Movement and habitat use of three high Andean rodent species (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in Andean páramos of Ecuador

ABSTRACT

The movements and habitat use of three species of Sigmodontine rodents (Akodon mollis, Phyllotis haggard and Thomasomys paramorum) from the high Andes of Ecuador were evaluated using the spool-and-line technique in four transects. The floristic composition was analyzed at sampling sites to explain how these three species of Sigmodontine rodents use the vegetation as a habitat. Rodents were captured using live Sherman traps and equipped with a spool-and-line device. Each thread trail was traced, and their nests, feeders and shelters were recorded using GPS receivers. Also, the construction materials, nest morphology and shelters used during foraging, and the food resources were described. These three rodent species overlap in their distribution, but they present certain preferences for different habitats such as grasslands, open areas with cushions and shrubs, respectively. This study is an approach to the natural history of these Sigmodontine rodents in high mountain elevations.

KEYWORDS:

• Habitat use
• páramo
• spool-and-line technique
• cricetids

Acknowledgments

The fieldwork was supported by the Museo de Zoología de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ). Research and collection permits were provided by the Ministerio del Ambiente (011-2018-IC-FAU-DNB/MA and 037-2019-IC-FLO-DNB/MA). We thank Nicolás Tinoco who support us on fieldwork. We are also thankful to Florencio Maza who help us with beetle fragment identification, and to Domenica Naranjo, Lou Jost and María Eugenia Ordoñez for reviewing and improving the English version of this paper. We thank Ulyses Pardiñas and the reviewers in this work for their critical and helpful comments. Finally, we are thankful for the Fondo para la Protección del Agua (FONAG) and their constant effort in conservating Ecuadorian páramos, irreplaceable sources of water.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

SFB and AV conceived and designed the study. AV and RZC analyzed the data. RZC identified botanical specimens in situ and in the QCA Herbarium. AV and RZC wrote the first draft of the manuscript. RZC, JB and SFB reviewed and improved the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by FONAG and its scholarship program at the Estación Científica Agua y Páramos;FONDO PARA LA PROTECCIÓN DE AGUA [E802020102F]