Abstract
Idris M. & Prakash I., 1987: Scent marking behaviour and social organization in the Indian soft-furred field-rat. Acta theriol., 32, 19: 315—325, [With 3 Tables & 1 Fig.] Social behaviour of soft-furred field-rat. Rattus meltada pallidior (Ryley, 1914) was studied in seminatural condition of a large rattery (13X7 m). Hourly observations, continued for 30 evenings, revealed that the male metads were more active and performed all the aggressive acts like fighting and chasing at a significantly higher frequency than the females. But dominant females were found to be as aggressive as the dominant males, indicating that social organisation of metads is based on multi-dominance of animals of both sexes. The metads deposit two types of scent in the area of their movement: that of the sebum of the mid abdominal gland (only males) and of urine. The former activity is performed by the dominant males only but all females mark with urine and the dominant ones do so at a higher frequency. It is revealed that the scent marking and urine marking have an important role in displaying the dominant status of the animals in the territory and in reproduction of metads. [Cordinating & Monitoring Centre for Rodent Research and Training, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, India]
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