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Impact of radio‐collars on Yellow‐necked Mice, Apodemus flavicollis (Mammalia, Rodentia)
Author(s) -
De Mendonça Philippe Gil
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
mammal review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.574
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1365-2907
pISSN - 0305-1838
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2907.1999.00042.x
Subject(s) - apodemus , collar , biology , zoology , engineering , mechanical engineering
The impact of wearing a radio‐collar was investigated for 124 Yellow‐necked Mice Apodemus flavicollis , in mixed deciduous woodlands. Collared mice neither lost more weight nor lost weight more frequently than control individuals. The cost of wearing a collar was not greater for small individuals than for larger ones. The impact of wearing a radio‐collar was mostly due to the shape and size of the radio‐collar and the external antenna rather than the package weight. This aspect was particularly acute in the presence of ticks. One solution to this problem may be to build and use radio‐transmitter packages as compact (but nevertheless resistant to gnawing) and symmetrical as possible and to use collars impregnated with tick repellent.