scholarly journals Effects of trap confinement on personality measurements in two terrestrial rodents

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M. Brehm ◽  
Sara Tironi ◽  
Alessio Mortelliti
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Behavioral Observation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Trail Cameras

AbstractIn recent years individual differences in the behavior of animals, or personalities, have been shown to influence the response of individuals to changing environments and have important ecological implications. As researchers strive to understand and predict the responses of individuals and populations to anthropogenic changes, personality studies in wild populations will likely continue to increase. Studies of personality in wild populations often require that animals are live-trapped before behavioral observation can occur; however, it is unknown what impact live trapping may have on the behavior of trapped individuals. Specifically, if the duration of trap confinement directly influences behavior, then by obtaining wild animals through live-trapping are we confounding the very measurements we are most interested in? To investigate this question, we performed a study using two small mammal species. We positioned high-definition trail cameras on Longworth small mammal traps in the field to observe capture events and record the time of capture. We then measured personality in captured deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) using three standardized tests. With a repeatability analysis, we confirmed which behaviors could be considered personality traits, and through linear and generalized linear models, we found that the time an animal had spent confined to a trap before testing did not affect the majority of behaviors exhibited. Our results showed two weak behavioral effects of confinement duration on boldness and docility depending on whether an individual had been trapped previously. Our results suggest that personality measurements of wild, trapped small mammals are not determined by trapping procedures, but that researchers should control for whether an animal is naïve to trapping during analysis.

Demographic responses of small mammal populations to a herbicide application in coastal coniferous forest: population density and resiliency

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
Demographic Responses

This study was designed to assess the demographic responses of small mammal populations to herbicide-induced habitat alteration in a 7-year-old Douglas-fir plantation near Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. Populations of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), Oregon vole (Microtus oregoni), Townsend chipmunk (Eutamias townsendii), and shrews (Sorex spp.) were sampled in control and treatment habitats from April 1981 to September 1983 and from April to October 1985. Recolonization of removal areas by these species was also monitored in both habitats. There was little difference in abundance of deer mice, Oregon voles, and shrews between control and treatment study areas. Chipmunk populations appeared to decline temporarily on the treatment areas relative to controls. Recolonization by voles was not affected by habitat change, but for deer mice was lower on the treatment than control area. Both deer mouse and Oregon vole populations were at comparable densities on control and treatment areas in the second and fourth years after herbicide treatment. The proportion of breeding animals and average duration of life were similar in control and treatment populations of deer mice and voles. These small mammal species should be able to persist in areas of coastal coniferous forest that are treated with herbicide for conifer release.

Influence of alternative conifer release treatments on habitat structure and small mammal populations in south central British Columbia

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 2023-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Runciman ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
South Central ◽  
Cut Stump ◽  
And Control

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that conifer release treatments would simplify habitat structure and reduce small mammal populations in forest plantations. A secondary objective was to examine some important demographic characteristics, for selected small mammal species, that may be affected by changes in habitat. We examined the effects of manual cutting and cut-stump applications of glyphosate herbicide on vegetation, woody debris, and small mammal populations from 1991 to 1994 in young mixed-conifer plantations of south central British Columbia, Canada. The experimental design consisted of 9 separate and independent plantations: 3 controls, 3 manual treatments, and 3 cut-stump treatments. Total volumes of herbs, shrubs, coniferous trees, and woody debris were not affected by manual or cut-stump treatments for conifer release. Both treatments reduced total volumes of deciduous trees in the first posttreatment year. However, deciduous tree volumes on manual treatments had largely returned to pretreatment levels by the second posttreatment year. There were no significant (P > 0.05) effects of manual or cut-stump treatments on the population size of deer mice (Peromyscusmaniculatus Wagner), yellow-pine chipmunks (Tamiasamoenus J.A. Allen), southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomysgapped Vigors), or long-tailed voles (Microtuslongicaudus Merriam). The response of meadow voles (Microtuspennsylvanicus Ord) was variable. Sex ratios, body weights, reproduction, recruitment, and survival of deer mice remained similar on treatment and control plantations throughout this study. Changes in habitat structure up to 2 years posttreatment did not appear to exceed the tolerance of small mammal populations for early successional change.

The use of index trap lines to estimate population numbers of deermice (Peromyscus maniculatus) in a forest environment in British Columbia

1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Petticrew ◽  
R. M. F. S. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Peromyscus Maniculatus ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Forest Environment ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Index Line ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Total Capture ◽  
Forest Habitats

Monthly live trapping of three 1-hectare grids in differing forest habitats was carried out over an 8-month period. Immediately after 2 nights of trapping on each grid a central index line was trapped for a further 2 nights. The total capture numbers., numbers of males, and numbers of females of deermice (Peromyscus maniculatus) on the index line correlated significantly with the same parameters on the grid. In addition, survival rates and body weights were almost identical and similar representation of other small mammal species was determined by both arrangements of traps. It is suggested that the index line may be a more efficient method of sampling small mammal populations.

Small mammal communities in a pyrogenic habitat mosaic

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl W. Larsen ◽  
Ian T. Adams ◽  
Diane L. Haughland
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Habitat Mosaic ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Communities

We studied the small mammal community across a mosaic of habitats created by a large wildfire in the mixed-wood boreal forest of Alberta, Canada, 5 years after the fire occurred. We focussed on four habitat types within this landscape mosaic, namely burnt stands, stands of unburnt forest within the burn, unburnt forest on the periphery of the fire, and areas harvested before the fire (and subsequently burnt). The abundance of the two most common species – red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) – often differed inside v. outside the burn’s perimeter; however, reproduction, survival and abundance showed little to no correlation with habitat. Year-to-year changes in the relative abundance of these two species appeared greater within the burn’s periphery; the heterogeneity of the burnt landscape also supported a higher diversity of small mammal species than seen at the periphery. Comparison of our results with those collected by a coincidental study of forest harvesting suggests that the responses of the communities and populations of the animals to the two disturbance types were relatively similar. The value of long-term and chronosequence studies notwithstanding, detailed study of the wildlife communities shaped by individual wildfires improves our overall understanding of the ecological effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances.

Small-mammal abundance differs between pipelines, edges, and interior boreal forest habitat

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (10) ◽  
pp. 880-894
Author(s):  
A.F. Darling ◽  
L. Leston ◽  
E.M. Bayne
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Edge Effects ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Deer Mouse ◽  
Vegetation Recovery ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Meadow Voles

Oil and gas development alters boreal forests by creating early-successional habitat and an increased amount of edge. We evaluated which small-mammal species used pipeline rights of way, the influence of vegetation recovery on pipelines, and edge effects in the adjacent forest. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815)) were the most common species on pipelines, whereas adjacent forest was dominated by southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi (Vigors, 1830)), northern red-backed voles (Myodes rutilus (Pallas, 1779)), and North American deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagner, 1845)). Deer mouse abundance was greater along pipeline transects with greater vegetation recovery. Within the forest, irrespective of vegetation recovery on pipelines, meadow voles and deer mice increased near edges. Red-backed voles showed a mixed (i.e., neutral or positive) response to edge. Vegetation variables (i.e., canopy type and cover, ground cover, stem counts, and volume of downed woody material) were important predictors of small-mammal abundance in the forest, but they could not fully account for observed edge effects. Altered small-mammal communities on and adjacent to pipelines may have implications for boreal forest management and conservation through potential changes in predator–prey dynamics and boreal food webs; these implications require further study.

scholarly journals Small Mammal Movements and Fire History: Testing the Long-Term Effects of the 1988 Huckleberry Mountain Fire

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
Hayley Lanier ◽  
Lorraine Carver ◽  
Zachary Roehrs ◽  
Meredith Roehrs ◽  
R. Seville
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Long Term Study

Fires are an important ecological force shaping biological communities in western North America. Fires change landscapes in ways which influence the relative abundance and activities of the organisms occurring in those habitats. Preliminary results from previous work suggest the stage of fire succession may influence individual movements on the landscape. As part of a long-term study of the 1988 Yellowstone fires along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, we set out to examine these patterns in more detail to (1) test whether the two dominant small mammal species were moving different distances based upon the stage of succession in a particular habitat, and (2) determine the role of habitat complexity, resource types, and species abundance in driving these patterns. Using movement distances from capture-recapture data and fluorescent powder tracking of individuals we compared movement distances and habitat usage between mid-succession and late-succession trapping grids for red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The results suggest deer mice, some of the first colonizers to burned habitat, are moving farther than red-backed voles, and move farther in burned habitats than in unburned habitats. Red-backed voles exhibit slightly, but not significantly, longer movements in burned habitats. Powder tracking results suggest habitat complexity, in particular the quantity of coarse woody debris, may partially explain the differences in movement patterns by burn history. These results are important for understanding the long-lasting impacts of fire history on population and community patterns.

Long-term stress level in a small mammal species undergoing range expansion

Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien André ◽  
Johan Michaux ◽  
Jorge Gaitan ◽  
Virginie Millien
Keyword(s):  
Stress Level ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Northern Edge ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
White Footed Mouse

Abstract Rapid climate change is currently altering species distribution ranges. Evaluating the long-term stress level in wild species undergoing range expansion may help better understanding how species cope with the changing environment. Here, we focused on the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a widespread small mammal species in North-America whose distribution range is rapidly shifting northward. We evaluated long-term stress level in several populations of P. leucopus in Quebec (Canada), from the northern edge of the species distribution to more core populations in Southern Quebec. We first tested the hypothesis that populations at the range margin are under higher stress than more established populations in the southern region of our study area. We then compared four measures of long-term stress level to evaluate the congruence between these commonly used methods. We did not detect any significant geographical trend in stress level across our study populations of P. leucopus. Most notably, we found no clear congruence between the four measures of stress level we used, and conclude that these four commonly used methods are not equivalent, thereby not comparable across studies.

scholarly journals Diversity and Diet Differences of Small Mammals in Commensal Habitats

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Linas Balčiauskas ◽  
Laima Balčiauskienė ◽  
Andrius Garbaras ◽  
Vitalijus Stirkė
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Additional Food ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Degree Of Separation ◽  
Kitchen Gardens ◽  
Dietary Plasticity ◽  
The Stability

The stability of diversity of syntopic (inhabiting the same habitat in the same time) small mammals in commensal habitats, such as farmsteads and kitchen gardens, and, as a proxy of their diet, their isotopic niches, was investigated in Lithuania in 2019–2020. We tested whether the separation of species corresponds to the trophic guilds, whether their diets are related to possibilities of getting additional food from humans, and whether their diets are subject to seasonal trends. We analyzed diversity, dominance and distribution of hair δ13C and δ15N values. Diversity and dominance was not stable and differed according to human influence. The highest small mammal species richness occurred in commensal habitats that provided additional food. The degree of separation of species was higher in homestead habitats than in kitchen gardens, where a 1.27 to 35.97% overlap of isotopic niches was observed between pairs of species. Temporal changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of the mammals were not equally expressed in different species. The isotopic overlap may depend on dietary plasticity, minimizing interspecific competition and allowing co-existence of syntopic species. Thus, small mammal trophic ecology is likely related to intensity of agricultural activities in the limited space of commensal habitats.

Survey and control of small mammal populations on two hardwood plantations in southern Ontario

1974 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Radvanyi
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Southern Ontario ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
And Control ◽  
Rodent Populations ◽  
Ingredient Cost

Live trapping and tagging methods were employed to assess small mammal populations within two hardwood plantations in southern Ontario. Excessive girdling damage in past years to young planted trees necessitated an evaluation of rodent populations and development of effective control measures. The application of an anticoagulant rodenticide to oat groats bait broadcast over the study area at an ingredient cost of approximately three dollars per acre virtually wiped out the small mammals. Reinvasion from surrounding areas was, however, fairly rapid, particularly during late summer. Further research on longer term control measures using poisoned bait feeder stations is recommended.

Small mammal mycophagy in hemiboreal forest communities of Lithuania

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kataržytė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.

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