Souris & Area Branch of the PEI Wildlife Federation
Activities
Muskrat Research
According to harvest records and anecdotal reports from trappers, muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations on Prince Edward Island have been declining for the past decade. This trend was concerning both for trappers and wildlife biologists, who identified a need for a comprehensive study to explore the issue.
This study was commissioned in September of 2008, a collaborative project involving the University of Prince Edward Island Biology Department, the Atlantic Veterinary College Department of Pathology and Microbiology, the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, the Prince Edward Island Trappers Association, and the Prince Edward Island Department of Environment, Energy, and Forestry. The research is being conducted by Garry Gregory, a graduate student at UPEI, and a member of the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlfie Federation.
The potential factors contributing to this perceived decline are many, and include predation, disease, and habitat contamination. Research has combined laboratory examinations of muskrat carcasses and field work in muskrat habitat to explore the role of these factors. Important parameters such as population structure and reproductive output have also been investigated. Future work includes surveying bald eagle nests for muskrat remains, as well as analyzing muskrat liver tissues for a variety of contaminants. The results of this study will be available in the fall of 2010, and it is expected that these findings will be incorporated into management decisions aimed at restoring muskrat populations to traditional levels.
Souris & Area Branch PEI Wildlife Federation's Muskrat Research photoset
Copyright Souris Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation
All pictures appearing on this site or its associated flickr account are the property of the photographers and the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation. They may not be copied without permission of the photographer and the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation.
Copyright 