Woodman, N.;Timm, R. M.;Slade, N. A.;Doonan, T. J.
Comparison of traps and baits for censusing small mammals in neotropical lowlands
Journal of Mammalogy
1996
Journal Article
77
1
274-281
bait community structure Sherman traps mammals snap-traps field techniques Cusco Amazónico marsupials rodents trapping animals Madre de Dios Bibliography
Snap-traps, live-traps, and baits affect the ability to capture small mammals, but few previous studies have involved sampling communities of small mammals in tropical environments. We tested differences in captures of small marsupials and rodents by Victor snap-traps versus Sherman live-traps and by two types of bait in lowland rainforest at Reserva Cuzco Amazonico, southeastern Peru. Snap-traps took ca. 3.5 times as many individuals as live-traps. Snap-traps also captured more species (and more rare species), but we attribute this to more numerous captures overall because the relative proportions of species captured by the two traps generally were the same. Type of bait had little impact on our trapping results.