Hoarding in four southern African rodent species

Abstract

The comparative hoarding behaviour of four rodent species,Saccostomus campeslris, Desmodillus auricularis. Tatera brantsii and T. leucogaster was studied under semi-natural conditions after prior determination of the seed preferences of each species.

The results are consistent with all available ecological data.  Desmodillus  and Saccostomus are true larder-hoarders, although Desmodillus also scatter-hoards on occasion. The Tatera spp. did not hoard, but frequently covered seeds, a possible primitive form of scatter-hoarding.