Browsing by Author "Tesha, P."
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Food preferences of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, in irrigated rice habitats in Tanzani(Taylor & Francis, 2014-10-19) Malungu, L.S; Mlyashimbi, E.C.M; Ngowo, V; Mdangi, M; Katakweba, A.S.; Tesha, P.We investigated the composition of the diet of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, within irrigated rice and fallow field habitats at set time periods related to rice crop growth stages. In both habitats, vegetative plant material, i.e. leaves, stems and seeds, were the most abundant components of the rodent’s diet, while other food types (invertebrates, fruits) were observed only in low quantities. We conclude that vegetative plant material and seeds were the main types of food consumed not only due to their relatively higher abundance in the environments under study but also because of the highly specialised herbivorous/granivorous nature of the dominant rodent species, M. natalensis. Thus, the introduction and expansion of continuous rice-cropping using irrigation in Tanzania is likely to be severely constrained by the presence of M. natalensis. In our opinion, field hygiene, including the removal of alternative food resources and nesting sites for M. natalensis near cropping areas, may help to both lower rodent population numbers and reduce immigration potential. Non chemical rodent control methods such as trap barrier systems developed for lowland irrigated rice in south-eastern Asia should, we argue, be evaluated for their effectiveness under African conditions.Item The Rodent fauna of Tanzania : a cytotaxonomic report from the Maasai Steppe(Nella seduta del 12 gennaio, 2001) Fadda, N. di C.; Castiglia, R.; Colangelo, P.; Corti, M.; Machang’u, R.; Makundi, R.; Scanzani, A.; Tesha, P.; Capanna, W. V. E.The rodent fauna of Tanzanian savannahs is poorly known. For this reason, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei sponsored a project together with the Biology Department of Antwerp and the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Morogoro, Tanzania) on Eastern African rodents. The aim was to study the taxonomy and systematics of rodents of these areas and the processes through which rodent biodiversity has increased in these African regions. We present here a report of the expeditions carried out in the Maasai steppe of Tanzania during 1999, with the description of the karyotypes of 13 rodent species. These are: Saccostomus cf. mearnsi (Cricetomynae), Tatera cf. robusta, Gerbillus cf. pusillus (Gerbillinae), Acomys spinosissimus, Acomys wilsoni, Acomys ignitus, Aethomys cf. chrysophilus, Arvicanthis cf. neumanni, Arvicanthis cf. nairobae, Grammomys sp., Lemniscomys rosalia, Lemniscomys cf. zebra, Mastomys natalensis (Murinae). The karyotypes of eight species are described for the first time (Saccostomus cf. mearnsi, Gerbillus cf. pusillus, Acomys wilsoni, Acomys ignitus, Arvicanthis cf. neumanni, Arvicanthis cf. nairobae, Grammomys sp., Lemniscomys rosalia).Item Spatio-temporal patterns in the distribution of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, in rice crop and fallow land habitats in Tanzania(Mammalia, 2015) Mulungu, L. S.; Sixbert, V.; Ngowo, V.; Mdangi, M.; Katakweba, A. S.; Tesha, P.; Mrosso, F. P.; Mchomvu, M.; Kilonzo, B. S.; Belmain, S. R.: An understanding of the dispersion patterns of a pest is an important pre-requisite for developing an effective management programme for the pest. In this study, rodents were trapped in two rice fields and two fallow fields for three consecutive nights each month from June 2010 to May 2012. Mastomys natalensis was the most abundant rodent pest species in the study area, accounting for > 95% of the trapped rodent community. Rattus rattus, Dasymys incomtus, Acomys spinosissimus and Grammomys dolichurus comprised relatively small proportions of the trapped population. Morisita’s index of dispersion was used to measure the relative dispersal pattern (aggregate, random, uniform) of individuals across each trapping grid as a means of comparing rodent distribution in rice and fallow fields over time. This analysis revealed that the rodents in rice fields generally exhibited an aggregated spatio-temporal distribution. However, the rodents in fallow fields were generally less aggregated, approaching a random distribution in some habitats and seasons. Heat maps of trapping grids visually confirmed these dispersal patterns, indicating the clumped or random nature of captured rodents. ANOVA showed that the parameters of habitat (rice, fallow), crop stage (transplanting, vegetative, booting, maturity) and cropping season (wet, dry) all significantly impacted the number of rodents captured, with the vegetative, dry season, fallow habitat having the highest number of rodents; and the transplanting, wet season, rice habitat with the least number of rodents. Therefore, such spatio-temporal patterns can serve as a tool for developing stratified biodiversity sampling plans for small mammals and decision making for rodent pest management strategies.Item Survival and recruitment of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis (smith 1834), in a rice agro-ecosystem(Mammalia, 2016) Mulungu, L. S.; Ngowo, V.; Mdangi, M. E.; Katakweba, A. S.; Tesha, P.; Mrosso, F. P.; Mchomvu, M.; Massawe, A. W.; Monadjem, A.; Kilonzo, B.; Belmain, S. R.We investigated the recruitment and survival of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, within irrigated rice and fallow field habitats at different time periods related to rice crop growth stages. Capture-Mark- Recapture data were collected for M. natalensis each month from June 2010 to May 2012, and both recruitment and survival were estimated in relation to land use (irrigated rice or fallow field) within the agro-ecosystem. Higher recruitment and survival were observed in rice fields than in fallow fields suggesting the relationship was compensatory when there was a higher quality food resource. In terms of management, farmers in the study area should implement management strategies in rice fields at both transplanting and maturity stages of crop growth in order to maintain recruitment and survival at low levels.