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Estimated Impact of feral house mice on sub-Antarctic invertebrates at Marion Island

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Summary

The energy metabolism of feral house mice Mus musculus was established on sub-Antarctic Marion Island, using the doubly-labelled water turnover technique. Mean water influx was 565 ml kg-1 day-1 and mean CO2 production was 5.41 ml g-1 h-1, i.e. 3375 kJ kg-1 day-1. From the energy content of the main items (Lepidoptera larvae, Curculionidae) in the diet of the mice it was estimated that the dry mass of food consumed was 3.5 g mouse-1 day-1. The overall impact of mice on invertebrates, based on mean mouse density and the mean percentage invertebrates in the diet, was estimated at 108 g ha-1 day-1 or 39.4 kg ha-1 y-1 (dry mass). Greatest predation pressure was on larvae of the flightless moth Pringleophaga marioni: 65 g ha-1 day-1 or 23.7 kg ha-1 y-1. Insect biomass is lower on Marion Island than on nearby Prince Edward Island, which is mouse-free. It is suggested that populations of certain insects on Marion Island are depressed by the alien mice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natal Parks Board, P.O. Box 662, 3200, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

    D. T. Rowe-Rowe

  2. CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, P.O. Box 84, 2602, Lyneham, ACT, Australia

    B. Green

  3. Department of Entomology, University of Pretoria, 0002, Pretoria, South Africa

    J. E. Crafford

Authors
  1. D. T. Rowe-Rowe
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  2. B. Green
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  3. J. E. Crafford
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Rowe-Rowe, D.T., Green, B. & Crafford, J.E. Estimated Impact of feral house mice on sub-Antarctic invertebrates at Marion Island. Polar Biol 9, 457–460 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00443233

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00443233

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