A mechanism for resource allocation among sympatric heteromyid rodent species

摘要: Laboratory feeding experiments were conducted with Dipodomys ordii and Perognathus flavus in an attempt to discover a mechanism which might result seed size selection. There was no marked difference the proportions of four types collected whether rodents foraged presence or absence one another. However, analysis variability weight each by two species showed that when alone, larger kangaroo rat less effective at harvesting all uniformly distributed mixture seeds. When another both could harvest enough mixed, coexist indefinitely, but food source presented as large clumps rat's foraging effectiveness increased tremendously so pocked mouse almost entirely unable any seed. These data, light mobility differences between small heteromyids, suggest whereby larger, more mobile rats forage for most readily available (large clumped) seeds over relatively area. The smaller pocket mice, virtue their relative efficiency can utilize detectable are energetically too demanding harvest. Behavioral dominance animals may help prevent from utilizing patterns site selection described literature be easily accounted this strategy.