Park Science

Small mammal surveys

Although presence/absence of most small mammal species at Cabrillo National Monument and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is well known, information on abundance is lacking. A small mammal inventory was established to determine species composition, and relative distribution and abundance. Two main tasks were involved with this inventory: (1) compilation of a species list resulting from a review of information from museum records, universities and past studies, etc., and (2) small mammals sampling using arrays of live traps deployed in different habitat types. Information from this inventory could be used to track trends in small mammal populations, and to a lesser degree, predator populations (e.g. raptors, snakes).