Circadian activity of the fat dormouse Glis glis measured with camera traps at bait stations

• Published in: Mammal Research
• Main Authors: Randler, Christoph, Kalb, Nadine
• Other Authors: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Bushnell; Spitzberg
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13364-021-00583-6; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13364-021-00583-6.pdf; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13364-021-00583-6/fulltext.html

Abstract Monitoring of small nocturnal and arboreal rodents is difficult and often conducted using indirect techniques. Here, we measured the circadian activity of the fat dormouse ( Glis glis ) directly using camera traps. The study took place at the Spitzberg in SW Germany. Data were collected using six Bushnell Natureview cameras with a macro lens at baited feeding stations. At 14 out of 41 active camera locations, edible dormice occurred. We collected 301 events between 8th July and 5th October 2018. There were 21.5 events per camera trap (SD 30.4), ranging from 1 to 82. The edible dormouse showed a nocturnal pattern, with a mean activity around midnight at 24:15 h. The pattern shows a slightly bimodal activity. Feeding activity started around or even slightly before sunset and stopped right before sunrise. The study shows that circadian activity, in this respect feeding activity, can be captured by camera trapping, which is a non-invasive method, and can be applied easily in the field.