A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands
Three rat species, the Norway rat, black rat or ship rat, Pacific or Polynesian rat, and the house mouse are among the most widespread and destructive invasive mammals affecting islands. Through mostly unintentional introductions by humans, these rodents occupy >80% of the major islands worldwide...
Published in: | Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference |
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Language: | English |
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ftcdlib:qt9km27608 2023-05-15T18:05:35+02:00 A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands Shiels , Aaron B. Pitt, William C. 161 - 165 2014-01-01 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 english eng eScholarship, University of California qt9km27608 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 public Shiels , Aaron B.; & Pitt, William C.(2014). A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands. Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference, 26(26), 161 - 165. doi:10.5070/V426110336. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 black rat eradication food web house mouse invasive species island biology Mus musculus native biodiversity Norway rat predation Rattus exulans Rattus norvegicus Rattus rattus rodent control Life Sciences article 2014 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.5070/V426110336 2019-04-05T22:52:22Z Three rat species, the Norway rat, black rat or ship rat, Pacific or Polynesian rat, and the house mouse are among the most widespread and destructive invasive mammals affecting islands. Through mostly unintentional introductions by humans, these rodents occupy >80% of the major islands worldwide. As a consequence of their omnivorous diet and large incisor teeth, introduced rats are probably the invasive animals responsible for the greatest number of plant and animal extinctions on islands. The effects of house mice on island ecosystems are less well known when compared with rats. We have reviewed past diet studies of these 4 omnivorous rodent species. Our review suggests that due to the high variability in diet, as well as direct and indirect effects of predation, all 4 species pose potential threats to many plants and animals on Pacific islands. Although rodent diets greatly differ among sites, diets appear to roughly follow this pattern: Norway rats and house mice generally consume proportionally more animal than plant (Norway rats consume many vertebrates and house mice mostly consumes arthropods), whereas black and Pacific rats generally consume proportionally more plant than animal. Studies specifically linking rodent diets with the population status of surrounding biota are needed in order to clarify the effective impacts of these rodent species. Much could be learned from rodent removal experiments, which could further expand our knowledge of invasive rodent species effects, and native species conservation, on islands. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus University of California: eScholarship Norway Pacific Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference 26 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
English |
topic |
black rat eradication food web house mouse invasive species island biology Mus musculus native biodiversity Norway rat predation Rattus exulans Rattus norvegicus Rattus rattus rodent control Life Sciences |
spellingShingle |
black rat eradication food web house mouse invasive species island biology Mus musculus native biodiversity Norway rat predation Rattus exulans Rattus norvegicus Rattus rattus rodent control Life Sciences Shiels , Aaron B. Pitt, William C. A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
topic_facet |
black rat eradication food web house mouse invasive species island biology Mus musculus native biodiversity Norway rat predation Rattus exulans Rattus norvegicus Rattus rattus rodent control Life Sciences |
description |
Three rat species, the Norway rat, black rat or ship rat, Pacific or Polynesian rat, and the house mouse are among the most widespread and destructive invasive mammals affecting islands. Through mostly unintentional introductions by humans, these rodents occupy >80% of the major islands worldwide. As a consequence of their omnivorous diet and large incisor teeth, introduced rats are probably the invasive animals responsible for the greatest number of plant and animal extinctions on islands. The effects of house mice on island ecosystems are less well known when compared with rats. We have reviewed past diet studies of these 4 omnivorous rodent species. Our review suggests that due to the high variability in diet, as well as direct and indirect effects of predation, all 4 species pose potential threats to many plants and animals on Pacific islands. Although rodent diets greatly differ among sites, diets appear to roughly follow this pattern: Norway rats and house mice generally consume proportionally more animal than plant (Norway rats consume many vertebrates and house mice mostly consumes arthropods), whereas black and Pacific rats generally consume proportionally more plant than animal. Studies specifically linking rodent diets with the population status of surrounding biota are needed in order to clarify the effective impacts of these rodent species. Much could be learned from rodent removal experiments, which could further expand our knowledge of invasive rodent species effects, and native species conservation, on islands. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Shiels , Aaron B. Pitt, William C. |
author_facet |
Shiels , Aaron B. Pitt, William C. |
author_sort |
Shiels , Aaron B. |
title |
A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
title_short |
A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
title_full |
A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
title_fullStr |
A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands |
title_sort |
review of invasive rodent (rattus spp. and mus musculus) diets on pacific islands |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 |
op_coverage |
161 - 165 |
geographic |
Norway Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Norway Pacific |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Shiels , Aaron B.; & Pitt, William C.(2014). A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacific Islands. Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference, 26(26), 161 - 165. doi:10.5070/V426110336. Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 |
op_relation |
qt9km27608 http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/9km27608 |
op_rights |
public |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5070/V426110336 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference |
container_volume |
26 |
_version_ |
1766177072636493824 |