Abundance and Diets of Rats in Two Native Hawaiian Forests
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1997-04
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University of Hawaii Press
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Abstract
Snap traps were set and monitored in two native Hawaiian rain forests
on Maui, Hawai'i, to determine the relative abundances, distributions, and diets of
rodents. Black rats (R. rattus), Polynesian rats (R. exulans), and mice (Mus musculus)
were abundant throughout the mesic to wet forest habitat in both areas from 1600
to 2000 m elevation during both summer and winter trapping periods. Invertebrates,
particularly insect larvae, were the most frequently found and abundant food item
in the stomachs of both rat species. Consumption of these prey by rats was higher
in winter than in summer. Black rats ate more fruits, seeds, and other vegetation
than did Polynesian rats. More information about the life history, ecology, and
behavior of rats in native Hawaiian forests is needed to document their impact on
endemic ecosystems and to develop effective control techniques.
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Sugihara RT. 1997. Abundance and diets of rats in two native Hawaiian forests. Pac Sci 51(2): 189-198.
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