Rodents in Desert Environments

635 Pages·1975·22.013 MB·English

by  J. L. Gloudsley-Thompson (auth.), I. Prakash, P. K. Ghosh (eds.)

RODENTS IN DESERT ENVIRONMENTS
MONOGRAPHIAE BIOLOGICAE
Editor
J.ILLIES
Schlitz
VOLUME 28
DR. W. JUNK h.v. PUBLISHERS THE HAGUE 1975
RODENTS IN DESERT ENVIRONMENTS
Edited by
I. PRAKASH & P. K. GHOSH
DR. W. JUNK h.v. PUBLISHERS THE HAGUE 1975
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-1946-0 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-1944-6
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-1944-6
© 1975 by Dr. W. Junk b.v., Publishers, The Hague
Cover Design M. Velthuijs, The Hague
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1st edition 1975
Zuid-Nederlandsche Drukkerij N.V., 's-Hertogenbosch
CONTENTS
Chapters' Contents VII
Preface ..... . XIII
Authors' Addresses XVI
I. The Desert as a Habitat 1
II. The Ecology of Rodents in the northern Sudan 15
III. The Rodents of the Iranian Deserts . . . . . 47
IV. Comparative Ecological Notes on Afghan Rodents. 59
V. The Population Ecology of the Rodents of the Rajasthan
Desert, India. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
VI. Outbreaks of Rodents in Semi-Arid and Arid Australia:
Causes, Preventions and Evolutionary Considerations. . 117
VII. Observations of Argentine Desert Rodent Ecology, with
Emphasis on Water Relations of Eligmodontia typus. . . . 155
VIII. La diversite des Gerbillides. . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
IX. Some Observations on Ecological Adaptations of Desert
Rodents and Suggestions for further Research work. 185
X. The Behavior Patterns of Desert Rodents 189
XI. Activity Patterns of a Desert Rodent. 225
XII. Patterns of Food, Space and Diversity . 241
XIII. Desert Coloration in Rodents . . . . . 269
XIV. The Biology of some Desert-Dwelling Ground Squirrels. 277
XV. Reproductive Biology of North American Desert Rodents 305
XVI. Rodent Faunas and Environmental Changes in the
Pleistocene of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
XVII. Prehistoric Rodents of the Middle East. . . . . . . . 363
XVIII. Desert Rodents: Physiological Problems of Desert Life. . 379
XIX. Ecophysiology of Water and Energy in Desert Marsupials
and Rodents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
XX. Thermo-Regulation and Water Economy in Indian
Desert Rodents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
XXI. The Physiological Adaptations of Desert Rodents. . . . 413
XXII. Nematode Parasites of the Indian Desert Rodents. . . . 445
XXIII. Ecology of Desert Rodents of the U.S.S.R. (Jerboas and
Gerbils) . . . . . . .. 465
Author Index. . . . . . 599
Genus and Species Index. 607
Subject Index . . . . . 617
CHAPTERS' CONTENTS
I. The Desert as a Habitat by]. L. CLOUDSLEy-THOMP-
SON 1
Introduction 1
Distri bu tion 1
Soils. 3
Climate 5
Vegetation 11
References 12
II. The Ecology of Rodents in the northern Sudan by
D. C. D. HAPPOLD 15
Introduction 15
Desert Species. 22
] ebel Species 30
Riverine Species. 31
Commensal Species 31
Reproduction. 31
Other Adaptations for Life in the Desert 35
Discussion 39
Acknowledgements 44
References 44
III. The Rodents of the Iranian Deserts by X. MISONNE 47
Introduction 47
The Rodents: northern and southern Types. 49
Annual Rhythm 52
Population Densities . 54
Some Peculiarities. 56
References 58
IV. Com.parative Ecological Notes on Afghan Rodents
by]. GAISLER 59
Introduction 59
Results. 60
Discussion 69
Summary 72
References 73
V. The Population Ecology of the Rodents of the
Rajasthan Desert, India by ISHWAR PRAKASH 75
Introduction . . . . 75
. Population Structure. 81
Ranges of Movements 95
Food . . . . . . . 96
Predator-Prey Relationship. 101
Breeding Season and Litter Size . 103
References . . . . . . . 114
VI. Outbreaks of Rodents in Setni-Arid and Arid
Australia: Causes, Preventions, and Evolutionary Con-
siderations by A. E. NEWSOME & L. K. CORBETT 117
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Climates in Central Australia. . . . . 119
The Study-Area: Habitats and Rodents. 123
Populations. . . . . . . . 130
Conclusions and Discussion . 143
Acknowledgements 151
References . . . . . . . . 151
VII. Observations of Argentine Desert Rodent Ecology,
with Etnphasis on Water Relations of Eligmodontia
typus by M. A. MARES. . . . . . . . . . . 155
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
The Argentine Monte and some of its Rodents. 156
Methods and Materials. 164
Results and Discussion . 165
Acknowledgements 173
References . . . . . . 174
VIII. La diversite des Gerbillides par F. PETTER. 177
IX. Sotne Observations on Ecological Adaptations of
Desert Rodents and Suggestions for further Re-
search work by A. DE VAS 185
Introduction . . . . . . 185
The Desert Environment . 185
Ecological Adaptations. . 186
Need for further Research 188
References . . . . . .. . 188
X. The Behavior Patterns of Desert Rodents by J. F.
EISENBERG ............... . 189
VIII
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 189
The Evolution of Desert Adaptations. 190
A Comparison of Behavior Patterns. . 196
A Comparison of Behavior Patterns in: Meriones, Gerbillus
and Perognathus . . . . . 210
Spacing and Communication 217
Acknowledgements 221
References . . . . . . . . 221
XI. Activity Patterns ofa Desert Rodent by N. R. FRENCH 225
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
The Microdosimeter and the Index of Activity. 227
Variation in Activity. . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Climatological Variables and Animal Activity . 229
Analysis . 232
Discussion 237
Summary 238
References 239
XII. Patterns of Food, Space and Diversity by M. L.
ROSENZWEIG, BARBARA SMIGEL & A. KRAFT. 241
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Resource Allocation by Seed Selection 242
Habitat Selection in Space . . . . . 251
The Pattern of Local Species Diversity 260
Acknowledgements 266
References . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
XIII. Desert Coloration in Rodents by D. L. HARRISON. 269
Introduction . . . 269
Desert Coloration . 269
Acknowledgements 275
References . . . . 275
XIV. The Biology of so:me Desert-Dwelling Ground Squir-
rels by A. C. HA WBECKER . 277
Introduction . 277
Reproduction. . . . . . 279
Food Habits . . . . . . 288
Population Characteristics 294
Habitat Factors . 297
References . . . . . . . 302
IX
xv. Reproductive Biology of North ADlerican Desert
Rodents by H. D. SMITH & C. D. JORGENSEN. 305
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Reproductive Biology: Species Summaries. . . 308
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
XVI. Rodent Faunas and EnvironDlental Changes in the
Pleistocene of Israel by E. TCHERNOV . . . . . . . 331
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
The Main Biogeographical Changes in the Near-East since
the Miocene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
The Composition of the Rodents Faunas in the Pleistocene
of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
The Main Ecological Changes in the Quarternary of
Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Analysis of the Main Habitats Occupied by the Pleistocene
Rodents of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Note on the Origin of the Israeli Desert Rodents 356
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
XVII. Prehistoric Rodents of the Middle East by PRISCILLA
F. TURNBULL. . . 363
Introduction . . . 363
Prehistoric Rodents 364
Discussion . . . . 374
Acknowledgements 376
References 376
Addenda. . . . . 378a
XVIII. Desert Rodents: Physiological ProbleDls of Desert
Life by K. SCHMIDT-NIELSEN . . . 379
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Problems of Temperature Regulation. 380
Water Balance, Intake and Loss. 382
References . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
XIX. Ecophysiology of Water and Energy in Desert
Marsupials and Rodents by W. V. MACFARLANE. 389
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . 389
Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Ecophysiology of Water and Energy 390
Discussion 394
References . . . . . . . . . . . 395
XX. TherDlo-Reguiation and Water EconoDlY in Indian
Desert Rodents by P. K. GHOSH. . . . . . . . . . 397
x
Introduction . . . 397
Methods ..... 397
Thermo-Regulation 398
Water Economy. 401
Conclusion. 410
References . . . 410
XXI. The Physiological Adaptations of Desert Rodents
by L. I. GHOBRIAL & T. A. N OUR. . 413
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
Water Conservation in Desert Rodents. . . . . 416
Structure and Concentrating Mechanisms in the Desert
Rodent Kidney.. .......... . 428
Tolerance to Heat and Thermo-Regulation of Desert
Rodents .......... . 434
Reproduction in Desert Rodents. 438
References . . . . . . . . . . 441
XXII. NeDlatode Parasites of the Indian Desert Rodents
by S. JOHNSON . . . . 445
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Material and Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . 445
Nematode Parasites of the Indian Desert Rodents 445
Discussion 462
References . 463
XXIII. Ecology of the Desert Rodents of the U.S.S.R.
(Jerboas and Gerbils)
by N. P. NAUMOV & V. S. LOBACHEV. 465
Introduction 465
Jerboas . 468
Gerbils 524
References 590
Author Index. 599
Genus and Species Index. 607
Subject Index . . . . . 617
Xl