Juan Ernesto E, Provensal Maria Cecilia, Steinmann Andrea R
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Avda. Rivadavia 1917, CP C1033AAJ, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Agencia Postal N° 3, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
Ecohealth. 2018 Mar;15(1):96-108. doi: 10.1007/s10393-017-1301-6. Epub 2017 Dec 1.
The long-tailed mouse, Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae), is the major host of Andes hantavirus, the etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the south of Argentina and Chile. Studying the ecology of this species is necessary to understand how Andes hantavirus is maintained in nature. In this study, we examine the home range size and intra- and intersexual overlap degree of male and female O. longicaudatus in order to elucidate the mating system of this species. To our knowledge, this research provides the first documentation, obtained from a specific design, of spacing and mating systems in this species in Argentina. The study was conducted seasonally from April (autumn) 2012 to October (spring) 2013 in a shrubland habitat of Cholila, Andean region, Argentina. We studied spacing patterns using 59 and 51 home ranges established by adult males and females, respectively, in two 3.24 ha capture-marked and recapture grids. Significant differences between sexes in home range size and overlap degree were found. Male home ranges were always larger than those of females. We observed exclusive space use both among males and females (13.15 ± 18.67, and 3.60 ± 3.43%, respectively). Considering only those males that get access to receptive females (40%), average intersexual overlap value was about 30.82 ± 19.73%. Sexual differences in home range sizes and the spatial avoidance between breeding males, that would reflect intrasexual competition for receptive females, allows us to propose a polygynous mating system for O. longicaudatus.
长尾稻鼠（Oligoryzomys longicaudatus，仓鼠科：稻鼠亚科）是安第斯汉坦病毒的主要宿主，该病毒是阿根廷南部和智利汉坦病毒肺综合征的病原体。研究该物种的生态学对于理解安第斯汉坦病毒在自然界中的维持方式至关重要。在本研究中,我们研究了雄性和雌性长尾稻鼠的活动范围大小以及两性之间和同性之间的重叠程度,以阐明该物种的交配系统。据我们所知,本研究首次通过特定设计记录了该物种在阿根廷的空间分布和交配系统。该研究于2012年4月（秋季）至2013年10月（春季）在阿根廷安第斯地区乔利拉的一个灌木丛栖息地按季节进行。我们分别在两个3.24公顷的标记重捕网格中，利用成年雄性和雌性建立的59个和51个活动范围来研究空间分布模式。我们发现两性在活动范围大小和重叠程度上存在显著差异。雄性的活动范围总是大于雌性。我们观察到雄性和雌性都有独占空间的现象（分别为13.15±18.67%和3.60±3.43%）。仅考虑那些能接触到处于发情期雌性的雄性（40%），两性之间的平均重叠值约为30.82±19.73%。活动范围大小的性别差异以及繁殖期雄性之间的空间回避，这可能反映了对处于发情期雌性的同性竞争，使我们能够提出长尾稻鼠的多配偶交配系统。
