{"id":436,"date":"2012-06-19T10:17:25","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T14:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/209.240.158.253\/wordpress\/?page_id=436"},"modified":"2024-10-29T17:34:05","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T21:34:05","slug":"small-mammal-atlas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.northwoodscenter.org\/wordpress\/conservation\/forest-stewardship-institute-fsi\/small-mammal-atlas\/","title":{"rendered":"VT Small Mammal Atlas"},"content":{"rendered":"

The VT Small Mammal Atlas has moved and is now maintained by our friends at the Vermont Center for EcoStudies’ Vermont Atlas of Life<\/a>. Check it out!<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Vermont Small Mammal Atlas was completed from 2008 to 2011, with the goal of learning more about the distribution and habitat requirements of 23 species of terrestrial small mammals in Vermont.<\/h3>\n

The project was carried out by the University of Vermont and the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, and pooled data from field surveys conducted at 47 sites across the state from 2008 to 2010, incidental small mammal data collected in 1998 during herptile surveys, records from UVM’s Zadock Thomson Natural History Collection and several other museums, and a literature review (including some unpublished sources).<\/p>\n

The field survey portions of the dataset contributed over 3,000 records from a total of 17,166 trap nights of effort (total nights trapped x number of traps used).\u00a0These captures represented a total of 20 species, five of these rare.\u00a0Among the rare species, these surveys documented 19 previously unknown populations and confirmed the continued presence of two historical populations.<\/p>\n

The project was funded primarily by a\u00a0State Wildlife Grant (Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife), with additional support through a Vermont Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation contract and volunteers.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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VT Small Mammals: Who are they?<\/span><\/h1><\/div>
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Small mammals are defined as all mammal species weighing less than 500 grams (1.1 lbs, or slightly more than 4 sticks of butter) as adults.<\/h3>\n

Although Vermont’s nine species of bats also fall within this category, we have not included bats in this website. For information about bats, visit\u00a0VT Fish & Wildlife Department: Got Bats?<\/p>\n

Of 58 species of mammals currently found in Vermont, 35 are small mammals. These vary widely in preferred food, habits, habitat use and lifestyle and fall within\u00a0seven taxonomic\u00a0families. Vermont’s small mammal diversity includes 9 bat species; 6 shrews; 5 squirrels; 4 voles; 3 mice; 2 each of moles, weasels, rats, and jumping mice; and 1 bog lemming.<\/p>\n

Visit\u00a0VT Fish & Wildlife\u00a0for further explanations of species state rankings.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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VT Small Mammals:\u00a0Why do they matter?<\/span><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Too often small mammals only seem important when they are causing us harm. It is true that some species, because their feeding or habitat preferences conflict with ours, can do substantial damage.<\/p>\n

Examples include:
\nPine Vole \u2013 feeds on roots of apple trees, affecting orchards in sandy soils<\/em>
\nMeadow Vole \u2013 girdles the\u00a0bases of ornamental or apple trees<\/em>
\nHouse Mouse \u2013 nests in houses and consumes human and livestock food<\/em>
\nHairy-tailed mole \u2013 creates tunnels and dirt piles in lawns,\u00a0etc\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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As with most wildlife species, vilifying small mammals ignores their important role in our ecosystems and their fascinating and unique life histories and adaptations. For instance, our VT small mammals include a species that weighs less than a dime, another that runs on water, and another that is among the world\u2019s only venomous mammals!<\/h3>\n

Small mammals are incredibly good at reproducing and commonly give birth to 50+ young per year. Meadow voles are among the most fecund and are potentially capable of producing 17 litters or\u00a0187 offspring over 1 year, and over 500 during\u00a0a maximum lifetime of 2.7 years.<\/p>\n

So why aren\u2019t we overrun with these rodents? Because they are a food source for most of the carnivores and omnivores living in our fields and forests. Without this food base our wildlife pyramid\u00a0might collapse. Small mammals also serve many other ecological services, including seed and fungal spore dispersal, soil aeration, constructing tunnels used by other wildlife, and controlling invertebrate populations.<\/p>\n

Small mammals also account for much of our mammal diversity and biomass, yet we have much to learn about them.\u00a0Of Vermont\u2019s\u00a035 small mammal species, 13 (37%) are considered of highest conservation priority by the Vermont Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS 2005), mainly because of a lack of understanding about their distribution and population trends.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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VT Small Mammals:\u00a0What can I do?<\/span><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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