IVth International Conference on Dormice (Rodentia, Gliridae)13 - 16 September 1999 EDİRNE - TURKEY |
CAPTIVE BREEDING OF MYOMIMUS ROACHI IN OUTDOOR CAGE
Buruldağ, E., Kurtonur, C., Türkyılmaz, T. & Özkan, B.
Trakya University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 22030 Edirne- Turkey,e-mail: ebrutr@hotmail.com cengizk@trakya.edu.tr beytul@trakya.edu.tr - beytullahozkan@hotmail.com -
Five specimens of M. roachi (1female, 2males,: 19,05,1997 and 1female, 1male: 22.07.1997) were captured using live-traps in Enez, Edirne, Turkey. The animals were housed in two outdoor cages (1x1x1.5m) in Havsa, Edirne. They were fed with fresh leafy branches and a wide variety of foods including sunflower seeds, fresh fruits and insects. Two nest boxes (12x12x17 cm and 24x15x15cm) were hanged on the walls of the cages. Another nest box was placed on the floor of the each cage. Deep litter with a wide variety of material was put on the floor. For the purpose of hibernation, an aquarium (24x28x40cm) filled with soil was placed at the bottom corner of the each cage. The animals preferred nest boxes and did not try to make nest in the soil. Two animals entered the soil on 28 October 1997 and the other three on 14 November 1997. They left the soil in April 1998;
one famele on 5 April, two males on 8 April and one female on 18 April. One mail died during hibernation. Eleven new-borns, six of which were born on 19 May 1998 and five on 1 June 1998, were used to examine morphological and behavioural development. The average birth weight was 2gr. The ears and the eyes opened at day 13-18 and 16-19, respectively. The young started to eat solid food at the end of the day 20, and they were weaned at day 30-31.