Meadow Jumping Mice (Zapus Hudsonius Preblei) on the U.S. Air Force Academy, El Paso County, Colorado
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Meadow Jumping Mice (Zapus hudsonius preblei) on the U.S. Air Force Academy, El Paso County, Colorado Colorado Natural Heritage Program College of Natural Resources Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Colorado Natural Heritage Program February 2001 College of Natural Resources Colorado State University Meadow Jumping Mice (Zapus hudsonius preblei) on the U.S. Air Force Academy El Paso County, Colorado Robert A. Schorr Zoologist Cover photographs: 1. Subadult meadow jumping mouse from Monument Creek 2. Monument Creek near southeast of Reservoir No. 1 Suggested citation: Schorr, R. A. 2001. Meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius preblei) on the U.S. Air Force Academy, El Paso County, Colorado. Colorado Natural Heritage Program unpublished report to the Natural Resources Branch, U.S. Air Force Academy. 53 pp. Additional reports available at www.cnhp.colostate.edu 2 Acknowledgments This study would not have been conducted without the financial support of the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Department of Defense. In addition, Colorado State University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy aided in administrative support. Dana Green, former Natural Resource Planner for the U.S. Air Force Academy, is responsible for much of the support for this long-term study. Thank you to the field technicians throughout the years who were instrumental in the information collection and for their biological insight: Mitch Emig, Joanne Stewart, Laurie Masten, Parker Schuerman, Gordon Mullen, Jose Maldonado, Susan Ask, and Tanya Derrickson. Volunteers played an instrumental role in data collection and analysis. I want to thank them for their commitment to and energy for the project. Thank you to Kathy Ruffert, Michael Winfree, Paul Brotherton, Chiara Buckman, and Jamie Jones. Thank you to those who contributed advice and assistance: Mike Wunder, Jeremy Siemers, Mary Klein, Gary White, David Anderson, and Ken Wilson. Much appreciation to the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse Research Team of Mark Bakeman, Carron Meaney, Tom Ryon, and Tanya Shenk for their collaboration and brainstorming. A final thank you to all the reviewers who took the time to make comments and suggestions. Thank you to Jim Gionfriddo, Tom Ryon, Mark Bakeman, John Armstrong, Chris Pague, Renne Rondeau, Jeremy Siemers, and Mike Wunder. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..........................................................................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................6 DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI ................................................................................6 ECOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI ...................................................................7 SYSTEMATICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF ZAPUS ....................................................................................................8 THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY.......................................................................................................................... 10 HISTORY OF MEADOW JUMPING MICE ON THE ACADEMY .............................................................................. 11 I. Academy Jumping Mouse Inventories: 1994 and 1995................................................................................ 11 II. Academy Jumping Mouse Inventories: 1997-1999..................................................................................... 11 MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE RESEARCH ON THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY............................ 12 HOME RANGE AND MOVEMENT OF Z. H. PREBLEI ............................................................................................. 12 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Methods............................................................................................................................................................... 12 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 14 Discussion........................................................................................................................................................... 14 MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE POPULATIONS ON THE U. S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY............................................ 17 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 17 Methods............................................................................................................................................................... 17 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Discussion........................................................................................................................................................... 19 MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE HABITAT CHARACTERIZATION AND CORRELATIONS.............. 22 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Methods............................................................................................................................................................... 22 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Discussion........................................................................................................................................................... 23 COMPARISON OF POSITIVE TRAPPING LOCATIONS BETWEEN THE ACADEMY AND RFETS (MICROSITE COMPARISONS) .......................................................................................................................... 25 Introduction......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Methods............................................................................................................................................................... 25 Results ................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Discussion........................................................................................................................................................... 26 NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI........................................... 28 Hibernacula ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 Day nests............................................................................................................................................................. 28 Parasites.............................................................................................................................................................. 28 Associated Mammal Species.............................................................................................................................. 29 Predators and mortality factors......................................................................................................................... 29 RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................................... 30 LITERATURE CITED............................................................................................................................................ 32 FIGURES AND TABLES........................................................................................................................................ 40 FIGURE 1. DISTRIBUTION OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS FROM E. RAYMOND HALL. 1981. MAMMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. JOHN WILEY AND SONS PUBLI SHING. NEW YORK. 1187 PP............................................ 40 FIGURE 2. DISTRIBUTION OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF ITS RANGE. TAKEN FROM D. J. HAFNER, K. E. PETERSEN , AND T. L. YATES . 1981. EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP OF JUMPING 4 MICE (GENUS ZAPUS) OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 62:501- 512......................................................................................................................................................... 41 FIGURE 3. DISTRIBUTION OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI IN COLORADO. TAKEN FROM ARMSTRONG, D. M. 1972. DISTRIBUTION OF MAMMALS IN COLORADO. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, LAWRENCE, KS. 415 PP........................................................................................................ 42 FIGURE 4. DISTRIBUTION OF ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI IN COLORADO .............................................................. 43 TABLE 1. TRAPPING EFFORT ON THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY (1997-1999)................................................... 45 TABLE 2. ZAPUS