A review of potential techniques for identifying individual stoats (Mustela erminea) visiting control or monitoring stations

Abstract

We review ways of individually identifying stoats (Mustela erminea) and similar small mammals from visits to bait stations or to monitoring devices in the field. Tracking devices are the cheapest and most practical method currently available of measuring the presence of a particular species, but there has been little research on the recognition of individuals. Elongation of tracking tunnels, or using sooty plates rather than ink to record prints, may improve detectability of individual markings. Recording visits to bait stations or tracking tunnels from DNA sequencing of hair or skin samples is likely to be prohibitively expensive for many monitoring programmes. Identification of stoats visiting bait stations or tracking tunnels using electronic devices has great potential, but these techniques are impracticably expensive because stoats move over such large areas that individual receivers and data loggers would be needed for each bait station. Chemical bait markers such as rhodamine B may be the most suitable method for identifying which animals have used a particular bait station.

Non‐invasive methods for monitoring weasels: emerging technologies and priorities for future research

“…Broad-scale surveys and long-term monitoring for weasels have largely been limited to regions where there are intensive, sustained efforts to eradicate weasels (Jones et al 2004), or to the northern extent of the range through annual track surveys or lemming nest occupancy rates (Feige et al 2012, Schmidt et al 2012. Trapping harvest data were historically used to monitor weasel (and other furbearer) population trends (Tapper & Reynolds 1996, Aebischer et al 2011, but harvest data are not always proportional to abundance (McDonald & Harris 2002, Maunder et al 2006, Fukasawa et al 2020.…”

“…Broad‐scale surveys and long‐term monitoring for weasels have largely been limited to regions where there are intensive, sustained efforts to eradicate weasels (Jones et al. 2004), or to the northern extent of the range through annual track surveys or lemming nest occupancy rates (Feige et al. 2012, Schmidt et al.…”

Voltammetric Behaviour of Rhodamine B at a Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode and Its Trace Determination in Environmental Water Samples

“…Rhodamine B (I) Scheme 1 is widely used in industry as a dye for plastics, wool, silk and paper [1]. Numerous reports have also highlighted its use as a florescent dye in many diverse scientific applications (i.e., [2][3][4][5][6]). However, in more recent years the mutagenic activity of this compound has become more evident [7].…”

Analysis of Iophenoxic Acid Analogues in Small Indian Mongoose (<em>Herpestes Auropunctatus</em>) Sera for Use as an Oral Rabies Vaccination Biological Marker

“…Various biological markers have been used to monitor bait uptake in numerous species, including raccoons (Procyon lotor) 9,10 ,stoats (Mustela ermine) 11,12 , European badgers (Meles meles) 13 , wild boars (Sus scrofa) 14 , small Indian mongooses 15 and prairie dogs (Cynomysludovicianus) 16,17 , among others. In the US, operational ORV baits often include a 1% tetracycline biomarker in the bait matrix to monitor bait uptake 18,19 .…”