Standard Protocols
The survey protocols have been consistent since 1990. Partners at each location have the flexibility to alter methods to suit local circumstances, but the recommended procedures should be considered.
Protocols are described in the three following documents. These protocols have been approved by the GNWT Wildlife Care Committee for use within the NWT. Approval reviews and annual filing documents are available upon request.
Small Mammal Survey - Standard Protocols
Museum Special Snap Trapping
Recommended method for the Northwest Territories (NWT). Send all specimens to either the coordinator for the survey or to an accredited museum to confirm species identification and for permanent storage for future studies The recommended long-term repository for specimens from the NWT is the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
Live Trapping
Accepted method for the Northwest Territories, and recommended only if the location personnel are very familiar with species identification and protocols for handling wildlife, and are prepared to invest the extra time required for this method. Location coordinators can use any live traps deemed adequate for the species expected at the site (e.g., Longworth or Sherman traps). Please communicate with the Survey coordinator for more details on recommended traps. This method may not be appropriate for lemmings or tundra locations. See the Nest Survey protocol for an alternative non-destructive protocol.
Small Mammal data are reported as capture indices, defined by number of trapped individuals per 100 trap-nights, corrected based on Beauvais G. P. & Buskirk, S. 1999. Modifying estimates of sampling effort to account for sprung traps. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 27: 39-43, except where noted in site description. Capture indices during this survey are used as an indicator of abundance in a specific area, i.e., density.
Hare Survey - Standard Protocol
Hare Pellet Count
Only recommended method for the NWT. Hare abundance is measured as number of snowshoe hares per hectare, corrected according to Krebs, C.J., Boonstra, R., Nams, V. O’Donoghue, M., Hodges, K.E., Boutin S. 2001. Estimating snowshoe hare population density from pellet plots: a further evaluation. Can. J. Zool. 79:1-4. A modification of this protocol is being developed for monitoring annual variations in abundance of Arctic hares. Also see Murray, D, Ellsworth, E, Zack, A. . 2005. Assessment of potential bais with snowshoe hare pellet-plot counts. J. of Wildl. Manage. 69: 385-395.
Identification Tools
GNWT Identification Booklet
This tool is shared for your convenience only. We do not make any guaranty of accuracy or usefulness. Some small mammal species are very hard to identify in the field. For example, southern and northern red-back voles may only be positively identified in the lab. We encourage all location coordinators to store specimens in a recognized museum and to share information on species distribution and identification with the Survey coordinator who will share it with all other coordinators.