I. A. Tikhonov, G. N. Tikhonova, and O. V. Osipova
Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia,
e-mail: tikh@biostation.chg.ru
Received May 16, 2007
Abstract—The influence of intra- and interspecific competition of common and East European voles on their
daily activity was studied in 34-m2 enclosures at the Chernogolovka Experimental Research Station (Moscow
Region). Family groups of animals captured in the same biotopes were placed in enclosures and, 25 day later,
their daily activity was observed. Thereafter, the animals were pooled and observations were repeated 25 days
later. The experiment consisted of three stages. At the first stage, the daily activity, time budget, and social
behavior of common voles were studied before and after pooling different family groups; at the second stage,
the same was performed with East European voles; and at the third stage, with both species. The species proved
to use different strategies for alleviating intraspecific competition: in common voles, this was segregation of
ecological niches via desynchronization of daily activity; in East European voles, conversely, aggregation in
groups and synchronization of activity. Under experimental cohabitation, the strategy of the common vole, a
more aggressive species, was to force out the other species, ecologically similar but less competitive; the strat-
egy of the East European vole was aimed at avoidance via segregation of ecological niches in time.
DOI: 10.1134/S1067413609010093
Key words: daily activity, competition, sibling species.
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