MODES OF COCOA POD DEPREDATION BY THREE SMALL MAMMALS

KAMAL A. KAMARUDIN and C.H. LEE

SUMMARY

A study to identify and differentiate the modes of depredation of cocoa pods by rats, squirrels and civets (of the pecies R. tiomanicus, C. notatus and P. hermaphroditus respectively) was carried out in the laboratory and in the field. An attempt was made to evaluate their damage potential. Ripe pods were preferred by rats and squirrels but immature pods were also damaged in the absence of the former. Civets prefer only the ripe pods. Culprits doing the damage in the field can be identified based on their depredation pattern, chip size, presence or absence of mucilage layer on the discarded beans and from the presence or absence of unconsumed beans in the damaged pods. Piles of defecated beans around the plantation is also an indicator. The damage potential worked out for squirrels was ,4.0 pods/animal/day, 0.6 pod/animal /day for civets and 0.5pod/animal/day for rats under captivity. However, in most cocoa growing areas rats are the main menace because they are usually present in larger numbers.

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