SOME FEATURES OF THE ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF RED SPINY RATS MAXOMYS-SURIFER MILLER, 1900

The authors investigated the population structure and social behavior of Maxomys surifer, a species dominant in undisturbed and little-distu rbed tropical forests of South Vietnam. The animals were caught and in dividually tagged on a tagging area and a tagging line. Groups were ob served in experimental conditions, and pairs were put together in an ' 'open-field'' chamber. The size of the habitation sections in undistur bed forests was 1567 +/- 348 m2 for females and 1125 +/- 221 m2 for ma les. The females live in a more isolated manner than males, and their sections almost do not overlap. In experimental conditions, 17 types a nd forms of interaction were distinguished. When ''familiar'' individu als were set out in pairs, elements of ritualized aggression were obse rved more often than for unfamiliar animals. A domination-subordinatio n phenomenon was noted. The presence of stable intrapopulation groupin gs is inferred. The data obtained make it possible to consider M. suri fer as a species with complex social intrapopulation organization.