Foods of Rodents In the Hamakua District, Hawaii

Abstract

The food habits of Rattus exulans, R. rattus, R. norvegicus, and Mus musculus captured in sugar cane fields, in gulches adjacent to cane fields, and in areas of human habitation, were determined from the stomach contents of 1205 rodents collected in 12 consecutive monthly samples. In cane fields the diet of R. exulans and R. rattus was primarily the internodes of sugar cane, while Mus fed principally on insects and grass seeds. In gulches R. exulans subsisted mainly on sugar cane, but R. rattus fed heavily on grass stalks and fruits. Mus from this habitat consumed kukui nuts and insects to a large extent, while the few R. norvegicus found here took a variety of foods. The foods of R. rattus and R. norvegicus captured near human habitations consisted mainly of garbage, other waste materials, and mixed livestock rations.