Hoarding behaviors of two wood mouse species: Different preference for acorns of two Fagaceae species

Abstract

Two species of wood mouse, Apodemus argenteus and A. speciosus, were observed consuming and hoarding acorns of Quercus serrata and Castanopsis cuspidata. When each species of acorn was supplied individually, both species of mice used each species of acorn for eating and hoarding. When both species of acorn were supplied, A. argenteus consumed or hoarded only C. cuspidata, whereas A. speciosus tended to eat C. cuspidata acorns at the feeding site, and disperse or hoard Q. serrata acorns. Apodemus speciosus is unlikely to disperse C. cuspidata acorns (their utilization was biased towards consumption) when Q. serrata acorns are also available. Apodemus argenteus will make almost no contribution to the dispersal of Q. serrata when the two acorn species coexist.

Differential geographic patterns of mitochondrial DNA variation in two sympatric species of Japanese wood mice, Apodemus speciosus and A. argenteus

“…The observed differences in the geographical distribution of genetic variation might reflect differences in the survival ability of the two species: the survival of A. speciosus is superior to that of A. argenteus on small islands (Kaneko, 1992). Although both species share resources and coinhabit the same forests (Sekijima and Sone, 1994;Shimada, 2001), islands of less than 150 km 2 tend to sustain only one species, probably because of limited resources subject to interspecies competition; on the majority of these islands, the surviving species is A. speciosus (Kaneko, 1992). This notion leads us to conclude that differences in survival ability among closely related species are possibly involved in producing the population genetic structure.…”

“…The most common of small mammals in Japan, the wood mouse genus Apodemus , however, has not yet been studied using the common tools of molecular genetics. Members of the genus Apodemus inhabit broad-leaf forests in the temperate zone of the Palearctic region (Corbet, 1978;Corbet and Hill, 1992;Musser and Carleton, 1993), and depend on forest resources such as acorns, insects, and other small invertebrates (Sekijima and Sone, 1994;Shimada, 2001). Apodemus species have limited species-specific distributions, with two or more species often cohabiting in a forest (Corbet, 1978;Corbet and Hill, 1992;Musser and Carleton, 1993).…”

Determinant factors in the seedling establishment of Pasania edulis (Makino) Makino

“…Among these four mortality factors, predation by Apodemus mice (k 21 ) caused the highest rate of mortality and was thought to have the greatest impact on the population process of P. edulis as reported for other acorn-producing tree species by Shaw (1968), Watts (1968), Zemanek (1972), Sato (2000), Shimada (2001), and others. Large or medium-sized mammals (k 22 ) were also responsible for the mortality of dropped acorns in some cohorts.…”

“…However, seeds are also a food resource for many granivorous and omnivorous animals. Many seeds produced by trees do not establish as seedlings, because they are subject to mortality from a range of sources, namely, predation by mammals and insects on the tree (e.g., Tanaka et al 1989;Maeto 1995;Sone et al 2002), predation by mammals after dropping to the ground (e.g., Shaw 1968;Watts 1968;Zemanek 1972;Sato 2000;Shimada 2001;Sone et al 2002), and attacks on germinated acorns by mammals, insects, and microbes (e.g., Ueda et al 1993;Sone et al 2002). Therefore, seed predation and other forms of seed mortality during the early stages of the population process (i.e., the period from seed production to seedling establishment) may have a serious impact on the regeneration of tree species.…”

Scatter hoarding and cache pilferage by superior competitors: an experiment with wild boar, Sus scrofa

“…The majority of food items, however, are typically scattered throughout the home range of the wood mouse (e.g. Den Ouden et al, 2005;Jennings, 1975;Jensen & Nielsen, 1986;Shimada, 2001;Suselbeek, Jansen, Prins, & Steele, 2013) with the degree of scattering being larger in the presence of wild boar than in their absence (Puerta-Piñero et al, 2010).…”