Behaviour of Meriones tamariscinus in the wild

摘要

Visual observations of individually marked by cutting wool tamarix gerbils were carried out in May-June 1995-1996 in southern Kalmykia. Movements exploring activity, feeding, hoarding, marking, vigilance behavior ("full-erect" posture), digging, encounters and some other activities of gerbils were recorded using a permanently switched on dictophone. The data were processed using the One-Zero method with 5 s intervals. Time budgets were estimated for adult males and females during breeding and non-breeding seasons by calculating the probability of performing the various types of individual and social activity measured as proportion of 5 s intervals keeping the certain activity type. For short series of activity (e.g.. acts of marking) frequency measures (number of acts per 10 min activity) were used. Twenty one observations (328 min) of 11 adult males and 59 ones (1032 min) of adult females were put into analysis. From 91 enceunters recorded only in 40% of the cases gerbils interacted directly, in the others they performed no visible reaction or avoided contacts. Almost all direct contacts between adults were aggressive, short-term and included few elements (usually attack-fleeing). An attacked gerbil escaped easily, hiding in thick grass. Female-juvenile interactions were of affiliative character while male-juvenile contacts were neutral. By the end of the second week after emergence from burrows youngs dispersed within the female home range. No aggression was observed between youngs. Feeding series were very short (5-10 s/and were interrupted by movements and exploring. No effect of an observer on behaviour of gerbils, besides the first time of observation, was revealed. The data obtained are discussed in terms of ecology of the species and its behaviour under semi-natural conditions.