PLACE DES RONGEURS DANS LE RÉGIME TROPHIQUE DE LA CHOUETTE EFFRAIE Tyto alba DANS LA RÉGION DE TOUGGOURT (ALGÉRIE)

Abstract

The present study is undertaken in the area of Touggourt. The latter is in the South-east of Algeria. It corresponds to the high part of the Righ Wadi. It is bordered in the south and the east by the Great Eastern Erg, in north by the palm plantations of Megarine and the West by sand dunes (33° 02' at 33° 12' NR., 5° 59' at 6° 14' E.). The 153 pellets of rejection of the barn owl are collected on the level of the palm plantation of Ranou. This study has allowed the identification of 61 species-preys (Sm = 1.96 + 1.7 species). These last are divided into 14 preys categories. The rodents add up nearly 12 species-preys represented by a manpower of 168 individuals. On 468 preys introduced by Tyto alba, the rodents occupy the first position in relative terms of abundance (A.R. % = 35.9%) that in biomasses (B % = 44.7%). Among the most consumed species, it is to be quoted Gerbillusnanus with 41 individuals (8.8%), followed by Musspretus with 36 individuals (A.R. % = 7.7%) and Gerbillusgerbillus with 31 individuals (A.R. % = 6,6%). On the other hand for the biomasses, Rattusrattus occupies the first place (B % = 14.1%), followed by Gerbillusgerbillus (B % = 7.1%). As for Gerbillusnanus and Musspretus, they occupy the third rank (B % = 5.4% each one).