Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials
Eradication and control methods to limit damage caused to native biota in New Zealand by the stoat (<i>Mustela erminea</i>) rely on effective lures for trapping and detection devices, such as cameras. Long-life semiochemical lures have the potential for targeting stoats in situations whe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/394 |
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| author | Elaine C. Murphy Tim Sjoberg Tom Agnew Madeline Sutherland Graeme Andrews Raine Williams Jeff Williams James Ross B. Kay Clapperton |
| author_facet | Elaine C. Murphy Tim Sjoberg Tom Agnew Madeline Sutherland Graeme Andrews Raine Williams Jeff Williams James Ross B. Kay Clapperton |
| author_sort | Elaine C. Murphy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Eradication and control methods to limit damage caused to native biota in New Zealand by the stoat (<i>Mustela erminea</i>) rely on effective lures for trapping and detection devices, such as cameras. Long-life semiochemical lures have the potential for targeting stoats in situations where food-based lures are of limited success. The attractiveness of body odours of captive stoats was tested in a series of captive animal and extensive field trials to investigate their potential as trapping and monitoring lures. Stoats approached and spent significantly more time sniffing stoat urine and scats and bedding from oestrous female stoats than a non-treatment control. The bedding odours were attractive in both the breeding and the non-breeding season. Stoats also spent significantly more time sniffing oestrous stoat bedding than female ferret bedding, but the ferret odour also produced a significant response by stoats. In the field trials, there were no significant differences between the number of stoats caught with food lures (long-life rabbit or hen eggs) compared with oestrous female or male stoat bedding lures. These results indicate the potential of both stoat bedding odour and the scent of another mustelid species as stoat trapping lures that likely act as a general odour attractant rather than a specific chemical signal of oestrus. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:16:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0c8868e20e7241afbda82fc7adfdde2f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:16:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-0c8868e20e7241afbda82fc7adfdde2f2023-11-23T15:49:02ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-02-0112339410.3390/ani12030394Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field TrialsElaine C. Murphy0Tim Sjoberg1Tom Agnew2Madeline Sutherland3Graeme Andrews4Raine Williams5Jeff Williams6James Ross7B. Kay Clapperton8Department of Pest Management and Conservation, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7647, New ZealandDepartment of Pest Management and Conservation, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7647, New ZealandDepartment of Pest Management and Conservation, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7647, New ZealandDepartment of Pest Management and Conservation, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7647, New ZealandDepartment of Conservation, P.O. Box 55, St Arnaud 7053, New ZealandIndependent researchers, P.O. Box 41, Coromandel 3543, New ZealandIndependent researchers, P.O. Box 41, Coromandel 3543, New ZealandDepartment of Pest Management and Conservation, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Christchurch 7647, New ZealandIndependent researcher, Havelock North 4130, New ZealandEradication and control methods to limit damage caused to native biota in New Zealand by the stoat (<i>Mustela erminea</i>) rely on effective lures for trapping and detection devices, such as cameras. Long-life semiochemical lures have the potential for targeting stoats in situations where food-based lures are of limited success. The attractiveness of body odours of captive stoats was tested in a series of captive animal and extensive field trials to investigate their potential as trapping and monitoring lures. Stoats approached and spent significantly more time sniffing stoat urine and scats and bedding from oestrous female stoats than a non-treatment control. The bedding odours were attractive in both the breeding and the non-breeding season. Stoats also spent significantly more time sniffing oestrous stoat bedding than female ferret bedding, but the ferret odour also produced a significant response by stoats. In the field trials, there were no significant differences between the number of stoats caught with food lures (long-life rabbit or hen eggs) compared with oestrous female or male stoat bedding lures. These results indicate the potential of both stoat bedding odour and the scent of another mustelid species as stoat trapping lures that likely act as a general odour attractant rather than a specific chemical signal of oestrus.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/394eradicationmustelidpen trialspredator controlscenttrapping |
| spellingShingle | Elaine C. Murphy Tim Sjoberg Tom Agnew Madeline Sutherland Graeme Andrews Raine Williams Jeff Williams James Ross B. Kay Clapperton Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials Animals eradication mustelid pen trials predator control scent trapping |
| title | Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials |
| title_full | Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials |
| title_fullStr | Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials |
| title_short | Body Odours as Lures for Stoats <i>Mustela erminea</i>: Captive and Field Trials |
| title_sort | body odours as lures for stoats i mustela erminea i captive and field trials |
| topic | eradication mustelid pen trials predator control scent trapping |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/3/394 |
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