NATURAL-HISTORY OF SMALL MAMMALS OF SUBTROPICAL MONTANE AREAS IN CENTRAL TAIWAN

Based on samples collected in 1989-90, I report on several aspects of the natural history of species of small mammals from seasonal montane areas in subtropical central Taiwan, including their reproduction, dem ography, sex ratio and body size. The climatic seasonality in the area s is striking. The wet season lasts from May through September and the dry season from October through April. The phenology of plant life is related to this seasonality: vegetative growth occurs primarily in th e wet season, but fruit and seed production is concentrated in the dry season. Variation in the reproduction and demography are analysed bet ween the wet and the dry season for six species, Apodemus semotus, Niv iventer culturatus, Eothenomys melanogaster, Microtus kikuchii, Anouro sorex squamipes and Soriculus fumidus. Two murid rodents, A. semotus a nd N. culturatus, are capable of breeding year-round, whereas the micr otine rodents, E. melanogaster and M. kikuchii, have discrete breeding seasons. The shrews, A. squamipes and S. fumidus are both seasonal br eeders, but they differ in the timing of their breeding cycles. While S. fumidus breeds primarily in the late dry season, A. squamipes repro duces in the wet season. Finally, seasonal variation in reproduction i s discussed in relation to phylogenetic and physio-ecological characte ristics of these six species.