author(s)
Abha Sharma and Rajwinder Singh

abstract
The burrow density of Indian gerbil, Tatera indica was studied in relation to different abiotic factors like maximum and minimum atmospheric temperatures, relative humidity, soil temperature and soil moisture in agro-ecosystem of Ludhiana, Punjab. There was no clear-cut pattern of dependence of burrow density with both soil and atmospheric temperatures, but percent relative humidity somehow get co-vary with burrow number. Both maximum and minimum atmospheric temperatures have direct correlation with soil temperature at 1% level of significance. Maximum atmospheric temperature has inverse relation with soil moisture, whereas soil moisture has direct relation with percent relative humidity. Total number of live burrow count was maximum during spring season and minimum during summer season. Total number of live burrow count during monsoon, post-monsoon, winter and spring seasons recorded were 77.44, 67.76, 14.52 and 96.80% higher as compared to summer season. During monsoon, post-monsoon and spring seasons, sex ratio was in favour of males while it was in favour of females during winter season, which leads to increase in population during winter season. T. indica was pre-dominant species over M. booduga and B. bengalensis in selected area of study. So, it is concluded that control measures by rodenticides should be done during spring and winter seasons to check the population of T. indica to reduce its damage to crops.