Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Happily together forever: temporal variation in spatial patterns and complete lack of territoriality in a promiscuous rodent

  • Original article
  • Published:
Population Ecology

Abstract

The availability of resources, their effect on population density and territoriality, and the ways in which these factors are interwoven with mating systems are important determinants of small mammal space use. It is often difficult to study these patterns in an integrated way, however, especially because long-term data are needed but not readily available. In this paper, we investigate effects of population density, season and breeding status on home range patterns of the promiscuous rodent Mastomys natalensis using monthly capture-mark-recapture data collected over 17 years in a 3-ha grid. Home ranges were estimated using minimum convex polygons bounded by trap locations, and home range overlap and visitation rates were calculated as a measure of territoriality. As higher population densities coincide with increased resource availability, we predicted that home range sizes would correlate negatively with density. Furthermore, as M. natalensis is promiscuous and population densities are generally high, we predicted that territoriality would be low, and home range overlap would therefore be high. Contrary to expectations the home ranges of female adults increased with population density, although those of male adults and subadults followed the expected decrease. Home range overlap and visitation rates were generally high, and increased significantly with population density. More importantly, they were never lower than those of simulated datasets consisting of randomly moved home ranges. These results therefore suggest that M. natalensis displays a complete lack of territoriality that is rarely seen in small mammals but still meets predictions based on knowledge of density and mating system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler GH (2011) Spacing patterns and social mating systems of echimyid rodents. J Mammal 92:31–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adler G, Endries M, Piotter S (1997) Spacing patterns within populations of a tropical forest rodent, Proechimys semispinosus, on five Panamanian islands. J Zool 241:43–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson R, May R (1979) Population biology of infectious diseases: part I. Nature 280:361–367

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bates D, Maechler M (2012) Matrix: sparse and dens matrix classes and methods. R package version 1.0-9. http://Matrix.R-forge.R-project.org/

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B (2012) lme4: Linear mixed-effects models using S4 classes. R package version 0.999999-0. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lme4

  • Blair WF (1941) Some data on the home ranges and general life history of the short-tailed shrew, red-backed vole, and woodland jumping mouse in Northern Michigan. Am Midl Nat 25:681–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borremans B, Leirs H, Gryseels S, Günther S, Makundi R, De Bellocq JG (2011) Presence of Mopeia virus, an African arenavirus, related to biotope and individual rodent host characteristics: implications for virus transmission. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 11:1125–1131

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brewster J, Leon M (1980) Relocation of the site of mother–young contact: maternal transport behavior in Norway rats. J Comp Physiol Psych 94:69–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burt WH (1943) Territoriality and home range concepts as applied to mammals. J Mammal 24:346–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calenge C (2006) The package adehabitat for the R software: a tool for the analysis of space and habitat use by animals. Ecol Model 197:516–519

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen JT (1996) Home range and abundance of Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) in habitats affected by cultivation. Afr J Ecol 34:298–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee CG (1975) The biology, behaviour, and ecology of Mastomys natalensis in southern Africa. Bull World Health Organ 52:637–644

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis D (1958) The role of density in aggressive behaviour of house mice. Anim Behav 1:207–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewsbury D (2006) A comparative study of rodent social behavior in a seminatural enclosure. Aggress Behav 9:207–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dice LR (1938) Some census methods for mammals. J Wildl Manage 2:119–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobson FS (1984) Environmental influences on sciurid mating systems. In: Murie JO, Michener GR (eds) The biology of ground-dwelling squirrels. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, pp 229–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Duplantier JMM, Granjon L, Bouganaly H (1996) Reproductive characteristics of three sympatric species of Mastomys in Senegal, as observed in the field and in captivity. Mammalia 60:629–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebensperger LA, Blumstein DT (2007) Nonparental infanticide. In: Wolff JO, Sherman PW (eds) Rodent societies: an ecological & evolutionary perspective, 1st edn. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, pp 267–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Endries MJ, Adler GH (2005) Spacing patterns of a tropical forest rodent, the spiny rat (Proechimys semispinosus), in Panama. J Zool 265:147–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiedler L (1988) Rodent problems in Africa. In: Prakash I (ed) Rodent pest management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 35–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming TH (1971) Population ecology of three species of Neotropical rodents. Miscellaneous publications of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 143:1–77

  • Frame JD, Baldwin JM, Gocke DJ, Troup JM (1970) Lassa fever, a new virus disease of man from West Africa. 1. Clinical description and pathological findings. Am J Trop Med Hyg 19:670–676

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaulin SJC, Fitzgerald RW (1988) Home-range size as a predictor of mating systems in Microtus. J Mammal 69:311–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerlach NM, McGlothlin JW, Parker PG, Ketterson ED (2012) Promiscuous mating produces offspring with higher lifetime fitness. Proc R Soc B 279:860–866

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Getz LL, Hofmann JE (1986) Social organization in free-living prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 18:275–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goyens J, Reijniers J, Borremans B, Leirs H (2013) Density thresholds for Mopeia virus invasion and persistence in its host Mastomys natalensis. J Theor Biol 317:55–61

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Granjon L, Lavrenchenko L, Corti M, Coetzee N, Abdel Rahman E (2011) Mastomys natalensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011-1. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 4 November 2011

  • Guichón ML, Borgnia M, Righi CF, Cassini GH, Cassini MH (2003) Social behavior and group formation in the coypu (Mycocastor coypus) in the Argentinean pampas. J Mammal 84:254–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann A, Klingel H (1998) Spatial and temporal patterns in Mastomys cf. natalensis (Smith, 1834) as revealed by radiotracking. In: Denys C, Granjon L, Poulet A (eds) African small mammals. IRD Editions, Paris, pp 459–468

  • Ims RA (1987) Responses in spatial organization and behaviour to manipulations of the food resource in the vole Clethrionomys rufocanus. J Anim Ecol 56:585

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isaäcson M (1975) The ecology of Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis in southern Africa. Bull World Health Organ 52:629–636

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson T (1999) The social organization and breeding system of Brants’ whistling rat (Parotomys brantsii). J Zool 247:323–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennis J, Sluydts V, Leirs H, Van Hooft WFP (2008) Polyandry and polygyny in an African rodent pest species, Mastomys natalensis. Mammalia 72:150–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleiman D (1977) Monogamy in mammals. Q Rev Biol 52:39–69

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Verheyen W, Michiels M, Verhagen R, Stuyck J (1989) The relation between rainfall and the breeding season of Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) in Morogoro, Tanzania. Ann Soc Roy Zool Bel 119:59–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Stuyck J, Verhagen R, Verheyen W (1990) Seasonal variation in growth of Mastomys natalensis (Rodentia: Muridae) in Morogoro, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 28:298–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Verhagen R, Verheyen W (1993) Productivity of different generations in a population of Mastomys natalensis rats in Tanzania. Oikos 68:53–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H (1994) Population ecology of Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834). Implications for rodent control in Africa. Belgian Administration for Development Cooperation, Agricultural Ed. Nr3, Brussels

  • Leirs H, Verhagen R, Verheyen W (1994) The basis of reproductive seasonality in Mastomys rats (Rodentia: Muridae) in Tanzania. J Trop Ecol 10:55–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Verheyen W, Verhagen R (1996) Spatial patterns in Mastomys natalensis in Tanzania (Rodentia, Muridae). Mammalia 60:545–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Stenseth NC, Nichols JD, Hines JE, Verhagen R, Verheyen W (1997) Stochastic seasonality and nonlinear density-dependent factors regulate population size in an African rodent. Nature 389:176–180

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H, Sluydts V, Makundi R (2010) Rodent outbreaks in sub-Saharan Africa. In: Singleton GR (ed) Rodent outbreaks: ecology and impacts. International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, pp 269–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin-Koh NJ, Bivand R (2012) Maptools: Tools for reading and handling spatial objects. R package version 0.8-18. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=maptools

  • Lloyd-Smith JO, Cross PC, Briggs CJ, Daugherty M, Getz WM, Latto J, Sanchez MS, Smith AB, Swei A (2005) Should we expect population thresholds for wildlife disease? Trends Ecol Evol 20:511–519

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lott D (1991) Intraspecific variation in the social systems of wild vertebrates. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • McCallum H, Barlow N, Hone J (2001) How should pathogen transmission be modelled? Trends Ecol Evol 16:295–300

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mohr K, Vibe-Petersen S, Lau Jeppesen L, Bildsoe M, Leirs H (2003) Foraging of multimammate mice, Mastomys natalensis, under different predation pressure: cover, patch-dependent decisions and density-dependent GUDs. Oikos 100:459–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monadjem A, Perrin M (1998) The effect of supplementary food on the home range of the multimammate mouse Mastomys natalensis. S Afr J Wildl Res 28:1–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Mwanjabe PS, Sirima FB, Lusingu J (2002) Crop losses due to outbreaks of Mastomys natalensis (Smith, 1834) Muridae, Rodentia, in the Lindi Region of Tanzania. Int Biodeter Biodegr 49:133–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostfeld RS (1985) Limiting resources and territoriality in microtine rodents. Am Nat 126:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostfeld R (1986) Territoriality and mating system of California voles. J Anim Ecol 55:691–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostfeld RS (1990) The ecology of territoriality in small mammals. Trends Ecol Evol 5:411–415

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ostfeld RS, Heske EJ (1993) Sexual dimorphism and mating systems in voles. J Mammal 74:230–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostfeld R, Pugh S, Seamon J (1988) Space use and reproductive success in a population of meadow voles. J Anim Ecol 57:385–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parmenter RR, Yates TL, Anderson DR, Burnham KP, Dunnum JL, Franklin AB, Friggens MT, Lubow BC, Miller M, Olson GS et al (2003) Others, Small-mammal density estimation: a field comparison of grid-based vs. web-based density estimators. Ecol Monogr 73:1–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peng RD, Murta A (2012) gpclib: General polygon clipping library for R. R package version 1.5-3. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=gpclib

  • Priotto J, Steinmann A, Polop J (2002) Factors affecting home range size and overlap in Calomys venustus (Muridae: Sigmodontinae) in Argentine agroecosystems. Mamm Biol 67:97–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2012) R: A language and environment for statistical computing

  • Schradin C (2004) Territorial defense in a group-living solitary forager: who, where, against whom? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 55:439–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schradin C, Pillay N (2004) The influence of the father on offspring development in the striped mouse. Behav Ecol 16:450–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva RB, Vieira EM, Izar P (2008) Social monogamy and biparental care of the neotropical southern bamboo rat (Kannabateomys amblyonyx). J Mammal 89:1464–1472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sluydts V, Crespin L, Davis SA, Lima M, Leirs H (2007) Survival and maturation rates of the African rodent, Mastomys natalensis: density-dependence and rainfall. Integr Zool 2:220–232

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sluydts V, Davis S, Mercelis S, Leirs H (2009) Comparison of multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) demography in monoculture and mosaic agricultural habitat: Implications for pest management. Crop Prot 28:647–654

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinmann AR, Priotto JW, Polop JJ (2008) Territorial behaviour in corn mice, Calomys musculinus (Muridae: Sigmodontinae), with regard to mating system. J Ethol 27:51–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stickel LF (1954) A comparison of certain methods of measuring ranges of small mammals. J Mammal 35:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenstra AJF (1958) The behaviour of the multimammate mouse, Rattus (Mastomys) natalensis (A. Smith). Anim Behav 6:195–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warner RR, Hoffman SG (1980) Population density and the economics of territorial defense in a coral reef fish. Ecology 61:772–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waterman J (2007) Male mating strategies in rodents. In: Wolff JO, Sherman PW (eds) Rodent societies: an ecological & evolutionary perspective. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, pp 27–41

    Google Scholar 

  • White GC, Anderson DR, Burnham KP, Otis DL (1982) Capture-recapture and removal methods for sampling closed populations. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff JO (1985) The effects of density, food, and interspecific interference on home range size in Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus. Can J Zool 63:2657–2662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff JO (1989) Social behavior. In: Kirkland GL, Layne JN (eds) Advances in the study of Peromyscus (Rodentia). Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, pp 271–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff J (1997) Population regulation in mammals: an evolutionary perspective. J Anim Ecol 66:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolff JO, Macdonald DW (2004) Promiscuous females protect their offspring. Trends Ecol Evol 19:127–134

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wulff H, McIntosh BM, Hamner DB, Johnson KM (1977) Isolation of an arenavirus closely related to Lassa virus from Mastomys natalensis in south-east Africa. Bull World Health Organ 55:441–444

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Morogoro, Tanzania), and in particular the excellent technical staff at the Pest Management Center. Thanks to two anonymous reviewers whose suggestions improved the manuscript. Funding was provided over the many years by several projects under the European Union Framework Programmes, the Flemish University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS), Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the University of Antwerp. This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Focus Program 1596. Borremans B is currently a research fellow of Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary Ecology Group, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Benny Borremans, Nelika K. Hughes, Jonas Reijniers, Vincent Sluydts & Herwig Leirs

  2. Unit of Medical Entomology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Vincent Sluydts

  3. Pest Management Center, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, PO BOX 3110, Morogoro, Tanzania

    Abdul A. S. Katakweba, Loth S. Mulungu, Christopher A. Sabuni & Rhodes H. Makundi

  4. Danish Pest Infestation Laboratory, University of Aarhus, Forsøgsvej 1, 4200, Slagelse, Denmark

    Herwig Leirs

Authors
  1. Benny Borremans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nelika K. Hughes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jonas Reijniers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vincent Sluydts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Abdul A. S. Katakweba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Loth S. Mulungu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Christopher A. Sabuni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Rhodes H. Makundi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Herwig Leirs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benny Borremans.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 352 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Borremans, B., Hughes, N.K., Reijniers, J. et al. Happily together forever: temporal variation in spatial patterns and complete lack of territoriality in a promiscuous rodent. Popul Ecol 56, 109–118 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-013-0393-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-013-0393-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation