Small mammal herbivore trapping in alpine tundra.
Small mammals were live trapped during the summer of each year at various locations on Niwot Ridge. Species trapped included pikas (Ochotona princeps), marmots (Marmota flaviventris), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), voles (Microtus longicaudus, Microtus montanus, and Phenacomys intermedius), and...
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| Language: | unknown |
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Niwot Ridge LTER/University of Colorado1560 30th Street, CB 450BoulderCO80309USAlternwt@colorado.edu
1994
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10255/dryad.32226 http://metacat.lternet.edu/knb/metacat/knb-lter-nwt.43.3/xml |
| Summary: | Small mammals were live trapped during the summer of each year at various locations on Niwot Ridge. Species trapped included pikas (Ochotona princeps), marmots (Marmota flaviventris), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), voles (Microtus longicaudus, Microtus montanus, and Phenacomys intermedius), and pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides). Pocket gophers were only trapped through the summer of 1983. Mice and voles were trapped using Sherman traps, while Tomahawk traps were used to trap both the pikas and marmots. Sherman gopher traps were used to trap gophers. The mice and vole traps were placed 10 meters apart in parallel rows in grids containing from 25 to 100 traps. Weather permitting, the traps were placed for 3 consecutive nights every 1 or 2 weeks from June to August. The pikas, marmots, and gophers were trapped during a 10-day census period beginning around 15 August of each year. The traps were selectively placed in areas where evidence of the animals existed. In the case of the pocket gophers, the traps were placed below ground in active mounds. The traps were set during the day, and traplines were run every 2 hours. Consult the appropriate figures in Halfpenny et al. (1984; 1987) for these trap locations, as well as descriptions of baiting and handling techniques and surrounding vegetation communities. After determining and recording the species, gender, age, reproductive status, weight, health, and trap location, the animals were permanently tagged and released. |
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