The use of space and time by small mammals near Osmun Lake.

Abstract

Small mammals are generally secretive and hard to observe. One technique that works well to illuminate the activities of these creatures is the smoked card technique. Our study used this technique to determine how certain species use space and time in a habitat. We focused on shrews (Blarina sp. or Sorex sp.), chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and mice (Peromyscus leucopus, Napaeozapus insignis, and Zapus hudsonius) near Osmun Lake in Michigan. We found that our placement of smoked cards in trees or on the ground was independent of whether P. leucopus traversed them (Chi Square Test, a=0.05, df=1, X2=2.46). We also found that the mice (P. leucopus, N. insignis, and Z. hudsonius) were only active at night and during the early morning hours, while the shrews (Blarina sp. or Sorex sp.) tended to be active both at night and during the day.