18th RODENS ET SPATIUM – International Conference on Rodent Biology

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to welcome you to the 18th Rodens et Spatium – International Conference on Rodent Biology. The Conference will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania on May 18 – 22, 2026. The aim of the Conference is to bring together researchers, scientists, veterinarians, ecologist, and other experts to exchange knowledge and the latest research in the fields of rodent biology, ecology, medicine, and care, as well as to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and seek solutions to current challenges involving rodents. We are pleased to welcome scientists from different countries to give presentations on recent advances in the following areas: 

Systematics, Evolution, and Phylogenetics

  • Modern approaches to rodent phylogenetics (based on DNA, morphology, behavior)
  • Divergence and radiation of rodent subfamilies and genera
  • Cryptic species and speciation in rodents

Ecology and Behavior

  • Spatial organization of rodent populations
  • Ethological studies: social behavior, territoriality, communication
  • Impact of urbanization and climate change on rodent populations
  • Rodents as keystone species in ecosystems

Epidemiology, Zoonoses, and Parasites

  • Rodents as reservoirs of dangerous infections (plague, leptospirosis, hantaviruses)
  • Pathogen monitoring in wild rodent populations
  • Risks of biological invasions and public health concerns

Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Biotechnology

  • Analysis and annotation of rodent genomes
  • Population genomics
  • Rodent microbiomes and their effects on health and behavior

Conservation, Management, and Human Interactions:

  • Human–rodent conflicts and coexistence
  • Ethical and welfare considerations in rodent research
  • Rodents in agriculture and pest management

The Conference will be hosted by Vytautas Magnus University.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Kaunas!

IMPORTANT DATES

We are pleased to invite you to visit the 18th Rodens et spatium – International Conference on Rodent Biology 2026, held in Kaunas, Lithuania on May 18 – 22, 2026.

 December 15 Early bird registration deadline
 February 15 Regular registration deadline
 February 15 Abstracts submission deadline
 March 15 Payment deadline
 April 15 Conference program announced
CONFERENCE FEES

  Early bird Late
Regular € 350 € 450
Student € 250 € 300
Accompanying person € 200 € 250
Conference tour (lunch included) € 50 € 50
Gala dinner € 50 € 50

Registration fee includes:

– Access to the conference
– Conference material
– Coffee breaks
– Lunches
– Welcome party
– City tour
– Excursion to museum

Accompanying fees includes:

– Coffee breaks
– Lunches
– Welcome party
– City tour
– Excursion to museum

PAYMENT INFORMATION

Recipient LIETUVOS ŽALIASIS ALJANSAS
Address VILEIKOS 8, LT-44404, Kaunas
Bank Swedbank AB
Bank adress Konstitucijos pr. 20A, LT-09321 Vilnius
Bank code 73000
SWIFT (BIC) code HABALT22
Recipient’s bank account LT06 7300 0101 5273 5372
The purpose of payment Rodens, your name and surname
COMMITTEES

Steering committee

Chairman – Herwig Leirs, Belgium
Linas Balčiauskas, Lithuania
Abdelfouadi Benmouloud, Algeria
Ana Maria Benedek, Romania
Zbigniew Borowski, Poland
Josef Bryja, Czech Republic
Nathalie Charbonnel, France
Frauke Ecke, Sweden
Dominique Fauteux, Canada
Heikki Henttonen, Finland
Jens Jacob, Germany
Boris Krasnov, Israel
Xavier Lambin, United Kingdom
Juan Luque-Larena, Spain
Maria da Luz Mathias, Portugal
Rick Ostfeld, USA
František Sedláček, Czech Republic
Grant Singleton, Australia
Mustafa Sözen, Turkey
Valentina Tagliapietra, Italy
Nigel Yoccoz, Norway

Local organizing committee

Chairman –Algimantas Paulauskas
Asta Aleksandravičienė
Dalytė Mardosaitė-Busaitienė
Dominykas Repečka
Evelina Kaminskienė
Indrė Lipatova
Jana Radzijevskaja
Irma Ražanskė
Loreta Griciuvienė
Marina Sidorenko
Justina Snegiriovaitė
Miglė Razgūnaitė
Povilas Sakalauskas

ABSTRACT GUIDELINES

Conference abstracts will be published in a scientific proceedings volume with an ISSN. They will not undergo language proofreading; authors are responsible for the linguistic quality. Please follow the instructions below when preparing your abstract:

  1. Language: English
  2. Structure: Authors provide first name and surname. Underline the presenting author and include their email address. Affiliations and addresses of all co-authors.
  3. Content: No subdivision into introduction, materials and methods, results, etc.
  4. Font: Times New Roman
  5. Length: Maximum of 300 words.
  6. Line spacing: 1.15, with 3 cm margins on all sides, and align text to the justify.
  7. No figures, no tables should be included in the abstract.
  8. References should be included (maximum 5 references).
  9. Prepare the text as a Word document.
  10. Name the file after the presenting author: Surname_Name_Rodens.doc(x).
  11. Send abstracts as an email attachment to: rodens@vdu.lt with the subject “Surname_Rodens_oral” or “Surname_Rodens_poster”.
  12. The abstract template is available for download HERE
POSTER PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

Poster size and orientation: A1 format: 594 x 841 cm; portrait orientation.

Presenting authors are requested to be available during the poster sessions. All poster boards will be labelled with a poster number, which you will find in the programme booklet on-site.

ORAL PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

There is no presentation template, but remember that text should be readable at any conditions

  • Language: English
  • Oral presentation should not last longer than 10 min (+ 5 min questions).
  • Plenary presentation: 55 min (+ 5 min questions).

Programme overview

The conference will be held at the Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania (S.Daukanto str. 28)

Monday
9:00-11:00 Registration
11:00-11:30 Opening ceremony
11:30-12:30 Plenary session
12:30-13:00 Oral presentations
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-17:00 Oral & poster presentations & coffee break
17:00 Welcome coctail
Tuesday
9:00-10:30 Oral presentations
10:30-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Plenary session
12:30-13:00 Oral presentations
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-17:30 Oral & poster presentations & coffee break
18:00 City tour
Wednesday
9:00-10:30 Oral presentations
10:30-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Plenary session
12:30-13:00 Lunch
14:00-17:00 Oral & poster presentations & coffee break
18:00 Gala dinner
Thursday
9:00-10:30 Oral presentations
10:30-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-13:00 Oral presentations
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:00 Coffee break
15:00-15:30 Closing ceremony
16:00 Excursion to museum
Friday
9:00-18:00 Conference Tour, lunch included

Detaled programme

The detailed program will be announced on April 15.

 

About Kaunas

Kaunas previously known as Kovno. It is the second largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Modern Kaunas is a European city with beautiful architecture, medieval monuments and unique museums. In 2022 Kaunas was chosen as the European Capital of Culture. Kaunas interwar architecture was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. About 1500 buildings are recognized as a significant value for all of humanity, present and future generations.

Visit Kaunas - Apie miestą      Каунас | Офіційний сайт Луцької міської ради    Vytis Monument "Warrior of Freedom" - From Kaunas Castle, Lithuania Kauno rotušė - ArchitekturaLietuvoje.lt

Travel information

Citizens of the EU and most European countries (including all Scandinavian countries) do not require a visa to enter Lithuania. For detailed information, please visit the website of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.urm.lt. There are two international airports in Lithuania: one is located just outside of Kaunas, and the other one is in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

Arrivals by plane

Direct flights to Kaunas or Vilnius airports are most likely available from your country.

City bus Numbers 29 and 29E go directly from Kaunas airport to the city centre. More information about fares from the airport is available at www.kaunas-airport.lt

Arrivals by bus

The distance between Kaunas and Vilnius is 100 km. Information about airport express from Vilnius airport can be found here: ollex.lt
Bus schedules within Kaunas can be accessed at kvt.lt and stops.lt.

Buses between Kaunas and Vilnius depart several times an hour between 5AM and midnight. The journey takes about 1.5 hours. Most buses have (free) wireless internet. For international travel Ecolines (ecolines.net) and other companies operate several daily buses from Riga and Tallinn, and from other national capitals of Europe.

By train

Kaunas train station (map) is located nearby to the bus station (map) in the city center. Several daily trains go between Kaunas and other major cities. Tickets and timetables can be found at litrail

How to find us

CONFERENCE VENUE: S. Daukanto str. 28, Kaunas

Accommodations

Accommodations should be booked by the participants themselves.
Here is a list of possible hotels nearest to the Conference venue:

These are all within walking distance to the Conference venue Keisti į These are all within walking distance to the Conference venue.

There are many public transit stops nearby the Conference venue, which is reachable from any part of Kaunas Keisti į There are many public transit.

There are also a lot of apartments available for rent. Feel free to explore for more options via booking.com or other services.
The Conference venue is located in the center of Kaunas at Vytautas Magnus University, whose address is – S.Daukanto str. 28, Kaunas, Lithuania.

There are many public transit stops nearby the Conference venue, which is reachable from any part of Kaunas.
Here is a suggested app and website for traveling in the city: trafi.com

 

 

Organizers: Vytautas Magnus University
Research Institute of Natural and Technological Sciences
Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kauno dist. LT-53361
Email: rodens@vdu.lt
Conference venue: S. Daukanto str. 28, Kaunas, Lithuania

17-th – Valladolid (Spain) – 2023
– Diseases
– Ecology
– Taxonomy, genetics and conservation
– Biology and evoliution
– Methods and applied science
– Conflicts and management
 16th – Postdam (Germany) – 2018
– Rodent behavior
– Form and function
– Responses to human-induced changes
– Rodent management
– Conservation and ecosystem services
– Taxonomy-genetics
– Population dynamics
– Phylogeography
– Future rodent control technologies
 15th – Olomouc (Czech Republic) – 2016
– Monitoring Rodent Populations as Bioindicators of Global Change
– African Rodent Ecology and Evolution Past, Present, and Future
– Rodent population dynamics: from ecological theory to population management
– Exploring rodent genomes to understand evolution
– Parasites and Pathogens
– Introduction to personality traits & cognitive abilities
– Stories from Underground
 14th – Lisbon (Portugal) – 2014
– Behaviour
– Conservation
– Ecology
– Evolution
– Morphometrics
– Parasites & Diseases
– Phylogeography& Phylogeny
– Physiology
– Population Dynamics
– Rodent Management
 13th – Rovaniemi (Finland) – 2012
– Genetics, phylogeography and taxonomy
– Population dynamics and ecology
– Parasites and diseases
– Evolution and development in small mammals
– Rodent management
 12th – Zonguldak (Turkey) – 2010
– Population and Community Ecology
– Phylogeography, Phylogenetics and Systematics
– Physiology
– Behaviour, Behavioural Ecology and communication.
– Parasitology
– Applied Ecology and Rodent management
 11th – Myshkin (Russia) – 2008
– Population Ecology & Community Ecology
– Phylogeography, Phylogenetics& Systematics
– Behaviour, Behavioural Ecology & Communication
– Physiology
– Parasitology, Applied Ecology & Rodent Management
 10th – Parma (Italy) – 2006
– Morphology, Physiology and Sensory Biology
– Phylogeography and Phylogenetics
– Behavioural Ecology
– Community Ecology and Predation
– Population Ecology
– Parasitology and Applied Ecology
– Rodent management
 9th – Lublin (Poland) – 2004
– Morphology, Physiology and Sensory Biology
– Phylogeography and Phylogenetics
– Behavioural Ecology
– Community Ecology and Predation
– Population Ecology and Metapopulation
– Parasitology and Applied Ecology
 8th – Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium) – 2002
– Community ecology
– Ecophysiology
– Population Ecology
– Ethology and Behavioural Ecology
– Systematics and Evolution
– Ecotoxicology and Parasitology
– Rodent management
 7th – ČeskéBudějovice (Czech Republic) – 2000
– Diversity in time and space
– Behaviour
– Population Ecology and Genetics
– Ecophysiology and Ecological and Functional Morphology
– Diseases and Applied Ecology
6th – Acre (Israel) – 1998
 5th – Rabbat (Morocco) – 1995
– Diversity of Ecophysiological Adaptations to Extreme Environmental Conditions
– Diversity of Rodents-Plants Interactions
– Diversity of Communication Modes and Cognition in Rodents
– Rodents and People
– Evolutionary Biology of Rodents
  4th – Mikolajki (Poland) – 1993
– Voles in patchy environments: responses by individuals, populations and communities.
– Rodents: their ecophysiology and behaviour.
– Rodents as ecological and biological indicators.
– Rodents: their systematics, evolution and paleontology.
 3rd – Lyon (France) – 1991
– Chemical communication, society and space
– Rodent and Biogeography
– Temporal distribution of activities.
 2nd – Lyon (France) – 1989
– The rodent in desert environment
– The rodent and historical biogeography
– Environment and resources
1st – Lyon (France) – 1987
– The rodent in desert environment
– Space use and inter-individual relationships
– Space control: orientation in theory and practice
– Physiology and genetics
  • Date : 2026-05-18 - 2026-05-22
  • Time : 08:00 - 00:00 (Europe/Vilnius)
  • Venue : Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania