Food habits of introduced rodents in high-elevation shrubland of Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii
Cole FR, Loope LL, Medeiros AC, Howe CE, Anderson LJ. 2000. Food habits of introduced rodents in high-elevation shrubland of Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii. Pacific Science. 54(4):313-329
Mus musculus and Rattus rattus are ubiquitous in the high-elevation shrubland of Haleakala National Park. Food habits of these two rodent species were determined from stomach samples obtained by snap-trapping along transects located at four different elevations during November 1984 and February, May, August 1985. Mus musculus fed primarily on fruits, grass seeds, and arthropods. Rattus rattus ate various fruits, dicot leaves, and arthropods. Arthropods, many of which are endemic, were taken frequently by Mus musculus throughout the year at the highest elevation where plant food resources were scarce. Araneida, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Homoptera were the main arthropod taxa taken. These rodents, particularly Mus musculus, exert strong predation pressure on populations of arthropod species, including locally endemic species on upper Haleakala Volcano.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Cole, F; Loope, Lloyd; Medeiros, Arthur; Howe, C; Anderson, Laurel
- Units
- HALE
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Exotic Species, Food Habits, Haleakala, Maui HI, Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, Rodents (Rodentia), shrubland