Abstract

Montemys delectorum is the only member of the genus Montemys within the family Muridae, which is an endemic rodent of the Eastern Africa Highlands. It is a threatened species due to habitat loss, and its current conservation status is uncertain. We studied the breeding pattern and population size of M. delectorum, two of the most important factors in understanding the conservation status of a species. Capture-mark-release studies were conducted from February 2021 to June 2022 in open patchy forests and dense forest habitats. Montemys delectorum showed bimodal breeding seasonality: a low rate for the short interval between December and February and a pronounced rate for May-July, following the high rainfall in April. This shows that rainfall promotes vegetation availability, which stimulates breeding activity and adds offspring to the population, resulting in increased population abundance. The population of M. delectorum is not stable in this landscape, as indicated by the significant differences in population size between the two forest types, with a significantly greater population in the patchy open forest. This indicates that the patchy open forest should be considered an essential refuge for the species.

Keywords

breeding; dense forest; Montemys delectorum; patchy open forest; seasonality

Published in

African Journal of Ecology
2024, Volume: 62, number: 1, article number: e13172
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Meheretu, Yonas

  • Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Mekelle University

UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13172

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/122487