Ecological Studies of the Field Mouse

들쥐의 生態學的 硏究

The present investigation has been done to observe the ecological habits of field mice to protect the rice from damages during the growing season in paddy-field and during the storge period. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Of 155 mice captured in the period of April-November 1970, which belong to four genera (Apodemus, Cricetulus, Rattus, and Micromys), 148 mice(95%) were found as striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius coreae). The population density of striped field mouse was revealed by the present study as 55/ha, which is quite a low level compared with that in Japan of 900/ha. 2. The age distribution of the mice as judged by their body weight was found mainly composed of adult and the sex ratio was found to be 1.8 as determined with 147 individuals. The nest was found to be occupied by an adult and was composed of at least three openings and more than one food storage tunnels. The mice usually keep hulled rice rather than unhulled one in storage tunnel. The weight of food found in a nest was about 50 grams on an average. 3. The mice show a most active behaviour 1-2 hours after the sunset, around midnight, and an hour before the sunrise, but they are active even in daytime in order for searching for food and for breeding. 4. The ratio (%) of damage appeared in high stem of sweet corn in August was 30 ~ 40 percent, whereas that in low stem was 80 ~ 90 percent. The weight of spoiled grains in paddy-field was 11, 400gm/0.4ha and this gives an estimate of 349, 695 for whole country. 5. The female striped field mouse weighs average of about 30 grams and gives birth to average of 4.8 younglings which wean away from female mouse three weeks after delivery. 6. The natural enemies to the mice are found to be carnivores (weasel, cat, mountain cat, fox, raccoon, and otter), raptatores(eagle, owl, kete, buzzard), and snakes. Two kinds of field rats(Rattus norvegicus, Cricetulus tritor) are also the predator to the mice. 7. The feeding preference of striped field mice follows in decreasing order of sweet corn, soybean, sweet potatoes, chestnut, and wheat. The mice do not have a preference for barley, millet, rough millet, red bean, and green bean. 8. The starvation experiment, in which water alone was supplied, revealed that the mice in good physical and nutritional conditions survived for 71 ~ 79 hours, whereas those in worse conditions survived for only 32 ~ 39 hours.

들쥐의 被害를 막기위한 基礎로 들쥐의 生態學的 硏究를 서울大 農大農場에서 한바 들쥐의 大部分이 등줄쥐 이어서 結果的으로 등줄쥐의 硏究가 되고 말았으나 要約하면 다음과 같다. (1) 들쥐무리 4屬(Apodemus, Cricetulus, Rattus, Micromys) 155마리를 採集했으며 그중 등줄쥐(A. agrarius coreae)가 95%(148마리)를 차지했다. (2) 등줄쥐의 옥수수밭에 있어서의 棲息密度는 활동 범위를 감안하여 1970年8月6日 $\\sim$ 8日까지 55/ha는 日本 菅平地方의 900/ha에 비교하면 대단히 낮았다. (3) 體重에 의한 年齡構造는 成體에 대한 幼鼠 및 亞鼠의 합계가 13%에 이르렀고 性比는 ♂ : ♀ = 1.8 : 1 이었다. (4) 쥐굴(쥐집)이 構造는 한 개의 쥐굴에 구멍(出入口)이 3個以上, 貯藏庫 1個以上, 둥지(寢所) 1個에 한 마리가 살고 있으며 저장식량은 가을의 農作物인데 特히 벼가 主가 되고 벼보다는 玄米로 저장해 둔다. (5) 活動時刻은 日沒後 1 $\\sim$ 2時間, 子正前後, 및 日出前 1時間 內外가 왕성하나 낮에라도 주위가 조용하여 安全하고 먹이가 필요하거나 求愛行動이 필요하면 활동 한다. (6) 옥수수의 被害相은 高株에서 30 $\\sim$ 40%, 低株 에서 80 $\\sim$ 90%의 被害率이었다. 벼에 있어서는 논(1,200坪)에서 벼로 11,400g가 被害되었으니 全國的으로 349.695kg, 그리고 이것을 白米로 推算하면 8,268입 가 등줄쥐에 提供되었다. (7) 등줄쥐의 分娩仔數는 平均體重 30g 의 암컷이 5마리를 낳고 3週후에 離乳했으며 멧밭쥐(16g)도 5마리를 낳았다. (8) 天敵은 食肉目(족제비, 고양이, 살쾡이, 여우, 너구리, 수달, 개) 猛禽目(독수리, 부엉이, 말똥가리, 소리개, 매) 및 뱀이며 시궁쥐와 비단털쥐도 등줄쥐의 天敵이다. (9) 등줄쥐의 食性(嗜好性)은 옥수수, 콩, 밀, 고구마, 밤, 들깨등을 좋아하며 보리, 조, 수수, 팥, 녹두등은 그렇게 좋아하지 아니한다. 그리고 하루에 한 마리의 成鼠의 攝食量은 벼라면 5.5g, 밀 인 경우 4.9g, 여기에 물 5ml 가량을 먹는 경우이다. (10) 물만 提供하고 다른 먹이를 주지 아니한 饑餓實驗에 의하면 營養좋게 飼育된 등줄쥐는 71 $\\sim$ 79時間後에, 그렇지 못한 쥐는 32 $\\sim$ 39時間後에 죽었다.