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Estonian Journal of Ecology
Probability of competition between introduced and native rodents in Madagascar: An estimation based on morphological traits; pp. 133–152
PDF | doi: 10.3176/eco.2008.2.05

Authors
Andrei Miljutin, Jukka T. Lehtonen
Abstract

An ecomorphological approach was used to estimate the probability of interspecific competition between introduced and native rodents in Madagascar. Comparison of body size, body construction, and craniodental characters leads to the conclusion that there is a high probability of competition between introduced Rattus rattus and the following native taxa: all species of Nesomys, larger semiarboreal Eliurus species (e.g. E. tanala, E. webbi), and especially Gymnuromys roberti. The competitive relationships between introduced rodents and the remaining species of the Nesomyinae have a low probability or are improbable, except possibly for Mus musculus and the so far poorly studied Monticolomys koopmani and Voalavo species.

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