cb’s Place Research
Small Mammal Surveys
Some of the most common vertebrates in terrestrial environments are rarely seen. Although we commonly associate rabbits and deer with these types of habitats, and they do exist here, much more common are the small mammals active primarily at night. Flying squirrels roam the canopy while Peromyscus, a group of small mice with black bulging eyes, scurry along the woodland floor. Small mammals can be found throughout cb’s Place, but we are interested in variation in small mammal populations among habitat types.
The aluminum live-traps you see are baited with peanut and oats and left open over-night. The next day the traps are checked. Each mouse is weighed and measured. Mice that have never been captured before have a DNA sample taken and a mark applied to uniquely identify each mouse. This allows us to determine population numbers and to evaluate movement among traps by individual mice. If a small animal walks in to the back of the trap a spring loaded door shuts. Although we are uncertain which species of Peromyscus is more common here, this place is thought house both white-footed mice (P. leucopus) and northern deer mouse (P. maniculatus). Mouse populations typically spike in the fall and trapping efforts are often timed to coincide with these spikes. Wittenberg researchers began studying mouse populations in the fall of 2009 and have logged over 3,000 trapnights and over 200 captures.
In the near future, researchers will begin monitoring southern flying squirrels – thought to be the most common squirrel in the state of Ohio. You may see boxes mounted to tree in wooded sections of the trails, with entry holes on the sides to facilitate use by the squirrels.