Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2008 number 5

Quantitative characteristics of the mortality during the autumn and winter period were obtained for common, medium and small shrews (Sorex araneus, S. caecutiens, S. minutus) in the Tver District. The data accumulated during monitoring for 12 years at the permanent lines of live traps were used. An estimation of the relative and absolute numbers in autumn (October, November) and in spring (April) was made. For small shrew, a species with permanently low number, the losses are uniformly distributed from August to April and account for 40,1 % as an average. For common and medium shrews, during the whole period indicated, mortality was 89,3 and 73,6 %; in this situation, mortality during winter (November-April) accounts for 38,2 and 30,4 % of losses, respectively. The level of mortality during wintering depends on the maximal number of individuals in summer and on winter conditions.