Wild rodent trapping, tracking and sampling for genetics and gut microbiome, Silwood Park, Berkshire, November 2014 to November 2015

This data set is a combination of trapping data, tracking data and data on the genetic relatedness and gut microbiome composition of wild rodents caught in 2.3 ha study site in Nash’s Copse, Silwood Park, from November 2014 to November 2015. As part of a longer-term capture-mark-recapture study, three species of rodents were trapped with Sherman live-traps fortnightly for 12 months: wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and bank vole (Myodes glaerolus). Upon capture, they were measured, weighted, sexed, aged and a tissue sample and a faecal sample were collected from all mouse individuals for genetic and microbiome analyses. All rodents were released to their location of capture. First time each individual was captured, they were injected with a permanent subcutaneous identification Radio-Frequency Identification(RFID)-tag (Passive Integrated Transponde-tag). The tagged rodents were subsequently tracked with a set of custom-made tracking devices (loggers). Loggers produced dense time-stamped occurrence data suitable for inferring spatio-temporal activity patterns of rodents, such as temporal niches, home ranges and social networks. Tissue samples were used to genotype the wood mouse population and bacterial DNA extracted from faecal samples were used to profile their gut microbiome composition. This work was funded by a NERC independent Research Fellowship to Sarah Knowles (NE/L011867/1)

本数据集整合了2014年11月至2015年11月期间，在西尔伍德公园（Silwood Park）纳什林（Nash’s Copse）2.3公顷研究样地内捕获的野生啮齿类动物的诱捕数据、追踪数据，以及其遗传亲缘关系与肠道微生物组组成相关数据。作为一项长期捕获-标记-重捕研究的组成部分，研究团队采用谢尔曼活捕笼（Sherman live-traps）每两周对3种啮齿类开展为期12个月的诱捕工作，涉及物种分别为大林姬鼠（Apodemus sylvaticus）、黄颈姬鼠（Apodemus flavicollis）与棕背䶄（Myodes glaerolus）。捕获后，研究人员对所有个体进行测量、称重、性别鉴定与年龄判定，并采集组织样本与粪便样本，用于遗传与微生物组分析；所有啮齿类个体均被放归至捕获原位。个体首次被捕获时，将为其植入永久性皮下射频识别（Radio-Frequency Identification, RFID）标签（被动集成应答器标签，Passive Integrated Transponde-tag）。植入标签的啮齿类后续通过多台定制追踪设备（记录器）开展追踪，这些记录器可生成高密度带时间戳的出现数据，适用于推断啮齿类的时空活动模式，包括时间生态位、家域范围与社交网络。组织样本用于大林姬鼠种群的基因分型，而从粪便样本中提取的细菌DNA则用于解析其肠道微生物组组成。本研究由自然环境研究委员会（Natural Environment Research Council, NERC）独立研究奖学金资助给Sarah Knowles（项目编号：NE/L011867/1）