Some notes concerning

Rodents in EAZA
Zoo Collections

Sergey Popov
Olga Ilchenko
Galina Vakhrusheva

Moscow Zoo

Small mammal TAG meeting, Jihlava, 18-22 May 2016

Rodents representation

IN THE WOLD

5416 Mammal Species

2277 Rodent Species (42%)

(Mammal Species of the World

D.E. Wilson&D.M. Reeder, 2005)

IN ZIMS ZOOS
1392 Mammal Species
291 Rodent Species (21%)
14977 Rodent specimen

(ZIMS, May 2016)

The new species in your collection may be really

new in captivity!!!
Work with a new species

 Special person responsible for the species

 Observations and fixation of all new data in
events diary
 Collection of information
 Experimental development of keeping
conditions.
 Developing of methods of exposition
 Demonstration to public only after
introduction into the captive population.
 Husbandry Guidelines (better start doing it
even before receiving animals).

Resume: to developed method of keeping, breeding and

exposition of a new species
you need a captive metapopulation.
Individual identification
Two-thirds of zoos rodents have no
individual identification.
This situation:
• prevents effective management of captive
populations (in particular, makes breeding Individual
programs impossible) number
• lead to loss of important information
related to individual differences (individual
life-stories are lost) Group
number
There is no universal marking
method for all rodent species now (in
future may be DNA-fingerprinting)
• Solitary keeping
• Using individual natural labels
• Clipping on the ears or cutting phalanges
• Tattoo
• Transponders (micrichips)
• Color marking (collars)
• Temporary marks – coloration of some parts
of body, cutting off fur
Accuracy of the determination

Only a few rate of rodents are identified to the subspecies level

(unlike Felidae, for example)

Breeding of animals of the same species, but unknown origin

sometimes lead to confusion.
Accuracy of the determination

IN OUR PRACTICE:

• Calomyscus mistax stopped

breed after animals from different
populations were mixed
• Mioprocta prati from different
metapopulations had remarkable
differences in sexual behavior
• Eolagurus luteus showed
changes in  ontogenesis of
young after the individual from
other population took part in
reproduction
In all these cases genetic differences
were found
Irregularity of holders interest to rodent species

disappear

species species

Only one individual in EAZA Zoos More than 500 individuals in EAZA Zoos
Ratufa bicolor Black giant squirrel NOVOSIBRK Cavia porcellus Guinea pig 962

Hylopetes alboniger Particoloured flying squirrel MOSCOW Acomys cilicicus Turkish spiny mouse 505
Callosciurus prevostii bangkanus Prevost's squirrel BERLINZOO
Cynomys ludovicianus Black-tailed prairie dog 1364
Castor fiber albicus European beaver PLANCKNDL
Heterocephalus glaber Naked mole-rat 645
Castor fiber fiber European beaver RIGA
Lasiopodomys brandtii Brandt's vole PLZEN Dolichotis patagonum Patagonian mara 977

Acomys cahirinus hunteri Cairo spiny mouse PLZEN Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris Capybara 503
Hystrix indica hirsutirostris Indian crested porcupine PLZEN
Mus musculus House mouse 1079
Irregularity of holders interest to rodent species

disappear
disappear

species sppecies

More than 50 holders among EAZA Zoos

Cavia porcellus Guinea pig 55
63 species – only one holder among Cynomys ludovicianus Black-tailed prairie dog 65
EAZA Zoos Hystrix indica Indian crested porcupine 70

Dolichotis patagonum Patagonian mara 95

Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris Capybara 114

Object specifics

•Short lifespan
•High reproduction rate
•Nocturnal and secretive way
of life (difficult to expose)

Rodents hardly may be an object of a

tradition EEP programs.

To keep rodent species for a long time the

Zoo need to maintain its own sustained
metapopulation.

Special efforts and methods are needed

to make rodents enclosure visible and
interesting for visitors
Object specifics

To establish a sustained population you

need additional capacities.

In Moscow Zoo there are special non

exposed rooms – animal storerooms.

This give us the possibilities:

•to maintain sustained populations
•to conduct research projects
•to share breeding and exhibiting goals
•to demonstrate active and good-
looking animals
•to renew the exhibition with new
species and establish mixed
expositions

In Moscow Zoo we have now 40 rodent species and 26 from them are represented
sustained populations.
Object specifics

THERE ARE SOME SPECIAL TOOLS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH

RODENTS EXHIBILATY
 Inverse the light-time regime
 Feeding regime (multiply, change the time)
 Give them big pieces of food, which more
probably will be eaten under public view
 Environment enrichment
 Keeping them in social groups
 Keeping them in mixed exhibitions
Object specifics

THERE ARE SOME SPECIAL TOOLS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH

RODENTS EXHIBILATY
 Inverse the light-time regime
 Feeding regime (multiply, change the time)
 Give them big pieces of food, which more
probably will be eaten under public view
 Environment enrichment
 Keeping them in social groups
 Keeping them in mixed exhibitions
 Different kinds of exhibitions (nocturnal,
diurnal, outdoors …)
 Imitation their natural habitats
 Visible hollows or burrows.
Zoo rodents and conservation

Endangered rodents may be good object for Zoos conservation activity

Rodents are small and their conservation breeding does not require much space
Rodents have high reproduction rate and may increase their number quickly
Rodents are relatively little dependent on parental training
Spermophilus citellus in Europe – example of successful conservation program

Conservation projects include not only

training the animals to the wild, but also
conservation education and research of
species biology resulting in Husbandry
Guidelines.
Rodents and researches

Research directions
Keeping & breeding
Unknown features of biology & behavior
Molecular genetic & taxonomy
Resume

 There are a lot diverse rodent species, which are poorly

represented in EAZA collections.

 To manage zoos rodent collection (as for other small mammals)

new, more flexible, structure of breeding programs is required.

 To keep and expose rodents successfully we use some specific

tools, particularly establish animal storerooms, which let to
construct and support metapopulation in one zoo

 The peculiarities of rodents natural history and specify of their

keeping contribute to carrying out research and conservation
projects
 Thank you for attention!

WE used photos by authors, A. Volkov and N. Nazarova