ABSTRACT
Investigations dealing with the biology and ecology of rats and mice in Nigeria are few (Rosevear, 1953, 1969; Anadu, 1974). Local rats and mice have been studied more because of their agricultural pest status (Everard, 1966, 1968; Funmilayo, 1973, 1975) and their medical importance (Buxton, 1936). Various rat control strategies have been developed (Chitty and Southern, 1954; Mosby, 1963) but in spite of these, rats continue to ruin crop plants and stored products (Funmilayo, 1973) and to endanger human health (Akande and Funmilayo, 1974). The poor success of previous attempts to control rats is probably a reflection of our inadequate knowledge of the basic factors which determine the population density and diet of rats and there is, therefore, a need to build up a large body of knowledge on rat ecology.
