Movement and habitat use of three high Andean rodent species (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in Andean páramos of Ecuador

ABSTRACT The movements and habitat use of three species of Sigmodontine rodents (Akodon mollis, Phyllotis haggard and Thomasomys paramorum) from the high Andes of Ecuador were evaluated using the spool-and-line technique in four transects. The floristic composition was analyzed at sampling sites to explain how these three species of Sigmodontine rodents use the vegetation as a habitat. Rodents were captured using live Sherman traps and equipped with a spool-and-line device. Each thread trail was traced, and their nests, feeders and shelters were recorded using GPS receivers. Also, the construction materials, nest morphology and shelters used during foraging, and the food resources were described. These three rodent species overlap in their distribution, but they present certain preferences for different habitats such as grasslands, open areas with cushions and shrubs, respectively. This study is an approach to the natural history of these Sigmodontine rodents in high mountain elevations.