Use of Artificial Seed Patches by Heteromyid Rodents

We allowed individual heteromyid rodents of nine species to forage singly for millet seeds placed in artificial seed patches that varied in soil texture, soil-bulk density, and seed dispersion. Thirty-five of 45 individuals tested showed nonrandom patterns of patch use, signifi-cantly more than expected if heteromyids as a whole do not distinguish the seed-patch attributes we presented. The nine species differed overall in patch use. Bipedal species did not differ significantly as a group from quadrupedal species. Use of heavy-soil patches was significantly correlated with body size, however, and use of aggregated-seed patches was related to the locality from which individuals were collected. Species from the same locality selected artificial substrates qualitatively similar to those found in microhabitats selected in nature.