Ournal of Pplied Cience and Nvironmental Anagement

A study of the abundances of small mammals was conducted in Idu, Uruan L.G.A of Akwa Ibom State Nigeria from April to December 2013. Indirect and direct methods for the observation of small mammals were employed in the area under study. A total of 36 individuals, consisting of 3 Orders (Rodentia, Carnivora and Pholidota) and 7 families of small mammals were encountered. The most abundant was Thryonomys swinderianus with a percentage of 63.88 followed by Rattus rattus 16.66, Cricetomys gambianus 8.33 while Crossarchus obscurus, Atherurus africanus, Xerus erythropus and Manis tricuspis accounted for 2.77 respectively. The Thryonomys swinderianus had the highest body mass of 3.9kg while, Manis tricuspis has the highest body length of 79.9cm.. The abundance and diversity index of small mammal encountered were low and this may be attributed to deforestation, habitat loss, hunting and other anthropogenic activities in the study area. There is therefore a great need for conservation and management practices to protect these vulnerable mammals and their habitats. © JASEM http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jasem.v19i1.9 Introduction Small mammals are the most diverse group of mammals and account for more than half of the total mammalian fauna in any given area (Vieira and de Moraes, 2006; Walker et al., 2007; Napolitano et al., 2008). Their success is probably due to the fact that they have small body size, short breeding cycle, and the ability to gnaw and eat wide variety of food (Reuben et. al., 2013). Small body size enables them to adapt to wide range of macrohabitats such as caves, tree tops (nests), hollows on tree, burrowing etc. Iyawe (1989), reported a total of 392 species of small mammal belonging to five families of rodent and four families of Shrews in Ogba forest reserve in Nigeria. Also, Anadu (2006), reported 75% of rodents and 22% of shrews (small mammals) of the total population of mammals in the Montane forest of Obudu plateau in Cross River State, Nigeria. However, emphasis has been placed on the small mammal species probably because they serve as integral part to the success of terrestrial (forest) ecosystem. For example Rabinowitz and Walker (1991) reported that Rodents and Shrews are characterized by high productivity rates, they served as vital food sources for a large number of mediumsized predators such as mongooses (Herpestes spp.), civets (Nandinia spp.), raptors likes owls (Strix spp.), goshawks (Accipiter spp.) and some reptiles like snakes (e.g Python regius) (Reuben et. al., 2013). They are therefore a very important link in flow of energy in the food chain of degraded forest ecosystem. Small mammals are widely distributed to nearly all terrestrial ecosystem, in semi-arid or arid areas (Kerley and Erasmus, 1992; Francis et al., 2014). Small mammals’ distribution and abundance are influenced by factors such as nature and density of vegetation, climate condition, disease predation and habitat exploitation by humans (Vieira and de Moraes, 2006). Above all, small mammals are good bio-indicators of environmental condition due to their rapid turnover rate, high biotic potential; ability to invade reclaimed areas and sensitivity to environmental disturbance (Happold, 1979). Beside these aforementioned ecological functions, the local people utilize mammals for various ethnological purposes such as folk medicine and for food. With greater acceptance of bush meat in Nigeria urban centres and prevailing poverty in rural areas, hunting has become an all-comers affair. The consumption in Akwa Ibom state has rendered almost any wildlife species liable to be consumed – whether small or large-sized, rare or endangered, protected by international convention, customary taboos or not (Egwali, 2007). As a result of the pressure mounted on the small mammals and their fragmented and shrinking territories, this study was undertaken to contribute to already existing record on the abundance of small mammals in Akwa Ibom state. It will further provide a checklist of the small mammals fauna occurring within the Idu area of the state, determine their distribution and abundance as well as morphometric