HAYSMITH: NEOTOMA F. FLORIDANA IN NORTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA


Table 9. Capture number and success rate per study site.

 Study sites'

 ROS GOS SUG ASH MCS

Total 75 46 39 6 52
NR' 11 10 14 2 17
Trap success rate .08 .05 .07 .02 .11

SROS=Ross Lae; GOS=Gooe Lake; SUG=Su gLake; ASH-Ashley Lake; MCS=MiCreek Swamp.
SNR=Excudingrecapues.





Table 10. Mean weights and body measurements of male and female woodrats.


 Weight HBLength Tail length RHfoot


Males 245.6 20.5 15.0 3.6
SE 4.3 0.4 0.6 0.03
N 107.0 43.0 45.0 44.0
Females 211.3 19.8 16.0 3.6
SE 3.9 0.4 0.4 0.03
N 65.0 27.0 28.0 25.0



 During the 16-month study, a total of 54 animals were captured from all
 study sites, but densities of woodrats varied dramatically at all study sites. The
 population in the bottomland hardwood swamp and Ross Lake declined but rose
 again (4.3 to 2.4, to 2.9 and 3.9 to 1.1, to 2.4 individuals/ha, respectively; Fig. 3);
 populations declined at Suggs Lake (2.3 to 2.0, to 1.3 individuals/ha; Fig. 3) and
 two populations at Goose and Ashley lakes completely disappeared (2.4 to 0.67, to
 0; and 2.9, to 0.82, to 0 individuals/ha, respectively; Fig. 3). Suggs and Ashley
 lakes are mesic hammock with open understory habitat, and Ross and Goose lakes
 are mesic hammock with saw-palmetto understory habitat.
 Of the 54 animals captured in the study, 11% (n=6) survived after 12 months.
 Animals were resident in the study an average of seven months. Mortality
 accounted for 70% of the total animals lost (n=38); other disappearances were for
 unknown causes. Twelve animals were lost to predation; 50% were taken by owls
 (Strix varia and Bubo virginianus), 25% by snakes (Crotalus adamanteus and
 Elaphe obsoleta), one by an opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and two incidences of