关键词: 社鼠, 食物贮藏, 山杏, 辽东栎, 东灵山

Abstract: Food hoarding is a key adaptation for many species to survive periods of food shortage. The Chinese white-bellied rat ( Niviventor confucianus) is widely distributed in the temperate zone in China, but food hoarding behavior of this species is almost unknown. We investigated food hoarding behavior of white-bellied rats by providing them with wild apricot ( Prunus armeniaca) seeds and Liaodong oak ( Quercus liaotungensis) acorns within enclosures (L ×W ×H = 4 × 3 × 1 m) in the Dongling Mountains (40°00′N , 115°30′E), Mentougou District, Beijing. We found that 1) Chinese white-bellied rats hoarded food in larders, 2) simulated pilfering of stored food stimulated rats to hoard more food items, and 3) Chinese white-bellied rats selected wild apricot seeds for hoarding, and consumed more Liaodong oak acorns in the short term. We discuss possible factors influencing food hoarding behavior in this species.

Key words: Chinese white-bellied rat( Niviventor confucianus), Donglingshan Mountains, Food hoarding, Liaodong oak, Wild apricot