Vertical activity of the yellow-necked mouse (Rodentia: Muridae) at edge of a mixed forest

The vertical activity of small mammals was studied in Central Bohemia, the Czech Republic, from 2003 to 2005. In total, 424 individuals were captured by the CMR technique, in live traps placed at ground level or in trees at heights of 1 and 2 m. The most commonly captured was the yellow-necked mouse, Apodemus flavicollis (96.7 %). Other species captured in the trees were: the common dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius and the pygmy shrew, Sorex minutus. Although mice captures on the ground (considered as 100 %) prevailed significantly over those in trees (84.2 % and 77.9 % at 1 and 2 m, respectively), vertical activity was still quite extensive. In the peak abundance year, mice visited trees more frequently than in the year with lower abundance. There was no clear seasonal variation in vertical activity during the May-October period. No significant difference between male and female vertical activity was found. There was a slight but non-significant positive relation between the weight of an individual and the frequency of its arboreal captures. Any preference for climbing a particular tree species was not found. Our results clearly demonstrate that tree climbing by the yellow-necked mouse represents an important component of its movement activities and this fact should be considered in future studies of its ecology.