Honyurui Kagaku (Mammalian Science)

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Between 1990 and 1997, 38 badgers were monitored in a suburban population to discern the impacts of supplemental feeding by local people on body weight and condition. Body weight differences were significantly gender-biased. Females were more dependent on supplemental food than males, visiting feeding sites daily. In contrast, no males depended on these feeding sites daily. Badgers that utilized these additional food sources on a weekly or monthly basis were heavier than conspecifics that consumed only natural food sources in early spring and summer, there was no significant difference in autumn. Female badgers that depended on daily supplemental food were heavier through all seasons than those eating only natural food-stuffs. Abdominal girth, as a measure of subcutaneous fat storage, was significantly related to body weight. This girth increase seemed to be closely associated with fat deposition before denning. Badger's exploitation of anthropogenic food source was apparently beneficial for them and suggests they are adapting to take advantage of suburban development. As a corollary, however, negative effects, such as road traffic accidents, artificial inflation of carrying capacity, agricultural damage and badger management conflicts, could develop.

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Aiming at improving effectiveness of faunal survey of arboreal rodents by nest boxes, total of 2,664 nest boxes were used at 16 study sites of different vegetations and altitudes in Japan. The highest occupancy ratio (27%) of Pteromys momonga was recorded at a natural coniferous forest. Ratios at deciduous forests varied by study site. Glirulus japonicus was mainly recorded in deciduous forests with low use ratio. Apodemus argenteus occurred ubiquitously even in coniferous plantations. Average sign ratios of nest boxes during Aug.-Nov. were 5% in P. momonga, 2% in G. japonicus and 10% in A. argenteus. P. momonga mainly used the bark of Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica as as a nest material, G. japonicus preferred moss, and A. argenteus fallen and green leaves. The first signs of nest box use appeared two to several months after box erection, and the box use ratio increased from summer to fall. The size of nest boxes had no influence on use ratio of smaller species. Single year inspection of a total of 300 nest boxes during the period from the end of bird reproduction in early summer till the arrival of the cold season seemed sufficient for faunal survey. Nest box survey seemed appropriate for environmental education in the field.

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A small mammal was found in the stomach of a largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) caught in an agricultural pond in Suzu-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture, in October 2004. It was identified as a greater Japanese shrew-mole (Urotrichus talpoides). Body parts recovered from the stomach included a mandible, fur with a forefoot, hind feet and a tail.

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Bats in southwestern Hokkaido were studied from 1999 to 2004. In this study, we caught and gathered 177 individuals of the following 11 species using mist nets and harp traps: Rhinolophus cornutus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Myotis frater, Myotis ikonnikovi, Myotis macrodactylus, Murina leucogaster, Murina ussuriensis, Pipistrellus abramus, Plecotus auritus, Nyctalus aviator and Vespertilio superans. Among these species, R. cornutus, M. frater, M macrodactylus, M. leucogaster and M. ussuriensis were newly recorded in southwestern Hokkaido. Also, we found roost sites of 4 bat species (Rhinolophus cornutus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Myotis macrodactylus, Nyctalus aviator).

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