Abstract:
Small mammal important part of understanding the overall ecological health of an area. Various trapping methods can be used, with different baits and different times of year for varying levels of success. This study examined the differences in capture rate between a peanut butter mix bait and a sunflower seed bait. This study also examined the differences in capture rate between the beginning and the end of the study. I believed peanut butter traps would have a higher capture rate and the capture rate would be decrease over time. Small mammals were captured at Cooper Farm from November 1st to November 23rd, 2013, and most of the small mammals captured were Peromyscus sp. A two-sample t-test revealed that there was no difference between in the capture rate between traps with the peanut butter bait and traps with the sunflower seed bait. A Pearson's Correlation showed that there is no association between capture rate and seasonality in November. A Spearman's Correlation showed that there is no association between capture rate and seasonality in seed-baited traps in October and November. The lack of effect seen is most likely caused by a small sample size. Many small mammal studies occur in many seasons over many years, so it would not be surprising if this study would not have the statistical power to detect the effect of bait or seasonality.
