Gromov Vladimir S
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninsky Ave., 33, Moscow 119071, Russia.
Curr Zool. 2024 Feb 27;70(5):685-695. doi: 10.1093/cz/zoae004. eCollection 2024 Oct.
The present review provides a compilation of the published data on the ecology and social behavior of tamarisk gerbils. Both field studies and direct observations under semi-natural conditions provide evidence that the tamarisk gerbil is a nocturnal herbivorous rodent that lives in highly seasonal habitats and displays seasonal fluctuations in reproduction and spatial organization. A typical feature of the tamarisk gerbils' spatial organization is higher mobility of males during the breeding season (as compared with the nonbreeding period) and formation of temporary aggregations of males competing for access to receptive females; the composition of these aggregations was variable and depended on the reproductive condition of the females. Females tend to occupy exclusive home ranges irrespective of their reproductive condition. The mating system of the species can be defined as scramble competition polygyny with some features of polygynandry and promiscuity. The tamarisk gerbil has distinct features of a solitary species and its social structure is primarily based on aggressive interactions or mutual avoidance of conspecifics resulting in a dominance hierarchy among males and site-dependent dominance among females during the breeding season. By the end of the breeding season, males become less mobile and occupy nearly exclusive home ranges, consistent with solitary living. The main features of the spatial and social organization of this species, which distinguish it from other solitary rodents, are the higher mobility of males and the formation of temporary multimale-multifemale aggregations during the breeding season. Overall, the data presented expand our understanding of socioecology of gerbils.
本综述汇编了已发表的关于柽柳沙鼠生态和社会行为的数据。野外研究和半自然条件下的直接观察均表明，柽柳沙鼠是一种夜行性食草啮齿动物，生活在季节性很强的栖息地，繁殖和空间组织呈现季节性波动。柽柳沙鼠空间组织的一个典型特征是，繁殖季节雄性的活动能力更强（与非繁殖期相比），并且会形成临时的雄性群体，这些雄性为接近处于发情期的雌性交配而相互竞争；这些群体的组成是可变的，取决于雌性的繁殖状态。无论繁殖状态如何，雌性倾向于占据独立的家域。该物种的交配系统可定义为争夺式竞争多配偶制，兼具一些多雄多雌制和滥交的特征。柽柳沙鼠具有独居物种的明显特征，其社会结构主要基于同种个体间的攻击性互动或相互回避，这导致繁殖季节雄性之间形成优势等级，雌性则形成依赖地点的优势等级。到繁殖季节结束时，雄性的活动能力减弱并占据几乎独立的家域，这与独居生活相符。该物种空间和社会组织的主要特征，使其有别于其他独居啮齿动物，即繁殖季节雄性活动能力更强，且会形成临时的多雄多雌群体。总体而言，所呈现的数据扩展了我们对沙鼠社会生态学的理解。
