Habitat use, richness, and abundance of native mice in the highlands of the Talamanca mountain range, Costa Rica

Researchers found that native mice, particularly the species Peromyscus nudipes, are significantly more abundant and diverse in montane forests compared to paramo habitats within the Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves. The study, conducted across four microhabitats—paramo-bush, paramo-Chusquea, montane forest-bush, and montane forest-Chusquea—revealed that the more complex vegetation structure of montane forests provides better conditions for mice, offering greater diversity in food resources and shelters. P. nudipes accounted for 85% of all captures, highlighting its dominance in these ecosystems. The findings underscore the importance of habitat structure in shaping rodent abundance and richness, contributing valuable insights to conservation efforts in biodiversity hotspots like Costa Rica's highlands.

Ramírez-Fernández, J. D., Barrantes, G., Sánchez-Quirós, C., & Rodríguez-Herrera, B. (2023). Habitat use, richness, and abundance of native mice in the highlands of the Talamanca mountain range, Costa Rica. Therya, 14(1), 49–54. https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-23-2227