Mammals of willow slough fish and wildlife area, Newton county, Indiana.

ABSTRACT. Forty-one of the 57 species of mammals know to occur in Indiana were documented at Willow Slough during these studies. The western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis), not previously known from the state, apparently entered Indiana from Illinois at or near Willow Slough in 1969. Species not previously collected in Newton County were the least shrew (Cryptotis parva), the woodland vole (Microtus pinetorum), and the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus).

Keywords: Mammals, Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Indiana, Newton County

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The Indiana Biological Survey of the Indiana Academy of Science is encouraging biological surveys of all public (state and federal) natural areas in the state. There is some previously published information on mammals of Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in Mumford & Whitaker (1982); and, also, Whitaker & Mumford (1972) did a study on the western harvest mouse there. The author has taken his mammalogy classes to Willow Slough for many years, The purpose of this paper is to summarize our knowledge of the mammals currently inhabiting Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in Newton County, Indiana, a preserve covering 4032 hectares (9956 acres) (Fig. 1).

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METHODS

Indiana State University mammalogy classes have visited the Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in alternate years for two-night sessions of small mammal trapping from 1967 through 2001. Most trips were in late April, but one (1971) was in May, and one (1969) was in August. Much of the trapping was in certain selected areas and was relatively similar from year to year. Favored trapping areas were 1)just north of parking area 4 along the west side of Northwinds Road, 2) a field ("rye" old-field) south of county road 100 N, about 1.7 mi. east of the Service Area, 3) east of parking area 2, the area of the old silo, and 4) the ditches along the patrol road. Most of the data for this paper came from those trips. During every trip, snap-traps were set for small mammals, with trap-nights numbering from 900-3000 per trip. In addition, pocket gopher traps were set for pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius) which are common on the area, and mole traps were sometimes used. Observations were made of larger mammals during our trips, and the Willow Slough area manager, David Spitznagle, supplied some information on larger mammals. Additional data came from work in 1969 and 1970 on the western harvest mouse after it entered the area (Whitaker & Mumford 1972). Much of the harvest mouse trapping was done in the field mentioned above which had been planted to rye. This work yielded 10 species of small mammals. Also, five nights of bat mist-netting were done on the area in the summer of 1982.

RESULTS

Forty-one of the 57 species of mammals currently occurring in Indiana were recorded from Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area, Newton County, Indiana during studies from 1967 through 2001. Included was one state-endangered species, Franklin's ground squirrel, and one species of special concern, the plains pocket gopher. A total of 2025 mammals of 22 species was taken during our trapping efforts (Table 1), 1464 during the 18 class trips and 561 during the study on harvest mice (Reithrodontomys) in 1969-70 (Whitaker & Mumford 1972). Most of the bats were captured in mist-nets, and notes were taken on the larger species.

DIDELPHIMORPHIA

Didelphidae (opossums).--Virginia opossums. Didelphis vireiniana, were common or abundant at Willow Slough. They were often seen at night along roadsides.

INSECTIVORA

Soricidae (shrews).--Three species of shrews were collected at …