Small rodents in the crop ecosystem of Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

Abstract

In a 16-month study on rodent-infestation patterns in crop fields on the Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan, five rodent species were found to occur in the following order of dominance: Tatera indica, Bandicota bengalensis, Mus spp., Golunda ellioti and Nesokia indica. On the basis of the trapping data, the first three species were considered to have pest status and their relative abundance changed from season to season. During spring, T. indica and B. bengalensis were the dominant species. B. bengalensis became dominant in summer. The proportion of T. indica increased during the monsoon season and autumn (58.5%) and reached almost 95% during winter. Mus species were more common than B. bengalensis in the post-summer monsoon and autumn. G. ellioti and N. indica were captured occasionally, and showed no seasonal preference. As N. indica is a highly fossorial species, surface trapping is believed to have underestimated its prevalence. Unlike the other species, the population of T. indica was stable all over seasons; this appeared to be linked to its use of the wild vegetation on the field boundaries. This preliminary information highlights the need for further studies to explore the life-history traits and habitats of these rodent species.