Reda Mažeikytė

Identification of Shrews and Rodents from Skull Remains according to the Length of a Tooth Row

In the article, measurements of lengths of maxillary and mandibular tooth rows in three species of shrews (Sorex araneus, S. minutus, Neomys fodiens) found in Lithuania, the birch mouse (Sicista betulina), six species of mice (Mus musculus, Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, A. sylvaticus, A. uralensis, Micromys minutus), and three species of voles (Microtus arvalis, M. oeconomus, M. agrestis) are presented and suitability of these measurements for species identification given. It has been established that according to these measurements species of shrews can be identified unmistakably. Species of mice and voles could be identified with reservation. Intervals are presented within the ranges of which species of mice and voles could be identified. The method is useful while working with incomplete skulls, such as those found in owl and birds of prey pellets. While using data from mammal identification keys and from other literature sources of foreign countries for identification of mammals of Lithuania, pos...

Distribution of the Sibling Vole (Microtus Rossiaemeridionalis Ognev, 1924) (Rodentia, Cricetidae) in Lithuania

While applying complex methods, there was investigated the distribution of the sibling vole (M. rossiaemeridionalis Ognev, 1924) in Lithuania. For this purpose the collection of sculls (n = 2266), which was accumulated during the investigations of small mammals in 1953-1954 and 1969-1996, and the material from objective expeditions (n = 248) collected in 1995-1998 were applied. There were determined karyotypes (of 3 males and of 3 females) of 6 M. rossiaemeridionalis (2n = 54, NF = 56) and of 3 males of M. arvalis (sensu stricto) (2n = 46, NF = 83). The form and size of voles spermatozoa were described (5 and 1 respectively) and a comparative analysis of morphological features of 131 sibling voles was carried out. While having analyzed the data, which was collected in 35 districts of Lithuania (79.5% of all the Lithuanian number of districts), there were determined 40 localities of M. rossiaemeridionalis in 21 districts of Lithuania (Alytus, Anyksciai, Joniskis, Kaunas, Kelmė, Kaisiadorys, Kėdainiai, Klai...

Investigation of Sarcosporidians (Sarcocystis) of Small Mammals in Kamasta Landscape Reserve and its Surroundings

In 1995-1997, in Kamasta Landscape Reserve, there was investigated the small mammal infection with sarcosporidians applying two methods, compressive and histological. 590 animals belonging to 9 species were examined: 3 insectivorous (Insectivora), and 6 rodent (Rodentia: Muridae, Cricetidae) species. There was found only one common shrew (Sorex araneus), which was infected with microsarcocysts of all the examined 86 insectivorous. After investigating 504 mouse-like rodents, sarcocysts were detected in only 3 vole species, 46 (14.4%) of all the examined 320 Clethrionomys glareolus, 11 (20.4%) of all 54 Microtus arvalis and 7 (17.9%) of the examined 39 M. agrestis. There are presented morphometric investigation data on the sarcocysts and cyst merozoites. It has been established that S. putorii species parasitized in all the infected M. arvalis and in one case M. agrestis vole muscles. Their sarcocysts were characterised by large sizes and 2.3-4.0 μm length projections on their sarcocyst wall and having larg...

Vilnius City Theriofauna

Mammal diversity investigations in Vilnius were carried out in 1992, 1998–2004. The following 51 mammal species were registered in the city: five species of insectivores (Insectivora), 11 of bats (Chiroptera), 18 of rodents (Rodentia), two of hares (Lagomorpha), 11 of carnivores (Carnivora) and four of ungulates (Artiodactyla). Fourteen mammal species are included into the Red Data Book of Lithuania, namely pond bat, Brandts bat, barbastelle, brown long-eared bat, noctule, Leislers bat, serotine bat, northern bat, particoloured bat, northern birch mouse, mountain hare, stoat, brown bear and otter. All insectivorous mammals in the city are common. During the warm span of the year we registered nine, and in hibernacula seven species of bats. The most widely spread and the most abundant small rodents of Vilnius were bank and common voles and yellow-necked mice, whereas muskrats and water voles were less frequent. The most numerous city carnivores were pine martens, with otters and badgers, and in particula...

Heavy Metal Concentrations in Bank Voles (Clethrionomys Glareolus) from Protected and Agricultural Territories of Lithuania

In the article, data about concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd) in bodies and stomach contents of bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) from seven protected and agricultural territories are presented. In both the bodies and stomach contents of the voles the highest accumulated heavy metal levels were those of Cu, with an exception of three cases: in the spring of 1998, when in the stomach contents from agricultural territories of Eastern and Western Lithuania the concentration of Ni was the highest, and in the autumn of 1999, when in the bodies from the deltaic plain of Western Lithuania the concentration of Pb was the highest. Concentrations of individual heavy metals in the bodies and stomach contents differed within a wide range. The levels of Cd usually were the lowest. In spring and autumn, in the voles from protected territories total concentrations of heavy metals fluctuated between 25.2 and 6.0 and in their stomach contents – 3.7 and 4.1 times, respectively. In the animals from a...

New Data on the Pygmy Field Mouse (Apodemus Uralensis) Distribution and Habitats in Lithuania

Pygmy field mouse (Apodemus uralensis) was identified as a new mammal species in Lithuania only in 1999. Despite that, many new localities of this species were discovered in northwestern and western Lithuania during 1999–2000: in Žemaitija National Park, Kurtuvėnai and Varniai regional parks, Kamanos strict nature reserve and almost on all the territory of Mažeikiai administrative district. A total of 62 individuals of A. uralensis were captured in 33 localities in 1996–2000. The collected data on A. uralensis dwelling places prove that it is an ‘ecotonic’ species most often residing on the edges of forests and in open habitats bordering on forests. The greatest number of these mice were captured in the ecotones of forests and open habitats (meadows, cornfields and fallow fields) and in open habitats bordering on forests or situated close to them (natural meadows overgrown with shrubs, grass-covered reclamation canals, cornfields). Rather few mice of this species were captured in forests, most often close...

N deposition, balance and benefit in the forest ecosystem of main landscape types of Lithuania

Sulphur emissions have declined in Europe by 67% since the early 1980s due to enactment of strict pollution control strategies, whereas nitrogen emissions have remained fairly constant. Consequently, the effect and benefits of nitrogen deposition remain among the most relevant ecological issues. The presented data reveal the trends of nitrate and ammonium concentrations in the air, their wet deposition and concentrations in soil water, ground and runoff water as well as the trends of different components of forest biota in areas where integrated monitoring stations have been operating since 1994. Data on nitrogen concentrations in the soil, ground and surface waters were analysed in relation to air nitrogen concentrations and their deposition. Changes in tree crown defoliation, and abundance, and diversity of the soil micro‐arthropods, stream macro‐invertebrates and small mammals were analysed in relation to concentrations of N compounds in studied substances in an effort to estimate N deposition benefits in forest ecosystems. N balance in areas studied revealed that the amount of nitrogen inflow into the system was very high in comparison with its elimination from the catchments. Approximately 1000 N kg/km2 in LT01 and 600 N kg/km2 in LT03 are accumulated in the investigated ecosystems per year. But, the relationship between condition of the conifers and air N compounds and their deposition was more significant than between N concentrations in soil and groundwater. N concentration in the studied substances resulted in more significant changes in abundance of soil micro‐arthropods, stream macro‐invertebrates and small mammals than in their diversity.

New Data on the Distribution of Mitochondrial DNA Lineages of the Fiels Vole (Microtus agrestis) in Lithuania and Belarus

For comparative phylogeographical studies, part (460 bp) of cytochrome b gene was sequenced in five field voles from southern, western and northern Lithuania and two field voles from southern Belarus. In Lithuania, three new haplotypes were found: one of them joint to southern and western Lithuania; and two others, typical of northern Lithuania. All field voles from Lithuania belonged to the western mtDNA lineage. In Belarus, one new haplotype was found, which belonged to the eastern mtDNA lineage. Previous studies recorded only western mtDNA lineage in Belarus. The results obtained let us presume that the contact zone is located not only in Lithuania but also in Belarus and extends from east Lithuania to east Belarus.

Isoenzyme Analysis of Mouse-Like Rodents (Rodentia, Cricetidae)

Using the PAGE method, the analysis has been made of the genetic structure and variation of the Lithuanian populations of four mouse-like rodent species (Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus arvalis (sensu stricto), M. agrestis, M. rossiaemeridionalis) of family Cricetidae. In the article, primary data of the genetic analysis of the species investigated are presented, basic parameters of the genetic variation in the populations investigated (polymorphism, heterozygosity, number of alleles at locus, heterozygote deficit) given.