Capture probability and heterogeneity of trap response in stoats (Mustela erminea)

摘要: The technique most widely used to control the stoat, an introduced predator in New Zealand, is set Fenn (kill) traps, usually lines or (less often) grids. There has been no analysis of trap response stoats, nor extent potential variation probability capture. We report results mark–recapture data recorded from stoats observed during a period high stoat and mouse density January 1980 Eglinton Hollyford Valleys (northern Fiordland), using livetraps at one per 400 m over 14 km each valley. Over 8 days trapping (1–11 January), 89 were tagged. daily first capture for all ages, both sexes, was 0.14 (with 95% confidence intervals 0.07–0.25) recapture 0.10 (0.07–0.14). also analysed new collected very low Grebe Valley (southern Fiordland) December 2000, 19 live-traps line kilometre 20 km. In this study 21 adult young year males 0.12 (0.04–0.31), recapturing them, 0.15 (0.10–0.23). A month later, late 2001, 68 traps four caught 48 previously unmarked plus 12 marked released alive. Heterogeneity investigated by taking longer subset (1–17 January) grouping individuals sex age. best closed-captures models, ranked AICc, first-capture similar (0.17 (0.12–0.24)), evidence between age classes present but weak. limits around probabilities females overlapped completely. Recapture young-of-the-year remained about same (0.14 (0.11–0.19)), while halved after (0.07 (0.04–0.11)). Pledger's finite-mixture models demonstrating individual heterogeneity trappability produced lower AICc values than partitioning alone. therefore not due only variable opportunity, as might be expected where edge effect on trap-encounter rate high. However, which helps explain unknown. Indeed, there may other sources that are related age/sex rate, problem wildlife managers conventional remove protect native species.