Small mammals of background areas in the vicinity of the Karabash copper smelter (Southern Ural, Russia)

The dataset contains records of small mammals (Eulipotyphla and Rodentia) collected on the background areas in the vicinity of the Karabash copper smelter (Southern Ural, Russia) and the territory of the Sultanovskoye deposit of copper-pyrite ores before the start of its development. Data were collected during the snowless period in 2007 (16 sampling points), 2008-2010 (13 points), 2011 (30 points), and 2012–2014 (19 points). The capture of animals was carried out in different types of forests (pine, birch, mixed and floodplain), sparse birch stand, swamp (reed, bogged), marshy and dry meadow, border areas, a dump of household waste, ruderal vegetation, and shift camp. Our studies of small mammals were conducted by trap lines (snap- and live-traps). During the study period, 710 specimens of small mammals were caught, which belong to 5 species of shrews and 13 species of rodents. The dataset can help study regional fauna, the species distribution in different habitats and be used as reference values for environmental monitoring and conservation activities. We have published several faunal and analytical works based on the materials collected in 2007 (Mukhacheva et al., 2009), in 2008–2010 (Kshnyasev et al., 2010; Mukhacheva et al., 2010a, 2010b; Mukhacheva, Davydova, 2012), in 2011 (Mukhacheva et al., 2012); and 2012–2014 (Mukhacheva, Davydova, 2016a, 2016b).