Burrow architecture and burrowing dynamics of the endangered Namaqua dune mole rat (<i>Bathyergus janetta</i>) (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

Herbst, Marna; Bennett, Nigel C.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00151.x

Cited by 34 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In contrast, their promiscuous mating system suggests differences in space use for Cape mole-rats. Home range size data for the solitary Cape mole-rat are lacking, however, with the exception of the solitary Namaqualand dune mole-rats (Bathyergus janetta, [32]) no sexspecific differences in home range size have been reported for subterranean rodents [33][34][35] suggesting that the same may apply to Cape mole-rats. Female Cape mole-rats are probably less likely to enter foreign burrow systems and could thus me more reluctant to explore the maze, yet, although males tended to travel larger additional distances none of the other measures of learning or anxiety reflected such motivational differences between the sexes in Cape mole-rats.…”

Section: Sex-specific Differencesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: The role of sociality and sex

Costanzo

Bennett

Lutermann

2009

Physiology & Behavior

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oSpatial learning and memory is an important skill for the survival and fitness and may vary between the sexes depending on differences in space use. This is particularly true for animals that explore the subterranean niche as it is associated with high travelling costs. In subterranean rodents the complexity of burrow systems varies with differing degrees of sociality possibly posing stronger selective pressures regarding spatial abilities on species with more complex burrow structures. This could lead to superior abilities in spatial learning and memory in social compared to solitary subterranean species. We tested this hypothesis in two species of subterranean mole-rats, the eusocial Damaraland (Fukomys damarensis) and solitary Cape mole-rats (Georychus capensis) by comparing their ability to locate food in an artificial maze. Measurements of the time taken to the goal chamber, the number of wrong turns taken, and the average velocity at which animals travelled were used to compare performance between animals. We did not find marked sex-specific differences in either study species during the assessment of learning and memory retention. In accordance with our hypothesis significant differences between the species were apparent during both learning and memory trials with the social species exhibiting superior performances. However, in both species memory retention was generally high suggesting that the fossorial lifestyle poses a strong selective pressure on spatial abilities in subterranean mammals.

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Section: Sex-specific Differencesmentioning

confidence: 93%

Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: The role of sociality and sex

Costanzo

Bennett

Lutermann

2009

Physiology & Behavior

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“…It has been proposed that this may be due to active mate seeking behaviour. In the closely related Bathyergus janetta, burrow length was greater in males than those of females supporting the notion that males seek out females (Herbst & Bennett 2006). The only study to previously investigate the difference in burrow length between the sexes in B. suillus (Thomas et al 2009) also reported putative mate seeking behaviour in males.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat,Bathyergus suillus(Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

et al. 2012

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Most polygynous male mammals exhibit little or no parental care or involvement raising young. Instead, they invest indirectly in their own morphological and physiological attributes which enhance their chance of reproduction. Such secondary morphological sex traits may contribute to differences in the burrow architecture of fossorial mammals, such as the Cape dune mole-rat, Bathyergus suillus. Indeed, little is known about the seasonal changes in burrow architecture or differences in burrow configuration may differ between the sexes of subterranean African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). We excavated burrow systems of male and female B. suillus during the summer and the winter to investigate whether male burrow architecture reflected putative mate-seeking behaviour. We consider burrow geometry in response to mating strategies. Male burrow systems explored the environment more efficiently than females. This is presumably because of the increase in associated energetic costs of being a large male. Males produce more mounds indicating territorial behaviour even when it is energetically costly to dispose of soil onto the surface when the soil is less friable during the summer. Overall tunnel dimensions did not differ between the sexes. It appears that a change in season does not affect the geometry of the burrow system or tunnel dimensions in a climatically buffered environment.

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“…Nest chambers and bolt-holes were present and located slightly deeper than the main tunnel as found by Lovegrove and Painting, (1987) for the eusocial Damaraland mole-rat and the solitary Namaqua dune mole-rat (Herbst and Bennett, 2006). Nest sites were located centrally and on the periphery of the burrow system as reported for Ansell"s mole-rat, Fukomys anselli (Thomas et al, in preparation) and the common mole-rat, C.h.hottentotus (Thomas et al, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…It has been suggested that a very large burrow system is not always advantageous (Herbst and Bennett, 2006) and that when comparing burrow lengths the optimum working length and cost of maintenance of the burrow must be considered (Herbst and Bennett, 2006). We predicted that, larger colonies would occupy larger burrow systems which, in turn, would cover greater areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study may provide additional evidence for the assumptions of the foraging model of Lovegrove and Wissel (1988): that larger group size offer adaptive benefits in terms of how thoroughly the surrounding area is explored. The main objective of this study was to investigate and describe the architecture and structural characteristics of five Damaraland mole-rat burrow systems as part of recent ongoing research into foraging behaviour of subterranean rodents (Herbst and Bennett, 2006, Sichilima et al, 2008, Škliba et al 2009, Thomas et al, 2009, 2012a, 2012b, 2013 and foraging efficiency (Le Comber et al, 2002Comber et al, , 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Burrow architecture of the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) from South Africa

2016

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The burrow architecture (length, internal dimensions, fractal dimension of tunnel systems, number of nesting chambers and surface mounds) was investigated in the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis). A total of 31 animals were caught from five different colonies and their burrow systems were excavated in their entirety. The mean and SD colony size was 6 ± 3.3, with a range of 2-10 mole-rats. The sex ratio was male biased 1.21:1. Males had a body mass of 80.5 ± 33.8g, but were not significantly different to those of females which had a mean body mass of 83.4 ± 24.9g. The burrow system of the Damaraland mole-rats follows the same general architectural plan as recorded for other species of mole-rat with either one or two more centrally based deeper more permanent burrows which often connect to a nest area, which is used for resting and rearing offspring. The burrow systems contained several more superficial secondary tunnels at a shallower depth. The secondary tunnels accounted for up to 80% of the total burrow 1 system. The mean length of the burrow system was 130.4m and covered an area of 1403m². The mean number of secondary branches in a burrow system was 10. The mean fractal dimension was 1.154 which implies the mole-rats do not explore their surrounding environment particularly efficiently when compared to that of other mole-rat species, but this may relate to the size of the main food resource, the Eland bean (Elephantorrhiza elephantina) which is randomly distributed and fed on in situ. Our study showed that colony size influences the size and complexity of the burrow system with larger colonies having a longer burrow system covering a greater area with more secondary tunnels than that of smaller colonies.

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Burrow architecture and burrowing dynamics of the endangered Namaqua dune mole rat (Bathyergus janetta) (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

Cited by 34 publications

References 21 publications

Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: The role of sociality and sex

Spatial learning and memory in African mole-rats: The role of sociality and sex

Seasonal effects on digging activity and burrow architecture in the Cape dune mole-rat,Bathyergus suillus(Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

Burrow architecture of the Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) from South Africa

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