Spacing behaviour between two desert rodents, the golden spiny mouseAcomys russatusand the bushy-tailed gerbilSekeetamys calurus

Nest and feeding behaviour patterns were compared between two sympatric species, the bushy-tailed gerbilSekeetamys calurusand the golden spiny mouseAcomys russatus, in order to assess nest site and food as possible resources of competition. The way the species interact under laboratory conditions was also compared. WhileS. calurusused a nest into which they removed bedding material, only two out of sixA. russatusdid so, while in at least half of the studied cases they were found roosting outside of the nest inside the enclosure. When introduced into the same enclosure,S. caluruswas the dominant species and in five out of 12 casesS. calurusinhabited the nest abandoned byA. russatus, and in seven casesA. russatuswas found resting in the enclosure. UnlikeA. russatus,S. calurusaccumulated food inside its nest and also protected the food resource in the enclosure againstA. russatus. It seems that different nest and feeding behavioural patterns can reduce competition between these two sympatric species