Morphometric Study of Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus in Qatar

Islam, Md Mazharul; Farag, Elmoubashar; Mahmoudi, Ahmad; Hassan, Mohammad Mahmudul; Atta, Muzzamil; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Alnager, Ismail Alnour; Farrag, Hassan Ali; Eljack, Gaafar El Awad; Bansal, Devendra; Haroun, Mohamed; Abdeen, Randa; Al-Romaihi, Hamad; Al-Zeyara, Abdul Aziz; Almalki, Sowaid Ali; Mkhize-Kwitshana, Zilungile

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Rodents are the most abundant and diversified group of mammals. These animals show genetic and physical diversity in different ecosystems of the world, including the desert ecosystem. The current study was undertaken to check the morphometric pattern of three commensal rodent species, viz, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus, in Qatar. One hundred forty-eight rodents were captured and studied for body and cranio-mandibular measurements. The study found R. norvregicus as the most prevalent rodent in Qatar. Most of the rodents were collected from Al Rayan municipality, were adults, and were from livestock farms. The rodents’ average body weights were 18.8 ± 2.2 gm, 264.3 ± 87.5 gm, and 130 ± 71.3 gm for M. musculus, R. norvegicus, and R. rattus, respectively. The average morphometric measurements of the external body and skull were normally distributed and can be used as a reference of R. norvegicus and R. rattus for Qatar. ABSTRACT: The current study was undertaken to estimate the morphometric pattern of three commensal rodents, i.e., Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus in Qatar. One hundred forty-eight rodents were captured from different facilities throughout Qatar. The captured rodents were used to identify the external body and cranio-mandibular morphometry. The study found that R. norvregicus was the most prevalent (n = 120, 81%, 95% CI: 73.83–87.05). Most of the rodents were collected from Al Rayan municipality (n = 92, 62%), were adults (n = 138, 93.2%, 95% CI: 87.92–96.71), and were from livestock farms (n = 79, 49%, 95% CI: 41.02–57.65). The rodents’ average body weights were 18.8 ± 2.2 gm, 264.3 ± 87.5 gm, and 130 ± 71.3 gm for M. musculus, R. norvegicus, and R. rattus, respectively. The research found that the studied rodents are smaller than those of other countries such as Turkey, Tunisia, and Iran. The study of morphometry is a useful tool for the traditional identification of small mammal species, including rodents. The average morphometric measurements of the external body and skull were normally distributed and can be used as a reference of R. norvegicus and R. rattus for Qatar. A further comprehensive study is required to investigate the rodent population index, eco-friendly control program, and public health importance in Qatar.