Home range and macrohabitat usage of the important rodent reservoirs of Leptospira in Selangor, Malaysia

• Published in: MAMMAL STUDY
• Main Authors: Yusof, Muhammad Afif; Mohd-Taib, Farah Shafawati; Ishak, Siti Nabilah; Md-Nor, Shukor; Md-Sah, Shahrul Anuar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MAMMALOGICAL SOC JAPAN 2024
• Subjects: Zoology
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001289654100002
• ISSN: 1343-4152; 1348-6160
• DOI: 10.3106/ms2023-0044

Rodents serve as the main carriers for leptospirosis disease. Home range and habitat usage are part of the ecological study, which was less explored in disease ecology. In this study, Rattus norvegicus (RN), Rattus rattus complex (RR), and Sundamys muelleri (SM) were chosen due to their high prevalence with pathogenic Leptospira. Three pairs of each species were tracked from urban, semi-urban, and forested areas. The rats were fitted with a transmitter radio-collar and tracked with a portable telemetry receiver consisting of a 3-element Yagi antenna and located using standard methods of ground-based triangulation. Home range and core area were higher in the forest species (SM) than urban species (RN and RR). RN roaming and nesting areas were restricted inside houses and sewers, which is similar to RR roaming outside houses but nesting in houses. SM shows more expansive roaming areas in the forest but occasionally visits dump sites. Food resources, primarily from leftovers and dumping sites, were found to be the main factor in the viability of these species. The information on the movement ecology of rats could give accurate and valuable data on the population control, by targeting the specific areas occupied by the rats.