BEHAVIOR OF 4 SPECIES OF SHREWS SOREX-ISODON, SOREX-ARANEUS, SOREX-CAECUTIENS, AND SOREX-MINUTUS (INSECTIVORA, SORICIDAE) IN INTERSPECIFIC CONTACTS

Behaviour of four species of shrews (Sorex isodon, S. araneus, S. caec utiens and S. minutus) in interspecific interactions at neutral territ ory was examined. The frequencies of well chistinguishable behavioral patterns in intra- and interspecific experiments were compared. In int erspecific interactions the shrews demonstrated mainly the same patter ns of behaviour as in intraspecific ones. Animals behaviour in intersp ecific experiment depended upon partner-species. The most important we re the sizes of species in interacting couple. The bigger ones were ch aracterized by the higher number of distinctive and integrative contac ts; the elements of behaviour treated as rejection from contacts occur red relatively rarely. In an interacting couple of species ritual aggr ession was often observed in the smaller species while direct aggressi on in the bigger one. The data have been obtained which allow to suppo se that in shrews living in the same area the community is formed with complex interspecific relationships based on the behavioral interacti ons of the species.