title: Husbandry, reproduction and postnatal development of the neotropical muroid rodent Zygodontomys brevicauda.
abstract: Laboratory colonies of the Neotropical muroid rodent Zygodontomys brevicauda have been employed in studies of arbovirus epidemiology and are currently the subjects of experimental research on tropical mammalian reproductive physiology and evolutionary quantitative genetics. Captive-bred litters typically consist of 4 or 5 pups weighing 3-4 g each at birth. Adults 20-40 weeks old average 60-80 g with some sexual dimorphism. Females are sexually mature at 3-4 weeks of age, males at 6-8 weeks. Ovulation is spontaneous and gestation is 25 days. Preliminary observations are provided on the microbiological status and parasites of captive-bred animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Heideman
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Donnelly
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D001835:Body Weight; D002489:Central America; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D009115:Muridae / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013020:South America