Species Composition of Rodents of the Genus Muridae Illiger and Their Parasitic Gamasoid Mites (Gamasoidea) in Southern Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Rodents of the family Muridae are among the most widespread and ecologically adaptable mammals in Kyrgyzstan. They play important ecological roles in seed dispersal, insect regulation, and food chains, while also serving as reservoirs of dangerous zoonotic pathogens such as plague, tularemia, and leptospirosis. Understanding their species composition and distribution is therefore essential for both zoological and epidemiological research. This study aimed to investigate the diversity, distribution, and ectoparasite associations of Muridae in southern Kyrgyzstan. Field surveys were carried out in the foothill and mid-mountain zones between [insert years/seasons]. Small mammals were captured using live traps, identified by morphological features, and their relative abundance was estimated using standard density indices with statistical error (± SE). Parasitic mites were collected and identified with conventional parasitological methods. A total of 11 rodent species belonging to four genera were recorded. In the foothill zone, the dominant species were the grey rat (Rattus norvegicus, 21.1 ± 2.57%) and house mouse (Mus musculus, 19.1 ± 2.47%), while subdominants included the red-tailed gerbil (Meriones libycus) and the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). In the mid-mountain zone, A. sylvaticus (23.1 ± 2.96%) and the archaic vole (Microtus juldaschi, 21.2 ± 2.87%) prevailed. In total, 18 gamasid mite species from nine genera and four families were identified, with Lealaps agilis (31.42 ± 2.22%) as the predominant parasite. These findings clarify the composition, distribution, and host–parasite relationships of Muridae in southern Kyrgyzstan and provide a baseline for future ecological and sanitary-epidemiological monitoring.