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An efficient timing device to record activity patterns of small mammals in the field

  • Mariana Silva Ferreira EMAIL logo and Marcus Vinícius Vieira
Published/Copyright: December 10, 2014

Abstract

We propose a simple, accurate, and inexpensive timing device to record the activity patterns of small mammals in the field using live traps. The present timing device can be used in cage-type live traps. It is built from commercially available components and does not require special skills to construct. The device is set outside the trap and does not need to be permanently affixed or require drill perforations, as others devices do. This device is easily incorporated into long-term monitoring studies to provide temporal information about small mammal populations without affecting their behavior.


Corresponding author: Mariana Silva Ferreira, Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil; and Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, e-mail:

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Received: 2014-9-8
Accepted: 2014-11-6
Published Online: 2014-12-10
Published in Print: 2016-1-1

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