Activity pattern and trapping behaviour of the Malaysian wood rat (Rattus tiomanicas Miller) in a cocoa-coconut plantation

K. A. Kamarudin

Abstract

Temporal activity patterns of the Malaysian wood rat, Rattus tiomanicas (Miller), in a cocoa-coconut plantation was monitored by their number of captures at two-hourly intervals. The rats are nocturnal and were found active between dusk and dawn. They exhibited three peak periods of activity d u r i n g  t h e  n i g h t ( 1 8 0 0 h - 2 0 0 0 h , 2 2 0 0 h - 2 4 0 0 h , a n d  0 2 0 0 h - 0 4 0 0 h ) . A d u l t s ( b o d y  w e i g h t > 9 0 g ) were captured most. The trapping behaviour of the animal within a 24-hour period showed that out of 61 0 rats caught, 73% of them were caught only once, 22% twice, 4% thrice and 1% four times. Rainfall and bright moonlight seemed to affect their activities.

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