavily‐shelled Achatina fulica is only occasionally eaten and Quantula striata is ignored. Examination of gastro‐intestinal contents of wild rats caught from various habitats in Malaya show that when present in large numbers molluscs form an important part of the natural food of rats, yet laboratory evidence demonstrates that as many as 60% of mollusc‐eating rats may fail to show evidence of shells on examination within 12 hours of feeding–an indication that stomach analyses alone may be of limited value.The Malayan insectivores Echinosorex gymnurus and Suncus murinus often feed on snails and slugs, though they appear not to be suitable hosts for infection with the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis.