Species composition,abundance and habitat association of rodents and insectivores from Chilalo–Galama Mountain range,Arsi, Ethiopia

A study on the ecology of rodents and insectivores on Mount Chilalo and the Galama Mountain range was conducted during August, 2007–April, 2008. Study grids were marked in nine randomly selected habitats. Sherman live traps and snap traps were used to capture the small mammals. A total of 2525 (including recaptures) individual rodents and insectivores were captured in 5488 (Sherman) and 1590 (snap) trap‐nights. Among the live‐trapped animals, 2037 (96.2%) and 80 (3.8%) were rodents and insectivores, respectively, that comprised 17 species. These were as follows: Arvicanthis abyssinicus, Arvicanthis blicki, Arvicanthis dembeensis, Lophuromys flavopunctatus, Lophuromys melanonyx, Mastomys natalensis, Mus mahomet, Otomys typus, Rattus rattus, Stenocephalemys albipes, Stenocephalemys albocaudata, Stenocephalemys griseicauda, Crocidura glassi, Crocidura flavescens and Crocidura thalia. Tachyoryctes splendens and Hystrix cristata were sighted but not captured. Endemics to Ethiopia constituted 60% of the trapped small mammals. Lophuromys flavopunctatus was the most abundant and widely distributed rodent species, while M. mahomet was the least. The altitudes between 3301 and 3400 m asl had the highest species composition and abundance although it is second in number of catches per trap‐nights. The majority of rodents and insectivores were associated with montane forest habitat, whereas the least were in the shrubland. Anthropogenic effects were witnessed affecting the distribution of small mammals.