Using passive detection devices to monitor occupancy of ship rats (Rattus rattus) in New Zealand temperate rainforest
Reliable estimates of invasive pest mammal abundance and distribution in New Zealand are vital for effective conservation management of endangered native species. In this study, passive detection devices were used to monitor site occupancy by ship rats (Rattus rattus) in temperate rainforest in the Eglinton Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand. Ship rat occupancy was monitored on three grids of c. 100 ha each, containing 50 tracking tunnels spaced at 150-m intervals, for seven nights each in November 2004, January 2005 and March 2005.