Response of Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) to Resource Supplementation

• Published in: The American midland naturalist Vol. 158; no. 2; pp. 338 - 353
• Main Authors: TRAINOR, A.M, WILSON, K.R, SHENK, T.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Notre Dame, P.O. Box 369, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0369 American Midland Naturalist 01.10.2007; University of Notre Dame; University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Birds; Ecological restoration; Endangered & extinct species; Food security; Food supply; Habitat conservation; Habitats; Mammals; Meadows; Mice; s; Shrubs; Small mammals; Vegetation; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife habitats; Zapus hudsonius preblei; Colorado
• ISSN: 0003-0031; 1938-4238
• DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031(2007)158[338:ROPMJM]2.0.CO;2

Conservation plans for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei), a threatened subspecies, commonly include habitat restoration. Our objective was to determine if Z. h. preblei would detect and use supplemental food and cover (simulated restoration) placed in areas where the mouse had not been documented for 3 y, thus altering their movement and site fidelity behaviors. Through monitoring of radiotagged mice during pre- and post-treatment periods, we documented the mouse's immediate, short-term movement response to the addition of supplemental resources. Results were mixed with only 1 of 11 individuals using a single treatment plot in 2002 compared to 6 of 8 individuals using 50% of the treatment plots in 2003, including 1 individual radiotagged in both years. Zapus h. preblei use of supplemental resources may have been limited by and affected temporally by a combination of factors including: (1) site fidelity and (2) precipitation (2002 was much drier) and its potential impacts on habitat, exploratory movements to detect new habitat and elevated predation risk. These results suggest that detection of restored habitat by Z. h. preblei, at least in the short-term, may not be certain and underscore the need for direct monitoring after restoration efforts to ensure that use occurs and desired effects such as long-term persistence are attained.