In this respect, Skokholm provides an ideal natural laboratory for studying house mice.
Mouse miles resident drivers#
Commensal populations are often ephemeral and heavily influenced by anthropogenic influences like pest control, making it hard to track individuals over time and understand the drivers of fitness and population dynamics. Despite the vast array of knowledge and tools available for this species, detailed studies of house mice in the wild are usually complicated by their commensal lifestyle. House mice are well-established as the major mammalian model species in laboratory-based research – ‘lab mice’ are house mice. Unlike mainland house mice which are ‘commensal’ (living in close association with humans), mice on Skokholm have reverted to a more independent life, with many living on the cliffs, rocky outcrops and in the old drystone walls which cross-cross the island. Though the island is well-known for its seabirds and Observatory, the island also plays home to a large population of house mice ( Mus musculus), thought to have colonised the island in the late 1890s. Today, Skokholm is a nature reserve, with two wardens (Richard and Giselle) resident in all but the coldest winter months, and volunteers and researchers visiting regularly throughout the warmer month to study birds and enjoy the wildlife, scenery and seclusion.
Before the second world war, this ‘Dream Island’ was home to Ronald Lockley, a pioneering ornithologist who lived and researched on Skokholm for many years, with the island and its wildlife providing endless inspiration for his many well-known books. Skokholm is a small but stunning island, lying just a few miles off the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales.
0 kommentar(er)
