A Reconnaissance Method for Small Mammal Abundance Assessment in Urban Environments

Abstract

Abstract: We propose a new reconnaissance method for mouse-sized mammal abundance estimation that does not involve animal capture. For survey purposes, we used plastic bottles without covers, which were baited and set out with free entry and exit for animals. Two patterns of setting out were tested: 5 and 10 m intervals on transects of 120 m in length. The total abundance of small mammals was estimated by the proportion of bottles in which baits were absent or eaten. These values were compared with data obtained in the same places by means of snap-trap lines or live-trap plots. We determined empirical coefficients for the conversion of the bottle attendance index into relative numbers (individuals per 100 trap nights) or community density (individuals per ha). It was shown that the method can be used in urban environments and combines quantitative estimation with low labour expenditures and high simplicity.