Environmental predictors of stoat (Mustela erminea) and ship rat (Rattus rattus) capture success By J.E. Christie, D.J. Brown, I. Westbrooke and E.C. Murphy
DOC Research & Development Series 305. 27 p.
What's it about? The association between capture success of stoats (
Mustela erminea) and ship rats (
Rattus rattus) and landscape-scale environmental predictors was explored using trapping data from three stoat control areas located in podocarp/broadleaved forest in New Zealand. Stoat capture success was higher at trap sites where a rat was also captured at the same trap or a stoat was captured at a neighbouring trap. Drier trap sites with good soil drainage and increased proximity to the operational trapping boundary were also associated with increased stoat capture. Rat capture success was higher at trap sites where a rat had been captured at a neighbouring trap, and at trap sites that were on steeper ground, more easterly facing and within forest habitat. Trap sites with generally poor soil conditions, i.e. sites with lower soil calcium levels and wetter sites with poor drainage, and increasing distance from the forest edge were also associated with increased rat capture. There were highly variable relationships between rat and stoat capture and landscape-scale environmental predictors between the three stoat control areas. This could be due to differing topography, but also to the highly correlated nature of many of the topographic, climate and habitat predictors. Further research specifically designed to separate these effects should focus on the variables identified as common between all stoat control areas in this study. Additional investigations of whether rats captured in double trap sets act as additional bait for stoats would have practical benefits for stoat control areas. The variability of the results emphasises the importance of ensuring that traps are abundant and widespread in stoat control operations.
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The above new publication is now in press and can be downloaded from:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/drds305entire.pdf (488 KB)
