Aggressive interactions among wild and domestic rodents

Abstract

Intra-and interspecific bisexual encounters between Bandicota bengalensis, Rattus rattus, Tatera indica and domesticated strain of Rattus norvegicus were staged for 10 min every day for seven days. The amicable, aggressive, submissive/ avoidance and residual behaviour counts were recorded for each partner of the different species combinations and compared. The different species pair combinations were classified as amicable, aggressive and neutral, depending on the ratios of aggressive and amicable behaviour counts. These results are discussed with reference to inter-species relationships, resident-intruder status, body weight-dorainance correlation, 'bully effect' of albino rats and sex differences in agonistic behaviour.

Prevalence of Leptospira Infection in Rodents from Bangladesh

“…Unfortunately, almost no scientific studies are published on the competition of B. bengalensis with other rodent species. We found only one report from India that claimed that female R. rattus are submissive to B. bengalensis [85]. Sridhara et al [85] postulate that there is less aggression in closely related rodent species (e.g., within species from the Rattus genus) compared to the violent interaction of rodents more distantly related from each other (e.g., Rattus genus vs. Bandicota genus).…”

Haematological studies on two rodents after zinc phosphide and vacor poisoning

“…Winthrobe (1967)concluded that the variations in the total ltBC and haemoglobin content seen between the sexes is not evident until puberty and these variations were noticed only in thos0 mammals which lose menstrual blood. The skorter bleeding time of male gerbils is possibly an adaptation to their more hazardous existence since our laboratory observations on interspecies aggression indicated B. bengalensis to be not only more aggressive than gerbils but in majority of encounters bezween these two species lesser bandicoots severely injured/kilted gerbils (Sridhara et al 1980).…”

Rodent-borne health risks in farming systems

“…Unfortunately, almost no scientific studies are published on the competition of B. bengalensis with other rodent species. We found only one report from India that claimed that female R. rattus are submissive to B. bengalensis (Sridhara, Narasimham, & Krishnamoorthy, 1980). Sridhara et al (1980) postulate that there is less aggression in closely related rodent species (e.g., within species from the Rattus genus) compared to the violent interaction of rodents more distantly related from each other (e.g., Rattus genus vs. Bandicota genus).…”