Seasonal distribution of rodent species on citrus farms in Sohag region, Egypt

Dongol, E. M. A.; Abdel Samad, M. A.; Ali, M. K.; Baghdadi, S. A. S.

doi:10.21608/aasj.2023.309678

Seasonal distribution of rodent species on citrus farms in Sohag region, Egypt

Document Type : Research article

Authors

¹ Agricultural Zoology and Nematology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt

² Sugar Crops Research Institute, Shandaweel Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Sohag, Egypt

10.21608/aasj.2023.309678

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine seasonality of rodent species infesting one of the main crops, oranges and mandarin, in three centers of Sohag region: Shandaweel, Tahta and Gerga distributed. The results showed that 3 genera, 1 family and 4 species were recorded in Sohag province, Egypt. Rodent species from different habitats in Sohag province. Among the rodents caught in Sohag, Rattus rattus frugivorus (Rafinesque) is the main species (283 and 378 in the first and second years, respectively), followed by Rattus rattus alexandrinus (Geoffray) (212 and 278 in the first and second year), this is followed by Arvicanthis niloticus (Desm.) (119 in the first and 202 in the second year), and then by Mus musculus (Linnaeus). The fewest species (109 in the first year, 117 in the second). On citrus farms, the index is highest in autumn and lowest in winter. Women tend to outnumber men. In two years of study, maturity passes the immaturity stage. The highest density of immature stages was seen in the spring, which may be related to the highest rates of rodent pregnancy that season.

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