A Biosystematic and Morphometric Investigation of the Characters of Rodents (Mammalia: Rodentia) as Reservoir Hosts for Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Focus of Sistan-Baluchistan Province, Iran

Rodents play a major role in economic losses and public health problems. These animals are considered as natural reservoir hosts of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL), one of the major health concerns in Iran. This research was aimed to study rodents’ diversity and faunistic of Chabahar County, Sistan-Baluchistan Province, Southeastern Iran, as an old ZCL focus. Trappings were randomly performed with 20 Sherman live-traps at four localities from Chabahar County, continuously during 5 months. In the laboratory, the animal skin was entirely removed and taxidermy was performed. Four standard external characters and seven cranial variables were measured using a ruler and vernier calipers, respectively. The collected specimens were identified with respect to their morphological, external, cranial and dental characteristics. A relevant key was used for identification. Sampling was performed in different places from vegetation covering around rodent burrows. Seven species belonging to two families, Muridae and Sciuridae, were collected and determined. A total of seventy individuals of rodents, Meriones hurrianae (M. hurrianae) Jordon 1867, Tatera indica (T. indica) Hardwicke 1807, Mus musculus (M. musculus) Linnaeus 1758, Rattus norvegicus (R. norvegicus) Berkenhout 1769, Rattus rattus (R. rattus) Linnaeus 1758, Nesokia indica (N. indica) Gray 1830 and Funambulus pennantii (F. pennantii) Wroughton 1905, were trapped. The majority (78.6%) of the study specimens comprised of M. hurrianae and T. indica. These two species were found in all study areas, with high abundance. They live socially in large parts of area lands, with a very large number of rodent burrows. Standard external morphologic and morphometric characters of M. hurrianae and T. indica, including cranial and dental, are given. The spatial and temporal monitoring of wild rodents will help to predict the potential zoonotic rodent-borne diseases.