Small Mammal Tracking

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Small Mammal Tracking
Reggie Horel
Field Research
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Hypothesis
Over a period of time from winter to spring what
will be the prime habitat that the small mammals
prefer? Will it be the pines, the field or the
wetland woods type habitat?
Pines
Winter Field
Wetland woods
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Small Mammal Habitats
Many factors influence how small mammals select
habitat. Small mammal habitat has been defined on
a broad stand-level scale, and investigated by
forest types, stand age, and managed versus
unmanaged stands, while other stand level studies
have looked at food sources as a primary
correlation with small mammals habitat. Past
studies indicate there is little difference in
density of small mammals between different forest
stand types.
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Why am I doing this project???
I am doing this project because I am interested
in small mammal activity. As a sophomore I took
Ecology and did a study behind the school. I
want to take this experiment farther and look at
different habitats. (Pines, Open Field and
Wetland woods) I want to see the changes over the
seasons (winter to spring). I want to take a look
and see what habitat at a specific time is the
most convenient for the small mammals.
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Methods
First, I gather my materials Traps, GPS, double
sided tape, contact paper and the black acetate
spray. Next, I set my traps and prepare them so
that they are ready to go out into the field.
Once all that is done, it is time to go set them
out. My habitat sites for study is an old field,
pines and wetland woods. When it was ready to
set out my traps, which was every week for a
week. If I would set them out on a Tuesday they
would be collected on a Tuesday the following
week, I have encountered weather problems along
the way to make the week after week a consistent
thing, but I have worked around it to make it a
consistent study. Once the traps are placed in
there locations, which is 4 in each habitat. They
remain there for a whole week, to insure the
small mammals time to find them. When they are
placed, they are marked on a GPS. With that
information on the GPS the locations can be
placed on a topographical map. When the time
has come to pick the traps up, they are taken
back to analyze the collected data. They track
paper is carefully removed and placed on a sheet
of clear over head paper. Then they are placed
in the scanner and the static is removed and the
tracks are easier to read, once that is finished
that tracks are identified and written down in
the habitat that it was found in.
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Materials Used
Track Tubes Big 12 ½ x 4 ½ x 3 ¾ Small 12 ¼
x 2 ½ x 2 ½
Peanut Butter
Double sided sticky tape Non-Reflected Sight Black
Garmen Gps
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Setting up the Track Tubes
Remove from track tubes. Place double sided tape
on the plexi-glass.
Spray with the Non-Reflective Sight Black
Place peanut butter in the little trays.
Place the pre-cut contact paper on the track
runway. Then put back into the track tubes.
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Track tube placement is critical. Most animals
will not enter the tube if they are not placed
well and reasonably camouflaged.
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Analyzing Track Tube Data

• Contact paper is removed from the track tubes.
  Each is mounted on paper and covered by a
  transparency to preserve them.
• Contact paper from each habitat is labeled and
  dated. Some notes on the vegetative cover within
  the habitat are also recorded on the sheets
• A computer image program (Scion Image) allows me
  to manipulate the image of the contact paper
  after being scanned into the computer
• The raw data is in percents- Each percent is how
  much of the contact paper is taken up by tracks.
• This method gave me a solid and consistent way to
  measure and compare levels of activity from one
  habitat to the next.

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Pine Study Pictures
Small Track Tube This track tube is placed in
Pine habitat located in some deadfall.
Big Track Tube This track tube is placed in Pine
habitat located by a big fallen log.
Small Track Tube This tube is located in the
Pines also, it is placed on open ground.
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Here are some pictures taken in the spring when
the snow was melting and on the right, a mouse
tunnel and some other small mammal action
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More Pine Habitat Pictures
This Large Track Tube was hit hard by a small
mammal, all the peanut butter is gone and there
is tracks all over, even on the side of the tube.
This is a small track tube with tracks in it, you
may not see them unless you look hard you can see
the ones at the back of this track tube.
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ANATOMY OF A TRACK
All small mammals tracks are basically the same
the tracks seen here are made by a White-footed
mouse

• Four toes will register on a front paw print,
  while five will register in the hind print.
• A hind paw print is shown here in red
• A front paw print is shown here in green
• The other registering parts of the print are made
  by small structures on the feet called plantar
  tubercles- small, projecting wart-like growths.
• Each species has a different number and pattern
  of tubercles on the feet, and not all will
  register in a print

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White footed mouse tracks
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Deer Mouse Tracks
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Northen short tailed shrew
I believe these tracks are mainly those of the
Northern Short-tailed shrew. The plantar
tubercles do not typically register in these
tracks- mainly because of the way they place
their feet. Shrews are what I would call toe
walkers. Notice also that these tracks are
slightly smaller than those made by the Deer
mouse or White-footed mouse.
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Masked shrew
Sorex cinereus

• A tiny shrew and most likely the smallest in the
  area, second only to the pygmy shrew
• An invertebrate specialist - feeding almost
  entirely on slugs, spiders, insect larvae,
  beetles and crickets- almost never attacking
  vertebrates
• Prefers to live in rotting logs or anywhere that
  has a lot of moisture

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masked shrew tracks
When I saw this section of a track tube from a
wetland woods, initially I thought these little
specks were just dirt and debris upon closer
inspection I realized they were actually tiny
tracks. This size of this image had to be
increased to even pick out an individual track. I
believe it was a Masked shrew- the smallest
mammal I have found in the area.
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Microtus pennsylvanicus
Meadow vole

• Prefers wet and grassy habitats
• Feeds exclusively on shoots from long grasses,
  but would probably take the occasional insect
• Along with the construction of a nest, these
  animals also make obvious tunnels through their
  habitats

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Clethrionomys gapperi
Southern red-backed vole

• Very habitat specific prefers plenty of cover
• Feeds on young leaves and tender shoots, fungi,
  fruit, seeds and will occasionally partake in an
  insect or two
• Does not cache food during winter like mice and
  squirrels- continues foraging under snow during
  the winter

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Microtus ochrogaster
Prairie vole

• Extremely habitat specific (listed as Special
  concern by Wisconsin DNR)
• Feeds on prairie grasses like bluegrass and other
  prairie plants
• Distinguishable from other voles in the area by
  its buff or yellow underside (most voles have
  gray or silver bellies)

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Predators
The
Owls, Hawks, Fishers, Fox, and Coyotes are just a
few to name
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As you can see below, The pines had the most
activity through winter and part of spring. The
Old Field was not a very popular place to hang
out for the small mammals.
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Thanks For Watchn!