Diversity and Abundance of Small Mammals on Spring Island, SC and Habitat Preference of the Cotton Mouse
(Peromyscus gossypinus).

Mario Lawrence

Coastal Marine and Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University
P.O. Box 261954, Conway, SC 29528-6054
mjlawren@coastal.edu

This cotton mouse has been coated with a florescent powder. As the powder comes off, it will show researchers everything the animal has touched, climbed, burrowed, ate, and slept on. This powder does not harm the animal.

"I will be conducting an ecological survey of the habitats found on Spring Island for small mammals. These habitats include hardwood forest, pine savannah, saw palmetto scrub, and managed fields. Within these habitats I will track the home range size of the Cotton Mouse and compare them to managed fields. The tracking will be conducted with a florescent pigment. In the managed fields preference of the Cotton Mouse will be evaluated between disking to non-disking within the same field. Disking is a technique used in quail management and it disturbs the top 6 to 8 inches of the soil to allow seed to be exposed. All animals will be captured in Sherman traps and Pitfall traps."