Variance in Gut microbiota of Wild Rodent along the Spatial and Species Identity Scale

we investigated the gut microbial communities of four species of wild caught rodents (Rattus norvegicus, Apodemus agrarius, Cricetulus barabensis and Tscherskia triton) in the farming-pastoral transitional zone in northern China, to explore how variation in the gut microbiota is associated with the capture site and species identity. Besides, we focus on the host-related factors, including age, gender, and BMI, as well as environmental variables, such as altitude , annual average temperature, and average annual precipitation. Our study provides robust evidence that environmental factors play a substantial role in shaping the composition and diversity of gut microbiota across various rodent populations. While host-related factors appear to have limited influence, the intricate associations between external factors and microbial genera underscore the complexity of these interactions. These findings shed light on the universal aspects of gut microbiota dynamics in rodent species, enriching our understanding of the factors driving microbial community structure in diverse ecological contexts.