Methods
Mammals were
surveyed by live-trapping, chance encounter, and track identification. All chance encounter
observations were recorded on field data forms. Live-trapping was conducted from
October 3 through November 15, 2000. Sherman-type live-traps were baited
with peanut butter granola bars at dusk and checked the following day at
dawn. Traps were pre-biated 2-3 days before they were set-to-capture for
increased trapping success.
Trap grids/lines
were set in Old Field A and Forest A. Within Forest A, several forest edges
and interiors were sampled as well as a riparian habitat. Captured animals
were placed in plastic bags and weighed to the
nearest half
gram.
Body, ear, hind
foot, and tail lengths were recorded when appropriate for species and
sub-species identification. Sex was also recorded when possible. Mammals
were released alive at the trap after data were collected from the specimen.
A total of 623
trap nights (one trap set per night=one trap night) were recorded, with a
total of 120 captures,
a success rate of almost 20 percent (Tables
P and P-1). Livetrapping resulted in the capture
and documentation of five species: prairie deer mouse, white-footed mouse,
meadow vole, short-tailed shrew, and eastern chipmunk. Trapping provided
the only reports of these mammals except the eastern chipmunk.
White
footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus
Chance
encounter observations and track identifications, recorded from September
1999 to November 2000,
documented an additional nine species. Eastern chipmunks and eastern fox squirrels
were abundant throughout the wooded areas of the property.
Other species
documented included: whitetail deer, red squirrel, muskrat,
eastern cottontail rabbit, red
fox, eastern gray squirrel, raccoon, and woodchuck. Other species likely occurring at
the Asylum Lake property include Virginia opposum, striped skunk, eastern
mole, gray fox, coyote, and several bat species. The meadow vole, an endangered
Michigan mammal, might also occur but no indications of its presence were
found.
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