The influence of weather and moon phase on small mammal activity
Katharine L. Senior A D , Julia Ramsauer A B , Michael A. McCarthy A and Luke T. Kelly C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
B Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (MEDfOR), University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain.
C School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic. 3010, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: kate.l.senior@gmail.com
Australian Mammalogy 43(2) 160-167 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19056
Submitted: 13 September 2019 Accepted: 1 April 2020 Published: 10 June 2020
Abstract
Small mammals are commonly surveyed using live trapping but the influence of weather conditions on trap success is largely unknown. This information is required to design and implement more effective field surveys and monitoring. We tested the influence of weather and moon phase on capture rates of small mammals in the Murray Mallee region of semi-arid Australia. We used extensive pitfall trapping data collected at 267 sites, totalling 54 492 trap-nights. We built regression models to explore the relationship between the capture rates of five species and daily meteorological conditions, and across families of mammals, including dasyurids, burramyids and rodents. A relationship common to several taxa was the positive influence of high winds (>20 km h−1) on capture rates. We also identified differences between taxa, with warmer overnight temperatures increasing capture rates of mallee ningaui but decreasing those of Bolam’s mouse. This makes it difficult to determine a single set of ‘optimal’ meteorological conditions for surveying the entire community but points to conditions favourable to individual species and groups. We recommend that surveys undertaken in warmer months encompass a variety of meteorological conditions to increase capture rates and provide a representative sample of the small mammal community present in a landscape.
Additional keywords: Cercartetus, climate, moon phase, Notomys, Pseudomys, Sminthopsis.
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