Migration and contacts of Meriones meridianus and M-tamariscinus (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in sands of the Volga-Ural region [Russian]

摘要

Mutiyear studies of the migration activity and parasitogenic contacts of midday gerbils (Meriones meridianus) and tamarisk gerbils (M. tamariscinus) made it possible to measure the mean distances of daily travel of the animals away from their burrows accounted to about 85 m in spring and 50 m in fall. The longest distance was 200 to 250 m. Mass burrow contacts were realized at these distances resulted in the expansive flea exchange that connected all the inhabitants of both combined and one-species gerbil settlements into a single "contact network". The dislocation of the rodents that was accompanied by visiting a great number of burrows is regarded as ail ecological mechanism that maintains the unity of ectoparasite populations and provides for the possibility to disseminate the plague agent.