Intra- and Interspecific Effects on Spatio-Temporal Behavior of Common Commensal Rodent Species

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Veterinary Science
• Zoology

Background:

• Commensal rodents (roof rats, brown rats, house mice) adapt to human environments, causing infrastructure damage, contamination, and disease transmission.
• Understanding rodent movement and interactions is key to managing pathogen spread to humans and livestock.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate movement patterns and home range sizes of roof rats, brown rats, and house mice in a pig farm setting.
• To identify interspecific and intraspecific differences in rodent behavior and habitat use.
• To assess potential pathogen transmission routes between rodents and livestock.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel Bluetooth logger system to record rodent contact data and movement patterns with high spatial resolution.
• Monitored roof rats (Rattus rattus), brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), and house mice (Mus musculus) within a pig farm environment.

Main Results:

• Significant interspecific differences observed in temporal activity, home range size, and inter-building movements.
• Rat species exhibited more nocturnal activity and larger home ranges than house mice, which traveled longer distances per hour.
• Rodents primarily moved within or around buildings, rarely between interiors of different structures. Intraspecific effects included body weight influencing home ranges and movement, and sex influencing brown rat movement.

Conclusions:

• Commensal rodent species display distinct movement strategies, likely to minimize competition and coexist.
• Movement patterns and contact points highlight potential transmission routes for rodent-borne pathogens in livestock farming.
• Data provides insights for targeted rodent control and disease prevention strategies in agricultural settings.