Abstract:
Studies of populations of the multimammate rat Mastomys natalensis in Morogoro, Tanzania, show that soil texture
appears to influence the population abundance and distribution of these rats in agricultural fields. The lowest rodent
population abundance was found on sandy clay soils (F (2, 5) = 8.42; P = 0.025). The population abundances of M.
natalensis on sandy clay loam and sandy loam soils did not differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05), possibly because these
soils have a very similar texture. The results of this study suggest that M. natalensis prefers loam-textured soils
with a high percentage of sand, which are probably better than clay soils for burrowing and nesting, particularly in
the rainy season. The lower preference for clay soils is probably related to the poor aeration in these soils and the
waterlogging that occurs during the wet season.
