Streamside Management Zones 127 



are difficult to catch with conventional snap or live traps (Szaro et al. 

 1988, Rose et al. 1989). Captured animals were donated to The University 

 of Georgia Museum of Natural History. 



Captures were combined by season over the 2-year trapping 

 period and treated as replicates. Differences in mean capture rates 

 were tested by analysis of variance, and Duncan's Multiple Range 

 Test was used to separate means (a=0.05). 



RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 



We captured 228 small mammals from 12 species in 8,640 

 trapnights. Southern short-tailed shrews (Blarina carolinensis) accounted 

 for 24.5% of all captures. White-footed (Peromyscus leucopus) and 

 cotton mice (P. gossypinus) were grouped together as cotton mice, 

 because of the difficulty in positive identification. Morphological 

 criteria used to separate the species are of limited value when applied 

 to subadult mice (Dickson and Williamson 1988). Cotton mice accounted 

 for 20.2% of the animals caught, followed by cotton rats (Sigmodon 

 hispidus, 17.1%), old-field mice (Peromyscus polionotus, 13.6%), least 

 shrews (Cryptotis parva, 11.0%), rice rats (Oryzomys palustris, 7%), 

 and golden mice (Ochrotomys nuttalli, 3.1%). Other species captured 

 included the woodrat (Neotoma floridana), Eastern harvest mouse 

 (Reithrodontomys humulis), Southeastern shrew (Sorex longirostris), 

 pine vole (Microtus pinetorum), and Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus). 



During winter sampling periods, small mammal capture rates 

 did not vary by treatment (P = 0.56). However, in summer total 

 capture rates were greater in the mature riparian forest than in the 

 other habitats sampled. Several species showed significant habitat 

 preferences (Table 1). During both winter and summer, cotton mice 

 were trapped more frequently in the mature riparian forest than in the 

 other habitats sampled. The preferred habitat for the cotton mouse is 

 bottomland hardwood forest subject to frequent flooding (Cothran 

 et al. 1991). Cotton mice were equally abundant in SMZs and pine 

 plantations. 



In winter, oldfield mice were most common on the pine transects. 

 Several studies have reported the preference of oldfield mice for early 

 successional habitats (Golley et al. 1965, Brooks 1992). Oldfield mice, 

 harvest mice, and cotton rats prefer areas with stands of dense grass. 

 Cotton rats were caught most frequently in narrow SMZs in winter, 

 and no habitat preference was observed in summer. The rice rat was 

 not recorded in the pine plantations in either season. Southern short- 

 tailed shrews, which prefer moist habitats (Szaro et al. 1988), occurred 



