A camera trap survey of vertebrate animal interactions with pre-existing burrows in the Mojave Desert, California, USA

The Mojave Desert, located in Southern California, USA, is characterized by its unique flora and fauna, including vertebrate animal species that regularly interact with burrows that occur across the landscape. This study aimed to investigate and capture these interactions through a camera trap survey conducted in the Mojave Desert. Camera traps were strategically deployed at sites with both burrows and foundational shrubs present to observe how vertebrate animals utilized these features. The survey focused on documenting occurrences and interactions between vertebrate animal species and burrows, as well as the relationships between sites with varying levels of shrub density. A total of n=12 camera traps were deployed from July 1st, 2023, to July 31st, 2023.