{"title":"Modifications of Longworth traps to prevent wear and improve catchability of shrews (Sorex spp.)","authors":"O. Tolkachev, Kirill Maklakov","doi":"10.1515/mammalia-2023-0026","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Longworth live traps are widely used for trapping mouse-sized rodents and shrews. However, they have a number of disadvantages: some have a manufacturing defect, resulting in reduced sensitivity; smaller species of shrews can pass under the treadle, avoiding capture; captured animals can gnaw specific parts of the sidewalls and decrease the durability of the traps. To increase the efficiency of catching small shrews, we added a movable tin ramp to the treadle of the Longworth live traps and used washers to improve the design. To repair and protect traps damaged by captured animals, we used tin patches. The modified traps were shown to be significantly better than the original traps in catching small shrew species (Sorex caecutiens Laxmann 1788, Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766). Tin patches reliably protected live traps from further damages by animals and do not affect their catching efficiency.","PeriodicalId":49892,"journal":{"name":"Mammalia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Mammalia","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2023-0026","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ZOOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Longworth live traps are widely used for trapping mouse-sized rodents and shrews. However, they have a number of disadvantages: some have a manufacturing defect, resulting in reduced sensitivity; smaller species of shrews can pass under the treadle, avoiding capture; captured animals can gnaw specific parts of the sidewalls and decrease the durability of the traps. To increase the efficiency of catching small shrews, we added a movable tin ramp to the treadle of the Longworth live traps and used washers to improve the design. To repair and protect traps damaged by captured animals, we used tin patches. The modified traps were shown to be significantly better than the original traps in catching small shrew species (Sorex caecutiens Laxmann 1788, Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766). Tin patches reliably protected live traps from further damages by animals and do not affect their catching efficiency.
期刊介绍:
Mammalia is an international, multidisciplinary, bimonthly journal devoted to the inventory, analysis and interpretation of mammalian diversity. It publishes original results on all aspects of the systematics and biology of mammals with a strong focus on ecology, including biodiversity analyses, distribution habitats, diet, predator-prey relationships, competition, community analyses and conservation of mammals. The journal also accepts submissions on sub-fossil or recently extinct mammals.