Abstract

MARQUEZ OLIVAS, Marcelo. Características reproductivas de la rata magueyera (Neotoma albigula) en cautiverio. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2002, n.86, pp.139-144. ISSN 2448-8445.

The whitethroat woodrat (Neotoma albigula) is used for human consumption in rural communities of the Altiplano Potosino-Zacatecano. Current methods for harvesting this rodent species however, reduce its populations and destroys its habitat. From 1993 to 1995, a study was carried out in captivity at the Colegio de Postgraduados (Campus San Luis Potosi). This study had the objective to determine some reproductive characteristics and to set up a sustainable production system. The particular objectives were: 1) to determine the estrous cycle based in cellular changes of vaginal epithelium; and 2) to describe their reproductive behavior. In average, the estrous cycle lasted 5.21 days x the number of estrus per rat in a 30 d period was 4.6. The male remained 25 s over the female in each mount and the average between mounts was 4.8 min. Between 2 a 5 mounts were registered each time the animals were observed.

Keywords : Woodrat (Neotoma albigula); estral cycle; reproduction; cautivity.