Includes bibliography at end of thesis. / In Part I of this study, the social organisation and cormnunicative behaviour of the striped field-mouse Rhabdomys pumilio was studied in a large outdoor cage. It was found that the social organisation was based on a male dominance hierarchy, with the development of territory in the dominant male and breeding females. The level of testosterone in males was found to be a reliable index of social status. Analysis of spatial relationships and behavioural interactions among individuals showed these factors to be closely related to social status. Rhabdomys was found to have a well-developed repertoire of visual displays, to use ultrasonic calls in social interactions, and to be dependent, to a certain extent, on chemical communication. In Part II, an attempt was made to confirm these findings in the field. Home ranges on the Cape Flats were determined by tracking; testosterone was used as an index of. social statua. Similarly structured hierarchies were found, as well as indications of territoriality. Home range sizes, distribution and spatial relationships of individuals were determined. Rhabdomys was found to prefer habitats of good ground cover.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/12543 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Johnson, Anne Glynis |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, MSc |
| Format | application/pdf |
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