Indian Gerbil Tatera Indica Research Articles

Dietary Habits of Indian Gerbil Tatera indica Inhabiting Agro-Ecosystem of Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

Dietary Habits of Indian Gerbil Tatera indica Inhabiting Agro-Ecosystem of Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

Skull variation in populations of the Indian gerbil Tatera indica (Gerbillinae, Rodentia) sampled across its broad geographic range

Populations of broadly distributed species often exhibit geographic structuring, which is sometimes reflected in phenotype. The monotypic Indian gerbil (Tatera indica) is an example of a widely distributed species, with its range encompassing much of Asia. This study aims to determine if T. indica populations exhibit marked variation in skull morphology—this structure is particularly adaptable and thus could be amenable to show such variation. Furthermore, the potential drivers of skull variation are examined, including the role of climate and geography. To achieve these goals, 21 linear measurements were measured on the skulls of 509 specimens, coming from 111 different localities, across this species wide range. The specimens were then assigned into one of four broad geographic groups (≈ populations) based on their geographic proximity, and the overall and the pairwise differences in the 21 skull measurements among these groups were assessed. Specimens from Pakistan significantly differed from those belonging to the West Iran, East Iran, and India populations, which in turn did not significantly differ from each other. Pairwise bioclimatic and geographic distances between the localities explained a significant, yet small amount of variation in the measurements. Thus, while the Pakistani T. indica population was distinct in skull measurements, both climatic and non-climatic spatial factors seem not to account largely for its distinctiveness (from the other populations).

Pattern of Damage by Rodent (Rodentia: Muridae) Pests in Wheat in Conjunction with Their Comparative Densities throughout Growth Phase of Crop

Rodents are one of the most important vertebrate pests which directly and indirectly distress to the production of crops and storage of grains. Rodents especially under the Family Muridae can cause serious damage to cereal crops of all kinds including wheat. The present investigation was conducted to observe the pattern of damage by rodent (Rrodentia: Muridae) pests in wheat in conjunction with their comparative densities throughout growth phase of crop i.e., from seedling to mature grain stage. During the crop growing season, several rodent species were involved in damaging to wheat, but variations in their predominance were detected. Of the trapped and identified pests, the lesser bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis Gray was the mainly prime species in the wheat fields approached by Indian gerbil Tatera indica Hardwicke, house mouse Mus musculus L., soft-furred field rat Rattus meltada Gray and short tailed mole rat Nesokia indica Gray & Hardwicke. These different rodent pests began to raid and damage the wheat crop right from sowing and continued up to the time of harvesting. Such descriptions of damage are influenced by a number of factors, for instance, relative abundance of different growth stages of crop and their relative nutritional contents, palatability, tastes, and the availability of other food in the locality. The trends of different levels of damage through wheat stem cuttings at various growth stages served primarily as an indication that rats and mice are opportunistic foragers, adjusting their preferences according to availability of food resources. This information of food habits by specific rodents is a basis for the management of their populations and to reduce the damage in the wheat fields thereby increasing the grain yield.

Diet of Wintering Long-Eared OwlAsio otusin Zabol, Southeastern Iran

We examined 250 pellets of Long-eared Owls Asio otus in 2006 and 2007 from winter roost sites in southeastern Iran. In contrast to the diet of wintering owls (e.g. mainly small mammals) reported elsewhere in the world, the diet of wintering Long-eared Owls at Zabol was predominantly larger rodents (c. 150 g). Specifically, big-size rodents, including the Indian Gerbil Tatera indica, and a Bandikoot Rat Nesokia indica made up 72.9% of the total biomass in the diet of the owls at Zabol. In addition to small mammal and bird species found in Long-eared Owl pellets from other regions, we found Meriones spp. and Gerbillus spp. (both are types of Gerbils) that, thus far, had not been reported in the diet of this owl.

Occurrence of Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst, 1931) in an Indian Gerbil Tatera indica, in Kerala

Occurrence of Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst, 1931) in an Indian Gerbil Tatera indica, in Kerala

Reproductive behaviour of the South Indian gerbil Tatera indica cuvieri with a note on the role of postejaculatory copulations

Quantitative scores for 4 behavioural patterns, especially those of an antagonistic nature, were recorded from wild individual of Mus musculus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 living in semi-confinement in an outdoor enclosure divided into four pens. The enclosure was permeable, in that mice were able to move between pens and between the enclosure and the outside. The population was monitored by the capture-mark-recapture method. In the spring of 1988 and 1989 the behaviour of mice trapped in the enclosure was studied in unisexual encounters in a neutral arena. There were no significant differences in scores for behaviour in relation to the degree of spatial separation of the places of capture of individuals paired together (except in the number of attempts to escape noted for females in 1989 and the total activity noted for males in 1988). Males and females did not differ significantly in scores for aggressive behaviour, but mice were more aggressive and more active in 1989 when the population in the enclosure was smaller, than in 1988, when it was larger.

Burrow structure of two gerbil species of Thar desert, India

We examined the seasonal changes in burrow structure of Indian gerbil Tatera indica (Hradwicke, 1807) and Indian desert gerbil Meriones hurrianae Jerdon, 1867 by excavating their natural burrows in the Thar desert of India. Burrow system of T. indica is of a simple

Laboratory and field evaluation of flocoumafen for rodent control

A new anticoagulant rodenticide, flocoumafen, at a concentration of 0·005% in the bait in 24 h no-choice and 48 h choice laboratory feeding tests was found to cause 100% mortality of the Indian bush rat Golunda ellioti, the Indian gerbil Tatera indica and the soft-furred field rat Rattus meltada. In field trials in sugar cane and wheat, where these species and the Indian mole rat Bandicota bengalensis and Mus spp. were present, about 65% rodent control was obtained with a single treatment with 0·005% flucoumafen bait at the rate of 1 kg/ha. The performance of a single treatment with flocoumafen was comparable with that of 2·4% zinc phosphide, a conventional acute rodenticide. Unlike zinc phosphide, however, two treatments with a 10-day interval with flocoumafen resulted in significantly higher rodent control compared with the single treatment, indicating the superiority of flocoumafen over zinc phosphide in repeat baiting treatments.

Histochemical distribution of tetrazolium reductases, dehydrogenases and lipids in the follicular wall of normal and atretic follicles in the ovary of the Indian gerbilTatera indica (Muridae: Rodentia)

The comparison of the histochemical features of the follicular wall in normal and atretic follicles of corresponding stages in the ovaries of Indian gerbilTatera indica revealed conspicuous changes in amount of lipids and activities of NADH- and NADPH tetrazolium reductases, δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and succinate- and lactate dehydrogenases in the granulosa layers during follicular growth and atresia. The thecal layers showed a progressive increase in their amounts during follicular growth and these enzymes are not affected significantly by atresia. Atresia resulted in increased amounts of lipids in the granulosa cells and decreased activities of succinate- and lactate dehydrogenases and NADH- and NADPH tetrazolium reductases during latter stages of degeneration.

A new genus of hymenolepid cestodes from the Indian gerbil, Tatera indica

ABSTRACTParaoligorchis taterae gen. et sp.n. is described from the Indian gerbil Tatera indica. It is characterised by unarmed suckers; rudimentary and unarmed rostellum; 4–7 testes of which 1–2 are aporal and anterior to others which are in a transverse row; cirrus pouch extending beyond excretory stems; unilateral genital pores; genital ducts dorsal to excretory stems; prominent external and internal seminal vesicles; large rosette-like ovary; saccular uterus; vaginal opening posterior to that of the cirrus pouch; three-layered eggs devoid of both a pyriform apparatus and polar filaments. It has been compared with related genera of Hymenolepidinae and Anoplocephalinae and found to differ from all of these in some character or other.