Department of Entomology, C.S.A. University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur-208 002, Uttar Pradesh (India).
*A part of approved Ph.D. thesis submitted by A.S. Bhadauria to Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur (India).
The average length, breadth, depth and diameter of burrow openings of Bandicota bengalensis Gray were 508.1, 231.5, 62.2 and 7.6 cm, respectively. Similarly, other structures with their average numbers were recorded as brood chambers (1.3), food chambers (3.1), surface openings (5.4), bolt runs (4.9, emergency openings (2.3), and number of rats (2.29) per burrow. The hoarding behaviour was established by collecting food materials, the average being 284.8 g per burrow. Very complicated structure of burrow was formed in two to three layers overlapping each other. The surface openings of burrow were found externally covered with the heap of soil. The adults inhabited singly each burrow irrespective of their sex, except the period of their courtship. Brood chambers were observed only in the burrow occupied by females. Bolt runs and emergency openings or escape holes were present in the burrows and provided protection mechanism against natural enemies. This species was found forming deeper burrows during summers (80.2 cm) and shallow during winters (40.3 cm).
