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Differences in diet between two rodent species, Mastomys natalensis and Gerbilliscus vicinus, in fallow land habitats in central Tanzania

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dc.creator Mulungu, Loth S.
dc.creator Massawe, Apia W.
dc.creator Kennis, Jan
dc.creator Crauwels, Dieter
dc.creator Eiseb, Seth
dc.creator Mahlaba, Themb’alilahlwa A.
dc.creator Monadjem, Ara
dc.creator Makundi, Rhodes H.
dc.creator Katakweba, Abdul A. S.
dc.creator Leirs, Herwig
dc.creator Belmain, Steven R.
dc.date 2016-12-07T10:11:59Z
dc.date 2016-12-07T10:11:59Z
dc.date 2011-10
dc.date.accessioned 2022-10-25T08:52:26Z
dc.date.available 2022-10-25T08:52:26Z
dc.identifier 1562-7020
dc.identifier https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/1095
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/92553
dc.description African Zoology Journal,2011; 46 (2):387-392
dc.description Differences in the ecological niche requirements among rodent species competing in the same habitat may result from differences in the use of one to three resources: space, time and food or some combination of these. Alternatively, differences in resource use utilization among animal species may simply reflect availability of food, and when food is limited, different animal species compete. In this study, the diet of two rodent pest species, Mastomys natalensis and Gerbilliscus vicinus, coexisting in fallow land in central Tanzania were studied to assess the degree of diet differentiation among them. Dietary niche breadth of G. vicinus was greater than that of M. natalensis in all stages of the maize cropping seasons. The rodent species studied overlapped considerably in the food items consumed ranging from niche overlap (Ojk) of 0.77–0.89. Grains/seeds featured high in the diet of M. natalensis while plant material occurrence was high in G. vicinus. These two food categories may have contributed to differences in diet partitioning, which may, in turn, facilitate their coexistence in fallow land.
dc.format application/pdf
dc.language en
dc.subject Diet
dc.subject Fallow land
dc.subject Gerbilliscus vicinus
dc.subject M. natalensis
dc.subject Niche, resources
dc.title Differences in diet between two rodent species, Mastomys natalensis and Gerbilliscus vicinus, in fallow land habitats in central Tanzania
dc.type Article


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