author(s)
Dr. Mousumi Phukon and Dr. Ratul Kr. Borah

abstract
The study revealed the burrow characteristics and food hoarding of three field rodents viz., Bandicota bengalensis bengalensis, B. indica and Mus booduga prevalent in rice-vegetable cropping system of Jorhat, Assam during 2015-16 and 2016-17. Four burrows for each species from six plots each of 1 hectare area were excavated randomly including burrows both in field and bunds at two stages viz., harvesting and post harvest stage of both kharif rice and rabi vegetables. For each burrow system the ten features were measured: the number and diameter of opening, length, diameter and depth of burrow tunnel, number and length of blind tunnels, number of side tunnels, number of food and brood chamber along with hoarded material and litter size per burrow. It was recorded that out of total live burrows count per ha 86 per cent burrows occupied by B. bengalensis, 9 per cent by B. indica and 5 per cent by M. booduga. All the recorded measurements were found to be highest at harvesting stage when the rodent activity was maximum and reduced at post harvest stage of both the crops when rodent activity was minimum. The hoarded material per burrow in B. bengalensis was recorded the highest 230.0 + 48.27 gm and 83.40 + 30.04 gm at post harvesting stage of vegetables and rice respectively. Both brood and food chamber of B. bengalensis and brood chamber of M. booduga were found shallower and smaller in size at post harvest stages as compared to harvesting stage of the crops. The average litter per burrow in both B. bengalensis and M. booduga revealed reduction in number after harvesting of the crops. The shallow nature of burrows suggests control of the field rats in rice-vegetable cropping system of Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone, Assam could be improved by deep ploughing immediately after harvest of the crops to destroy the burrow system and expose the rodents to raptors and predators.