Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microhabitat use by the house mouseMus musculus in an urban area

  • Published:
Acta Theriologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding some aspects of the ecology of the house mouseMus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 in an urban area may be crucial to decide materials or strategies for pest control. The aim of this study was to examine microhabitat use byM. musculus in vacant lots in the urban area of Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina. We livetrapped M. musculus in five vacant lots in summer and autumn of 2006, and in four vacant lots in summer and autumn of 2007. Variables influencing the use and not-use of trapping stations by the house mouse by season were identified with a logistic regression.M. musculus presence was closely associated with vegetation variables. In three of four analyzed seasons, the house mouse presence was positively associated with high values of vegetation volume and negatively associated with traps located close to walls. To control mouse presence in vacant lots, it would be important to minimize habitat complexity through the maintenance of a short vegetation cover and the avoidance of the important plant species growth forM. musculus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Advani R. 1995. Mouse populations and their control in New York City. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 36: 135–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arthur A., Pech R. and Dickman C. 2004. Habitat structure mediates the non-lethal effects of predation on enclosed populations of house mice. Journal of Animal Ecology 73: 867–877.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker P., Ansell R., Dodds P., Webber C. and Harris S. 2003. Factors affecting the distribution of small mammals in an urban area. Mammal Review 33: 95–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baker P. and Harris S. 2007. Urban mammals: what does the future hold? An analysis of the factors affecting patterns of use of residential gardens in Great Britain. Mammal Review 4: 297–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakker V. 2006. Microhabitat features influence the movements of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) on unfamiliar ground. Journal of Mammalogy 87: 124–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnum S., Manville C., Tester J. and Carmen W. 1992. Path selection byPeromyscus leucopus in the presence and absence of vegetative cover. Journal of Mammalogy 73: 797–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertolino S. 2007. Microhabitat use by garden dormice during nocturnal activity. Journal of Zoology, London 272: 176–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilenca D. and Kravetz F. 1999. Seasonal changes in microhabitat use and niche overlap betweenAkodon azarae andCalomys laucha (Rodentia, Muridae) in agroecosystems of Central Argentina. Studies of Neotropical Fauna & Environment 34: 129–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley C. and Altizer S. 2006. Urbanization and the ecology of wildlife diseases. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 22: 95–102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Castillo E., Priotto J., Ambrosio A., Provensal C., Pini N., Morales M., Steinmann A. and Polop, J. 2003. Commensal and wild rodents in an urban area of Argentina. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 52: 135–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalfoun A. and Martin T. 2007. Assessments of habitat preferences and quality depend on spatial scale and metrics of fitness. Journal of Applied Ecology 44: 983–992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chernousova N. 2002. Specific features of the dynamics of murine rodent communities under the effects of urbanization: 2. Maintenance of population size. Russian Journal of Ecology 33: 27–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Childs J., Glass G., Ksiazek T., Rossi C., Barrera J. and Leduc J. 1991. Human-rodent contact and infection with Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis and Seoul viruses in an inner-city population. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 44: 117–121.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Colvin B. and Jackson W. 1999. Urban rodent control programs for the 21st century. [In: Ecologically-based rodent management. G. Singleton, L. Hinds, H. Leirs and Z. Zhang, eds]. Aciar Monograps Series, Camberra: 243–257.

  • Cramer M. and Willig M. 2002. Habitat heterogeneity, habitat associations, and rodent species diversity in a sand-shinnery-oak landscape. Journal of Mammalogy 83: 743–753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickman C. 1992. Predation and habitat shift in the house mouse,Mus domesticus. Ecology 73: 313–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickman C. and Doncaster C. 1987. The ecology of small mammals in urban habitats. I. Populations in a patchy environment. Journal of Animal Ecology 56: 629–640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drickamer L., Feldhamer G., Mikesic D. and Holmes C. 1999. Trap-response heterogeneity of house mice (Mus musculus) in outdoor enclosures. Journal of Mammalogy 80: 410–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis A., Mills J., Childs J., Muzzini M., McKee K., Enria D. and Glass G. 1997. Structure and floristics of habitats associated with five rodent species in an agroecosystems in Central Argentina. Journal of Zoology, London 243: 437–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez M., Cavia R., Cueto G. and Suarez O. 2007. Implementation and evaluation of an integrated program for rodent control in a Shantytown of Buenos Aires City, Argentina. EcoHealth 4: 271–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garden J., Mcalpine C., Possingham H. and Jones D. 2007. Habitat structure is more important than vegetation composition for local-level management of native terrestrial reptile and small mammal species living in urban remnants: A case study from Brisbane, Australia. Austral Ecology 32: 669–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez D., Priotto J., Provensal C., Steinmann A., Castillo E. and Polop J. 2008. A population study of house mice (Mus musculus) inhabiting different habitats in an Argentine urban area. International Biodegradation and Biodeterioration 62: 270–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gratz N. 1996. Rodents as Carriers of Diseases. [In: Rodent pests and their control. A. Buckle and R. Smith,eds]. CAB International: 85–108.

  • Gray S., Jensen S. and Hurst J. 2000. Structural complexity of territories: preference, use of space and defence in commensal house mice,Mus domesticus. Animal Behaviour 60: 765–772.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson L. 1992. Small mammal dispersal in pest management and conservation. [In: Animal dispersal. N. Stenseth and W. Lidicker, eds]. Chapman & Hall: 181–198.

  • Jensen B. 1966. Mice indoors. Flora og Fauna 73: 130–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen S., Gray S. and Hurst J. 2003. How does habitat structure affect activity and use of space among house mice? Animal Behaviour 66: 239–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johannesen E. and Mauritzen M. 1999. Habitat selection of grey-sided voles and bank voles in two subalpine populations in southern Norway. Annales Zoologici Fennici 36: 215–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert T. and Adler G. 2000. Microhabitat use by a tropical forest rodent,Proechimys semispinosus, in central Panama. Journal of Mammalogy 81: 70–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leirs H., Singleton G. and Hinds L. 1999. Ecologically--based rodent management in developing countries: where to now? [In: Ecologically-based Rodent Management. G. Singleton, L. Hinds, H. Leirs and Z. Zhang, eds]. Aciar Monograps Series, Camberra: 477–484.

  • Lund M. 1996. Commensal Rodents. [In: Rodent pests and their control. A. Buckle and R. Smith, eds]. CAB International: 23–43.

  • Peters C. J., Buchmeier M., Rollin P. E. and Kziazek T. G. 1996. Arenaviruses. [In: Virology. B. Fields, D. Knipe and P. Howley, eds]. Philadelphia, Lippincott-Raven: 1521–1551.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riera L., Castillo E., Saavedra M., Priotto J., Sottosanti J., Polop J., Sabattini M. and Ambrosio A. 2005. Serological study of the Linphochoriomeningitis virus (LCMv) in an inner city of Argentina. Journal of Medical Virology 76: 285–289.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe F. 1975. Control of rodents in stored products and urban environments. [In: Small mammals: their productivity and population dynamics. F. B. Golley, K. Petrusewicz and L. Ryszkowski, eds]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 339–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe F. and Swinney T. 1977. Population dynamics of small rodents in farm buildings and on arable land. EPPO Bulletin 8: 431–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simonetti J. 1989. Microhabitat use by small mammals in central Chile. Oikos 56: 309–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singleton G., Brown P., Pech R., Jacob J., Mutzle G. and Krebs C. 2005. One hundred years of eruptions of house mice in Australia — a natural biological curio. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 84: 617–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twigg L. and Kay B. 1994. The effects of microhabitat and weather on house mouse (Mus domesticus) numbers and the implications of management. Journal of Applied Ecology 31: 651–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ylönen H., Jacob J., Davies M. and Singleton G. 2002. Predation risk and habitat selection of Australian house miceMus domesticus during an incipient plague: desperate behaviour due to food depletion. Oikos 99: 284–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina

    Daniela Gomez

  2. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Agencia Postal No 3, 5800 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Daniela Gomez, Cecilia Provensal & Jaime Polop

Authors
  1. Daniela Gomez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cecilia Provensal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jaime Polop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Gomez.

Additional information

Associate editor was Karol Zub.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gomez, D., Provensal, C. & Polop, J. Microhabitat use by the house mouseMus musculus in an urban area. Acta Theriol 54, 183–192 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03193174

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03193174

Key words

Search

Navigation