The Mortality, Fecundity and Intrinsic Rate of Natural Increase of the Multimammate Mouse, Rattus (Mastomys) natalensis (Smith) in the Laboratory

Abstract

Life-table is given for [female] Rattus natalensis in laboratory. Fecundity-schedule for female R. natalensis is provided. Avg. productivity of[female][female]was 0.45518 litter and 3.33309 young per [female] per 28 days. Sex-ratio in young born was 0.5190[female]9[long dash]. From life-table and fecundity-schedule parameters have been derived. Intrinsic rate of natural increase was 0.4068 per head per 28 days. Finite rate of natural increase was thus 1.502 per head per 28 days. Birth-rate was 0.5926 per head per 28 days and death-rate was 0.1858 per head per 28 days. Consideration is given to possibility of a non-breeding season occurring in the field, and effect this would have on rate of natural increase of population. Population parameters are interpolated tentatively to apply to a field population, and results are compared with field results of other works.