structure could be obtained from the literature (these data
are compiled in table 35.1). Where possible, literature re-
views such as mammalian species accounts were used for
citations. The following accounts are intended to summa-
rize the types of social behavior observed in petrophilic ro-
dents while providing background information on several
rodent taxa not described elsewhere in this volume.
Sciuridae
The cliff chipmunk inhabits the Rocky Mountains of the
western United States and Mexico (Hart 1992). The social
structure of the cliff chipmunk is somewhat unclear from
the species account; individuals exhibit territorial behavior
toward conspecifics near the home den (a crevice in rocks
or cliffs that contains a food cache), yet join feeding aggre-
gations away from the den (Hart 1992). Up to ten individ-
uals, mostly female (males tend not to associate with cliff
den areas in the summer months), have been observed in
such feeding aggregations (Hart 1992).
The woolly flying squirrel was recently rediscovered in-
habiting the high, cold desert regions of northern Pakistan
(Zahler 1996). Local inhabitants of this region claim that
the woolly flying squirrel lives solitarily in remote caves on
vertical cliff walls and that it feeds on pine needles obtained
by climbing into conifers within nearby open forests (Zah-
ler 1996; Zahler and Khan 2003).
Muridae: Microtinae
The flat-headed vole (Alticola strelzovi) inhabits rocky
steppes in Asia (Nadachowski and Mead 1999b). Although
this species usually builds its nest in fissures and crevices in
rocks, it does occasionally dig its own burrow in soft soil.
The flat-headed vole lives in family groups comprised of
a pair of adults and between five and ten offspring. In Kaz-
akhstan, each social group collects plant material, dries it
under a pile of pebbles, and stores it within rocky fissures
until it is needed during the winter (Nadachowski and
Mead 1999b).
The snow vole lives in patchy rock habitat distributed
between Europe and Iran. Female home ranges do not over-
lap during the breeding season, whereas male home ranges
overlap extensively with those of both females and males,
leading to what appears to be a promiscuous mating sys-
tem (Luque-Larena et al. 2004). Interestingly, although
many vole species tend to aggregate for over-winter sur-
vival, the snow vole is solitary and nomadic during this time
(Le Louarn and Janeau 1975; Luque-Larena et al. 2002d;
Luque-Larena et al. 2002b). It has been hypothesized that
the snow vole does not need to socially thermoregulate
because it has better insulating properties than other voles
and because its rocky home helps to modulate winter tem-
peratures, making social thermoregulation unnecessary
(Luque-Larena et al. 2002b).Muridae: Murinae
The golden spiny mouse is distributed from Egypt to the
Arabian Peninsula. In the hot rocky deserts of southern
Israel, it is sympatric with the common spiny mouse, al-
though the common spiny mouse is much less of a specialist
on rocky habitat (Shargal et al. 2000). Both species appear
to be social; in the wild, females and males have overlap-
ping home ranges (Kronfeld et al. 1994; Shargal et al. 2000)
and in captivity both species preferentially aggregate in nest
boxes (Shargal et al. 2000).
The Namaqua rock rat inhabits rock outcrops in
southern Africa. Females have nonoverlapping territories,
whereas male territories overlap considerably with those of
several females and with other males (Fleming and Nicol-
son 2004). The Namaqua rock rat is thought to exhibit
scramble-competition polygyny during the breeding season
because nonresident males enter the population during this
time and vie for mating opportunities (Fleming and Nic-
olson 2004). Previous field and captive studies of the Na-
maqua rock rat, however, suggested that this species is so-
cial and that it lives in family groups (Nowak 1991). The
red rock rat (Aethomys chrysophilus) is also reported to
live in paired social groups (Nowak 1991).
The Carpentarian rock-rat is the only one of the pet-
rophilic Australian rock-rats (table 35.2) for which any in-
formation on territorial overlap among the sexes is known.
This critically endangered species is restricted to the scree
slopes of monsoon rainforests in the Gulf of Carpentaria re-
gion of Australia (Churchill 1996). Telemetry data have re-
vealed that home ranges of females, males, and juveniles are
nonexclusive (averaging 41% overlap), with the greatest
degree of overlap occurring between males and juveniles
(Puckey et al. 2004).Muridae: Sigmodontinae
Although most woodrats construct stick houses, at least
three species appear to be obligate rock-specialists that
build nests within rocky crevices (table 35.2). The social be-
havior of two species, the bushy-tailed woodrat and the Al-
legheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) have been discussed
in the literature. The bushy-tailed woodrat inhabits rock
outcrops throughout western North America. From one to
twelve breeding females and one to seven breeding males
occupy each outcrop (Moses and Millar 1992). Telemetry
studies have revealed extensive intrasexual and intersexual
home range overlap among individuals (Topping and Mil-422 Chapter Thirty-Five