Another week of trapping done! Though the daily routine varies, usually its constant bouts of checking and setting traps, interlaced with flagging new grids, setting up and taking down grids, and everyone's not-so-favorite, washing traps. I'm starting to get the hang of processing my "smammals", getting it done fairly quickly and not playing so much cat-and-mouse with the bagged mouse. It does taking a little to get used to, you afraid you're going to hurt them. They get a little scared of the big hand coming after them, but most times they figure out you're not a predator and chill out once you have them in hand. Loose procedure follows:

 

1) Slide mouse from trap into plastic handling bag (Ziplocs for me, some people use bread bags)

2)Weigh in bag

3)Check for recapture in bag (look for Sharpie colors on stomach)

4)Catch in bag and "scruff" (pinch the loose skin on the back of their neck)

5)Pull out and determine sex/reproductive condition

6)Use Sharpies to color code them or renew present code

7)Release and weigh empty bag

 

So far I've found the grasshopper mice are the most fierce, and they're definitely bitey. Must be because they're used to hunting, and hunting sometimes dangerous stuff like scorpions. 

 

Ord's kangaroo rat in the grass after release

White-footed mouse being "scruffed" for handling

White-footed mouse after release

Merriam's pocket mouse

 



Made a trip to Rio Grande to get groceries, and have resumed working my shift. Tomorrow half of us head out to the other major ranch near the coast, El Sauz. Hopefully will see more cool stuff, maybe some new species.