The home range of ship rats (Rattus rattus) in beech forest in the Eglinton Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand: A pilot study

Abstract

Three male and two female ship rats (Rattus rattus) were radio-tagged and tracked in beech (Nothofagus) forest in the Eglinton Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand over two field periods in 1996 and 2000. The home range of each animal was calculated using the minimum convex polygon method. Ranges of three male rats were 7.5, 9.1, and 11.4 ha whereas those of the female rats were 0.89 and 0.27 ha. The home ranges recorded for male rats were considerably larger than those reported from other studies in non-beech forest. Ship rats are important predators of forest birds, and home range information could be used to provide a guide for trap or bait station spacing in beech forests. To carry out rat control in beech forests effectively, further studies are needed to determine if the results of this pilot study are typical, and if home ranges of ship rats change with season, or at various stages of the beech mast cycle.

Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 11.Rattus rattus,the Black Rat (Rodentia: Muridae)

“…Home ranges of R. rattus in two montane mesic forests on O'ahu (1.5 -9.1 ha [Shiels 2010]) were nearly as variable as those in a South Island, New Zealand, beech forest (0.3 -11.4 ha [Pryde et al 2005]). Other New Zealand studies in North Island forests found that R. rattus home ranges were much smaller (e.g., 0.3 -1.8 ha in a study by Dowding and Murphy [1994], and 0.3 -2.2 ha in Hooker and Innes [1995]).…”

How elevation affects ship rat (Rattus rattus) capture patterns, Mt Misery, New Zealand

“…Ship rats live entirely in silver tussock grassland on the sub-antarctic Macquarie Island (Pye et al 1999) and recent anecdotal evidence from trapping operations suggests they are present in the New Zealand alpine zone at certain sites (O'Donnell et al 2017) which would be comparable ecologically with Mt Misery. Furthermore, male ship rats have been recorded moving distances of up to 790 m in a night in beech forest (Pryde et al 2005), so should be capable of living in the forest and commuting into the alpine zone. Overseas, while ship rats tend to be more abundant in temperate locations (Horskins et al 1998;Lindsey et al 1999;Wegmann et al 2008), they are also present in cold climatic zones like Macquarie Island where mean annual temperature is 4.9°C (Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, unpubl.…”

Denning behaviour of ship rats (Rattus rattus) on Taukihepa, a seabird breeding island

“…New Zealand studies have been in forest habitats more complex than Taukihepa, where there is an almost monospecific canopy of tūpare over sparse ground cover. Tūpare trees lack cavities and epiphytes that usually provide forest-dwelling rats with potential den sites on the mainland (Best 1968;hooker & innes 1995;Pryde et al 2005). in contrast, there were a large number of possible den sites on the ground within burrows, logs, woodpiles, and ferns.…”

“…Rats have also been observed in den sites in flax bushes (Phormium spp.) and in pre-existing cavities at ground level (Best 1968;Pryde et al 2005). in hawaii ship rats dig burrow systems underground (flannelly et al 1986) or nest in porous lava (Tobin et al 1996) or up trees.…”

“…Ship rats commonly use arboreal den sites in New Zealand forests (Best 1968;hooker & innes 1995;innes 2005;Pryde et al 2005). in New Zealand, ship rats are known to prefer dens in clumps of epiphytes and tree hollows but can also make nest-like structures, built from woven twigs and leaves, in both shrubs and canopy trees (Best 1968;hooker & innes 1995;innes 2005).…”