Abstract

Author(s): Vogt, Scott; Vice, Daniel S.; Pitt, William C.; Guzman, Antenor Nestor; Necessario, Ernesto J.; Berentsen, Are R. | Abstract: Introduced black rats are among the most invasive species to islands worldwide. In addition to agricultural impacts, rats are vectors of disease, cause damage to native flora and fauna, and negatively impact threatened/endangered species. Eradication efforts have met with mixed success. Success or failure of an eradication effort can depend on the population density of the target species, which can influence rodenticide sowing rates. We used snap trapping grids to estimate black rat densities in two different forest types on Diego Garcia: coconut forest and mixed species forest. Individual snap traps baited with fresh coconut were placed every 10 m in a 100-m × 100-m (1 ha) grid in the mixed forest and every 20 m in a 220-m × 220-m grid (4.8 ha) in the coconut forest. Traps were checked twice daily for 7 and 11 days in the mixed and coconut forest, respectively. In total, 914 rats were captured on the coconut forest grid and 125 rats were captured on the mixed forest grid. Rat density in coconut forest was 187 rats/ha (95% CI: 176-201) and 88 rats/ha (95% CI: 82-104) in mixed forest. Stomach contents were examined in 121 rats trapped in the mixed forest: 81% contained coconut along with other vegetation or meat, and 67% contained coconut exclusively. It is likely that the high rat density is driven by an abundant coconut food source resulting in a variable distribution of rats among habitat types. Planning for eradication will need to consider the variability of rodent densities across different habitats, with management strategies developed to address this variability.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.