METHODS FOR ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON TERRESTRIAL SMALL MAMMALS

All the information researchers students and practitioners need to conducted innovative state of the art research on small mammals Rodents and insectivores constitute the vast majority of mammals on our planet yet we often overlook the importance of this group As seed dispersers prey species and disease regulators these animals are critical to the functioning of our ecological systems While considerable material exists that describes these species there has been no dedicated guide explaining how to effectively research them until now Methods for Ecological Research on Terrestrial Small Mammals is a one stop resource compiling all the information readers need to conduct state of the art research on small terrestrial mammals across the globe The authors cover the full spectrum of issues from capture handling identification reproduction demography and taxonomy to behavior diet evolution diseases movements morphometrics and more They also highlight the latest techniques while carefully explaining the tried and tested methods needed to conduct rigorous scientific inquiries provide step by step examples and case studies demonstrating how the methods discussed can be used in actual research projects compare and contrast methodologies analyt