Inventory of Mammals at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

Kennedy, Michael; Jennings, Jason; LaMountain, Heidi

An inventory of the mammals at Fort Donelson National Battlefield (FDNB) in Stewart County, Tennessee, was conducted during 2004-2007. Sampling procedures included live trapping, pitfall trapping, bait/camera stations, scent stations, mist netting, spotlight surveys, and general observations. Thirty species, representing 7 orders and 13 families, were verified to occur on the site. Results reflected the presence of 2 species of shrews (northern short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda; least shrew, Cryptotis parva), 1 species of mole (eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus), 11 species of rodents (eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus; woodchuck, Marmota monax; gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis; beaver, Castor canadensis; white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus; cotton mouse, P. gossypinus; hispid cotton rat, Sigmodon hispidus; prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster; woodland vole, M. pinetorum; muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus; and southern bog lemming, Synaptomys cooperi). Other species documented included: Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), coyote (Canis latrans), domestic dog (C. familiaris), raccoon (Procyon lotor), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), bobcat (Lynx rufus), feral cat (Felis catus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Bats documented included: northern myotis (Myotis steptentrionalis), gray bat (M. grisescens), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis), and eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus). One endangered species (gray bat) and 1 species (southern bog lemming) listed as deemed in need of management were recorded during the survey. Considerations for conservation and management of biodiversity are provided.

Inventory of Mammals at Fort Donelson National Battlefield

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