Reproductive rhythm of the grass rat, Arvicanthis abyssinicus, at the Entoto Mountain, Ethiopia

Data on the reproductive rhythm of the grass rat, Arvicanthis abyssinicus, were collected in a bush area and a crop field at the Entoto Mountain for a one-year period from August 2000 to July 2001. Very few individuals of Arvicanthis were captured from the bush area. The number of captures from the crop field, however, was much higher Higher percentages of reproductively active males and females were recorded during the rains and the couple of months that followed. Breeding decreased in the dry months. The presence of cereals on the field did not seem to augment breeding during the dry months. The outcome of the present study is consistent with most previous results where breeding in Arvicanthis sp. primarily Occurs during the rains and the few months that follow. It is recommended that physiological studies should be conducted for a better understanding of the reproductive timing of Arvicanthis in an eco-physiological context.