Burrow sharing by colonial tuco-tucos (Ctenomys sociabilis)

Abstract

Preliminary studies indicate that the recently described colonial tuco-tuco (Ctenomys sociabilis) is social. As part of efforts to characterize the behavioral ecology of this species, we examined patterns of use of burrows by members of a free-living population of C. sociabilis located in southern Neuquen Province, Argentina. As many as five adults (one male, four females) were captured within a single colony (spatially distinct cluster of burrow entrances). Spatial relationships among eight adults from three colonies were monitored using radiotelemetry. Each animal was active in only a single colony. Within each colony, the areas used by different adults overlapped extensively (X ≥ 68%) and all animals shared a single nest site. Collectively, these data indicate that a colony of C. sociabilis consists of a single burrow system that may be inhabited by multiple adults. We suggest that comparative analyses of C. sociabilis and other colonial taxa (e.g., colonial African mole-rats; Bathyergidae) will significantly improve our understanding of the factors favoring sociality among subterranean rodents.