Life Sciences Commons^™

Homing And Ecology In The Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys Volans In Southeastern Virginia, Sherrie Lynn Sawyer

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether homing occurred in the southern flying squirrel, Glauaomys volans, and if so, the greatest homing distance. Information on the squirrel's ecology, reproductive biology and use of artificial nest boxes was also obtained. The study was conducted from November 1978 through March 1981, using nest boxes placed in a deciduous forest in southeastern Virginia.

For the homing experiments, twenty squirrels were released a total of 29 times along three lines at distances of 250 m to 1.6 km from the homesites. Squirrels were found to home successfully up to 1,000 m.

The …

An Evaluation Of Small Rodents In Four Dismal Swamp Plant Communities, F. Elizabeth Breidling, Frank P. Day Jr., Robert K. Rose

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Diversity and density of small rodents in the Dismal Swamp are believed to be low. Reasons for this may be excessive predation, heavy interspecific pressure from large rodents, lack of suitable habitat, low food availability or flooding.

Rodent populations were evaluated using live-traps and pitfall traps in four different Dismal Swamp plant communities. Habitat was compared on the basis of phytomass studies previously reported. Flood levels were recorded during live-trapping sessions. Mast from trees was collected in modified mast collectors, and fed to Peromyscus leucopus in the laboratory.

Only two small rodent species were captured: Ochrotomys nuttalli and Peromyscus leucopus …

A Quantitative Study Of The Aquatic Macroinvertebrates In An Irregularly Flooded Salt Marsh, Smith Island, Virginia, Leon L. Robert Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Little is known about the aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in coastal salt marshes. This study investigated the aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in a coastal Virginia salt marsh. Sixteen samples were taken weekly from two different sites on Smith Island, Virginia, from April to mid-October 1982. Bimonthly samples were taken during the months March and November due to low density of organisms and reduced growth rates at these times.

A total of 46 taxa were collected with 17 occurring regularly, indicating a relatively diverse fauna. Wide fluctuations in the physical parameters were observed; however, temporal changes in the macroinvertebrate community cannot …