WHITE FOOTED MICE (Peromyscus leucopus) AT MINES OF SPRAIN RECREATION AREA, IOWA

John J. White1, Cheryl Moonen1, Gerald L. Zuercher1, Dale H. Easley1, and Wayne 
Buchholtz2

1 Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dubuque, 2000 
University Avenue, Dubuque, IA 52001 

2 Mines of Spain Recreation Area, E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center, 8991 Bellevue 
Heights Road, Dubuque, IA 52003

Between May and August 2006, we trapped white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) 
throughout Mines of Spain Recreation Area in Dubuque County, Iowa.  The park is 
located along the western bank of the Mississippi River in Pool 12.  We trapped 
at 21 different locations within the park, 14 of which had been previously 
sampled 25-years prior.  Most transects consisted of 2 parallel 200-meter trap-
lines separated by 10-meters.  Four transects were limited to 100-meters in 
length due to physical impediments.  Transects were categorized according to 
dominant habitat type (forest or prairie) and human-activity (heavy or light).  
Ugglan multiple-capture live traps were baited with a peanut butter-oatmeal 
mixture and set every 10-meters along each trap-line.  Traps were set on 
Mondays, checked daily, and collected on Fridays.  We logged 3,208 trap-nights 
and accumulated 273 total captures (90 recaptures) that included white-footed 
mice, prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), western harvest mice 
(Reithrodontomys megalotis), house mice (Mus musculus), and short-tailed shrews 
(Blarina brevicauda).  We estimated population size of white-footed mice for the 
entire park using 4 standard mark-recapture methods (Peterson, Schnabel, 
Burnham-Overton, and Jolly-Seber).  Additionally, we compared estimates 
according to categories to evaluate the importance of habitat type and human 
activity on white-footed mice populations.  We will present the results from all 
population estimation methods used and comment on model assumptions.

Keywords:  Iowa, mark-recapture, Mines of Spain, white-footed mice, Peromyscus 
leucopus