Dietary habits of the house rat (Rattus rattus) in Urban Rawalpindi, Pakistan
2013
Naqvi, S.R. (PMAS Arid Agriculture Univ., Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Dept. of Zoology) | Mushtaq, M. (PMAS Arid Agriculture Univ., Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Dept. of Zoology) | Beg, M.A. (PMAS Arid Agriculture Univ., Rawalpindi (Pakistan). Dept. of Zoology) | Nadeem, M.S. | Kayani, A.R.
Dietary habits of the house rat, Rattus rattus were studied in the urban areas of Rawalpindi city by analyzing the stomach contents. Rats were trapped from general stores and human dwellings of various localities of the city. Reference slides of the relevant materials (grains and cereals) and the stomach contents slides were compared. The results showed that wheat was the most frequently consumed cereal. It was followed by chickpea, millet, barley, lentils (moong, masoor), maize, sorghum and peanut. There was a non-significant difference in the winter and summer diets of rats. Stomach contents of rats caught from human dwellings showed more diversity (diversity index = 3.56) than the ones' taken from the general stores (diversity index = 2.87).
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