Winter breeding of the Indian Gerbil, Tatera indica (Rodentia: Gerbillinae), with reference to its first recorded outbreak in Iraq

Abstract

In the course of a study carried out in the Wassit, Dyala and Taamim provinces of Iraq between November 1993 and February 1994, it was found that Tatera indica continued its breeding even during winter. The pregnancy rates ranged between 42.9 and 66.7% and the mean numbers of embryos ranges between 7.2 and 8.0 litters/female. An outbreak of this gerbil was recorded in Iraq and the possible factors leading to it are discussed in this study.