Food preferences of an insular population of Rattus rattus

• Published in: Journal of Zoology
• Main Author: Norman, F. I.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1970
• Subjects: Puffinus tenuirostris; Rattus rattus; Green Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01284.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1469-7998.1970.tb01284.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01284.x; https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1970.tb01284.x

The food preferences of an insular population of Rattus rattus inhabiting colonies of the Short‐tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris are described from results obtained during analyses of stomach contents and droppings collected from Big Green Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. It was found that rats on the island maintained themselves by eating a predominantly vegetarian diet and results suggest that there was some selective feeding on monocotyledons rather than the dicotyledons present in the area. Green parts of plants were taken throughout the year and rats may select these as a water source during the summer months. Plants made up 77.2% of the 254 stomach contents analysed and of this 57.7% was green material. Insect remains were found in 24.8% of the 1400 droppings examined and made up 14.3% of the stomach contents. Few feathers of the shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris were found in the stomachs or droppings and preliminary behavioural experiments suggested that the rat does not actively predate the bird though it may remove unattended eggs and eat dead chicks.