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You are here: Home / Associated publications / Belgian Journal of Zoology / Bibliographic References / Reproduction and survival of the ricefield rat Rattus argentiventer on rice plant diet

H Tristiani and O Murakami (1998)

Reproduction and survival of the ricefield rat Rattus argentiventer on rice plant diet

BELGIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, 128(2):167-175.

Reproduction and survival were studied in caged individuals of the ricefield rat, Rattus argentiventer on a diet of rice plants in various stages of growth. The female rat was reproductively active on diets consisting of rice plant at any stage of growth. However, the reproductive activity of the male rat was significantly influenced by the stage of the rice plant: the male was sexually active while feeding on the generative stages, but almost inactive while feeding on the vegetative stages. The percentage of males with enlarged scrotal testes began to increase on a diet of plants in the panicle primordia initiation stage and reached 100\% by the milky grain stage. The male determines the breeding pattern of this species, and this is directly influenced by the males' food source. Male rats with a scrotal sac containing testes that were larger than 30 mm (measured externally on living rats) were always reproductively active. The survival of both sexes of the ricefield rat also corresponded closely with the growth stage of the rice plant. There were no significant differences in survival values between males and females feeding on different stages of the rice plant. Overall, the milky and ripening grain stages of the rice plant provided the best foods for the reproduction and survival of the ricefield rat.

ricefield rat Rattus argentiventer; male rat; reproductively active; stage of rice plant; survival
  • ISSN: 0777-6276
BJZ

ISSN 2295-0451 (online version)
ISSN 0777-6279 (printed version)
impact factor 2015: 0,87.

Editor-in-Chief:
Prof. Dr. Isa Schön
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Vautierstraat 29
1000 Brussels, Belgium

 



1863-1903
Annales de la Société malacologique de Belgique
 
1903-1923
​Annales de la Société royale malacologique et zoologique de Belgique
 
1923-1989
Annales de la Société Royale Zoologique de Belgique
 
1989-
Belgian Journal of Zoology