Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Seasonal Variation In Diet Of A Marginal Population Of The Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus, Lynn A. Walker, Robert K. Rose
Seasonal Variation In Diet Of A Marginal Population Of The Hispid Cotton Rat, Sigmodon Hispidus, Lynn A. Walker, Robert K. Rose
Virginia Journal of Science
Cotton rats live in oldfields, habitats with a variety of mostly herbaceous plants. Based on other studies, the hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus, eats many kinds of herbaceous plants but grasses predominate. In contrast, our population of cotton rats ate many monocots but mostly they were not grasses. Our study sought to determine the diet of the cotton rat in eastern Virginia, near the northern limit of distribution on the Atlantic Coast. Fecal samples, collected each month during an on-going capture-mark-release demographic study of the rodent community, were analyzed using a standard method. A greater variety of foods (including …
Growth And Survival In A Northern Population Of Hispid Cotton Rats, Heather A. Green, Robert K. Rose
Growth And Survival In A Northern Population Of Hispid Cotton Rats, Heather A. Green, Robert K. Rose
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Using data from a 28-month capture–mark–recapture study that included 3 winters, we compared rates of body growth and survival for a population of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) in eastern Virginia with another marginal population in eastern Kansas, and where possible, with southern populations in coastal Texas and central Florida. Patterns of seasonal growth were similar in Virginia and Kansas, being low, often near 0, in winter but moderate in other seasons, unlike the uniform seasonal growth rates in Texas. Survival rates were similar between the sexes in both Virginia and Kansas but the overall monthly survival rate …