Bacteria of the Key Largo woodrat and their natural and supplemental nests

Supplemental nests are often used to restore habitats for a variety of rare and endangered taxa. However, though they mimic the function of natural nests, they vary in design and construction material. We know from previous research on human buildings that these differences in architecture can alter the types of microbes to which inhabitants are exposed, and these shifts in microbial interactions can be detrimental for individual health and well-being. Yet, no one has tested whether bacterial communities in supplemental structures are distinct from those found in natural nests. Here we sampled the bacteria from inside supplemental nests of the endangered Key Largo woodrat (Neotoma floridana smalli). We then compared the diversity and composition of those bacteria to the bacteria collected from natural stick-nests and the surrounding forest environment in Key Largo, Florida. In addition, we sampled woodrat bodies to assess the microbiota of nest inhabitants.