DIFFERENTIAL USE OF FOOD IN CAPTIVITY BY THE VOLES MICROTUS MONTANUS AND M. LONGICAUDUS (RODENTIA: ARVICOLIDAE)

Resumen

Montane voles and long-tailed voles have similar food and habitat requirements. lt would be expected, however, that habitat partitioning would promote differential habitat utilization by these voles allowing their coexistence. lt has been shown that differences in diet partially allow coexistence between ecologically similar vol especies.  lf the coexistence of Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus is related to habitat partitioning, their ecological separation may be influenced by the differential use of food resources. We thus expected that the montane vole and long-tailed vole would differentially use their food resources. To address this prediction, vole individuals were tested in captivity.