Study

Wildlife use of nest boxes in eastern Tennessee

  • Published source details Fowler L.J. & Dimmick R.W. (1983) Wildlife use of nest boxes in eastern Tennessee. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 11, 178-181.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Provide artificial dens or nest boxes on trees

Action Link
Terrestrial Mammal Conservation
  1. Provide artificial dens or nest boxes on trees

    A study in 1977–1980 in a range of agricultural, woodland and suburban areas across two counties in Tennessee, USA (Fowler & Dimmick 1983) found that nest boxes were used by eastern gray squirrels Sciurus carolinensis, southern flying squirrels Glaucomys volans and occasionally opossums Didelphis virginianus. Over three years, gray squirrels were detected in 4–34% of boxes in agricultural sites, 0–19% in woodland and 12–49% in suburban areas. Southern flying squirrels were detected in 0–6% of boxes in agricultural sites, 0–26% in woodland and 0–9% in suburban areas. Opossums were detected only in 2% of boxes in suburban sites during the winter of one year. In 1977, one hundred and fifty wooden nest boxes were erected. Fifty were installed across an unstated number of agricultural sites (at a density of 1 box/1.4 ha), fifty were installed across three woodland sites (1 box/2.0 ha) and fifty were installed across three suburban areas around one city (1 box/2.5 ha). Boxes were 48 cm high, had a 7.6-cm diameter entrance hole and were nailed 4.6–6.1 m high on trees. They were inspected during March-June (spring) and December-February (winter) from 1978 and 1980.

    (Summarised by: Ricardo Rocha)

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