Application of radiotelemetry to the survey of acorn dispersal by <i>Apodemus</i> mice

Abstract

Abstract We examined the applicability of radiotelemetry to studies of acorn dispersal by Apodemus mice and compared its efficiency with the of this spool‐and‐line method. Installation of a transmitter (2.2 g) onto acorns did not interfere with the transporting and feeding behavior of the mice. We were able to detect all transmitter‐installed acorns and follow the daily changes in the sites in which they were hoarded, while we missed 59% of the spool‐tied acorns due to mice breaking the threads. Mice carried transmitter‐installed acorns farther than spool‐tied ones. The radiotelemetry method is superior to the spool‐and‐line method and useful for the study of hoarding behavior in rodents.