JP2012039919A - Nest box for small-sized gliridae animal - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a nest box for a small dormouse.
A small dormouse nest box comprising a plastic cylindrical body with a lid serving as a living space and a support member that supports the cylindrical body with the lid and has a passage connecting the living space and the outside.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a small lynx nest box, and more particularly to a dormouse nest box.

Rodentia rodent Gliridae is a nocturnal small mammal, and there are 8 species and 27 species of this species (Non-patent Document 1). The current situation is that there is little habitat and wild ecological data on the grass, and field surveys are needed to obtain this data.
In particular, the dormouse Glirulus japonicus (Non-patent Document 2) is an endemic species of one genus that inhabits only in Japan. It is also considered the oldest species of mammals from Japan. Although it depends on the forest, it is designated as a national natural monument in 1975 because it is feared that the environment of the habitat will deteriorate due to deforestation. It is also designated as a semi-endangered species (Non-patent Document 3). Yes.
A rare species of dormouse needs field surveys because there is not much ecological data in the field. Other dormouse animals need to be protected, and field surveys are required to obtain more habitats and field ecology data (Non-Patent Documents 4 to 7).

  By the way, most of the conventional nest boxes for outdoor observation have a box shape in which an opening is provided in the upper front portion so that small animals can enter and exit. For example, in a general nest box, the top plate of the nest box is hinged to the back plate, and by this hinge connection, the top plate moves up and down to open and close, and the inside of the nest box can be observed. A nest box like patent document 1 has provided the sliding door for observing the inside of a nest box in the front of the nest box.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-318261

Holden, M. E. (2005), The Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland. Vol.2 pp.819-841 Shigeyoshi Shimozumi (1943) Study on hibernation of Japanese dormouse Glirulus japonicus (SCHINZ) (5) On temperature and activity, Tokyo. Zoological Journal, 55 (5): 187-191 Ministry of the Environment. 2002. Revised, Japan's Endangered Wild Animals-Red Data Book-Mammals, Center for Natural Environment Research- Nakashima Fukuo (1993) Forest rare animal yamane, Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, Nagano. 191pp. Aki Sakusaku (2000) Do you know Yamane? ―Yamane Interesting Observations, Tsukiji Shoten, Tokyo. 126pp. Shibata Fumihito (2000) Yamane, Kawamichi Takeo, Kondo Nobuaki, Morita Tetsuo, Hibernate Mammals, The University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo. Pp.162-186 Shibata, F., Kawamichi, T. & Nishibayashi, K. (2004). Journal of Mammalogy, 85 (1): 30-37

In general, wooden box-type nest boxes are used for field surveys of small grasses. However, this wooden box-type nest box should be used by animals (eg, small rats such as gerbils and brown pigs) and insects (eg, mansions, earwigs, millipedes, mosses). Therefore, there is a problem in that it is impossible to efficiently obtain the ecological knowledge of the target small dormouse.
Here, the small dormouse animals to be subjected to the field investigation in the present invention are those having a body length of about 4 to 10 cm among the rodent Rodentia doraceae Gliridae as described above. Of these, European Dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius ) and Dormouse ( Glirulus japonicus ) (see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2) are preferable.

  Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a small nesting for dormouse.

Conventionally, the improvement of the nest box has been made aiming at a state close to the living environment in the field by applying as little stress as possible to the small animals to be surveyed in the field.
And the present inventors made various nest boxes of small scorpion animals, and as a result of field investigation of the utilization situation of small scorpion animals, surprisingly, even if the housing part of the nest box is made of plastic, the I found it to be used as a nest. Furthermore, by making the shape into a substantially cylindrical shape instead of the conventional substantially rectangular parallelepiped, there is almost no use of small animals other than small porpoises, so that it is possible to obtain a nest box exclusively used by small porpoises As a result, the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention is for a small dormouse animal comprising: a plastic cylinder with a lid that is a living space inside, and a support that supports the cylinder with the lid and has a passage connecting the living space and the outside. Provide a birdhouse.
The small dormouse nest box of the present invention can be used only by small dormouse animals and rarely used by other animals, so that ecological knowledge of small dormouse animals can be obtained. Since the covered cylinder is made of plastic and lightweight, the living part can be supported by a simple support.

In addition, it is preferable that the cylindrical body with a lid is connected to a support body through an opening / closing part.
It becomes possible to open and close the cylindrical body that is the living space. As a result, observation and investigation inside the living part can be easily performed, so that ecological knowledge of small dormouse animals can be obtained.

  Further, it is preferable that the support is provided with a support rod that is in contact with a lower portion of the cylinder with lid and supports the cylinder with lid. The support rod functions as a fastener for opening and closing the cylindrical body and also functions as a support member for the cylindrical body.

  Further, it is preferable that the passage is L-shaped and a slope is provided in the passage. By making the uphill so as not to become a burden until going to the living space, it is difficult for other animals, wind and snow, sunlight, etc. from the outside to enter the living space.

  According to the present invention, the ecological knowledge of the small grass family can be obtained efficiently, so that further ecological information can be accumulated for the preservation of this species.

It is a front view from the lid | cover direction of the small dormouse nest box concerning one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a small dormouse nest box according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the small dormouse nest box concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view in the state where the living part of the small dormouse nest box concerning one embodiment of the present invention was opened.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment described below shows an example of typical embodiment of this invention, and, thereby, the range of this invention is not interpreted narrowly.

  As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the small dormouse nest box 1 of this invention is comprised from the cylindrical body 2 with a lid | cover made of plastic, and the support body 3 which supports this.

The inside of the cylindrical body 2 with the lid is a living space 10 for small dormouse animals. In this space, small dormouse animals carry nest materials such as bryophytes and bark and rest.
Internal volume of the lidded cylinder 2 may be about 200～1000Cm ^3, preferably a 200~350cm ^3. Moreover, it is preferable that the diameter of the said cylinder body 2 with a lid | cover is 50-65 mm. The total length of the cylindrical body 2 with a lid in the longitudinal direction (from the lid to the opening) is preferably 100 to 120 mm.
The space inside the cylindrical body 2 with the lid may be partitioned into a plurality of partitions that allow each space to come and go.

It is preferable that the cylindrical body 2 with a lid is provided with an inclination in the direction of the support 3 or in the direction of the lid. In particular, it is preferable to provide the liquid in the living space of the lidded cylindrical body 2 so that the liquid flows to either one. For example, the inclination is preferably 1 to 4 degrees, more preferably 2 to 3 degrees, since discomfort due to the inclination can be reduced.
In addition, it is preferable to provide one or a plurality of holes (not shown) for draining water in the lower portion of the cylindrical body 2 with the lid. At least one of the holes is preferably provided near the lid.
Thereby, since it becomes possible to discharge | emit the liquid produced in living space, for example, rainwater and the excrement of the grass family, a comfortable living environment can be given to the grass family.

The material of the cylinder 2 with a lid is plastic. As a result, the processing of the nest box is facilitated, the nest box can be reduced in size and weight, the durability of the nest box is improved, and the nest box can be transported in large quantities.
Examples of the type of plastic include resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polystyrene, ABS, polylactic acid, and polycarbonate. Of these, polyvinyl chloride is preferable because it is excellent in cost performance and is not used by other animals but is exclusively used by small dormouse animals.

Here, it is a general idea that the material of the conventional nest box used for the field observation is made of wood so as to be close to the nest hole close to the outdoor environment of birds and small animals. However, as shown in the examples described later, even if a wooden box-type nest box is installed for field research of small grasses, small birds and gerbils occupy and breed. For this reason, field surveys of small grasses cannot be conducted sufficiently, and there is a possibility of further increasing the breeding ability of gerbils and so on. There was a problem that the adverse effects on the ecosystem were feared.
However, the present inventors have used the inside of a plastic cylinder as a living part for small dormouse animals, while the use of small birds and gerbils is small, that is, the plastic made of the present invention. It has been shown that a cylindrical nest box can be used for field surveys of small grasses. Therefore, the nest box of the present invention can be used exclusively for field investigations of semi-endangered small grasses for which sufficient knowledge has not been obtained, and has little impact on the forest ecosystem. It has an excellent advantage.

The lidded cylindrical body 2 may be formed by integrally molding a lid portion and a cylindrical portion by mold formation. Alternatively, it may be a combination of a cylindrical body that is open at both ends with a lid having a shape corresponding to the opening (see FIG. 2). At this time, the cylindrical body and the lid may be integrated by bonding with an adhesive or the like.
Here, most of the areas where small dormouse animals inhabit are mountainous areas. Moreover, since small dormouse animals change their resting places every day, it is desirable to prepare many nest boxes. For this reason, in the case of the latter combination type, the lid and the cylindrical body are disassembled and can be transported to a mountainous area where small dormouse animals inhabit, and a nest box can be easily produced on site. Considering that it is easy to carry by human power so as not to destroy the habitat of small dormouse animals, and that many nest boxes are required, the latter type that can be disassembled and assembled is a nest box for field research of small dormouse animals. Is preferred.
In addition, the cross-sectional shape with respect to the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical body 2 with a lid may be a substantially circular shape. The substantially circular shape includes a hexagon, an octagon or more polygon, an ellipse having a ratio of the maximum major axis to the minimum major axis of 1: 1.2 to 0.8, and the like.

The support 3 supports the lidded cylindrical body 2. Moreover, the said support body 3 is functioning also as a non-residential part.
It is only necessary that the support 3 is arranged so that the front surface of the support 3 is in contact with the opening of the cylindrical body 2 with a lid without a lid. At this time, it is preferable to fix one or a plurality of support rods 4 detachable to the support 3.
Here, it is preferable that the support rod 4 is disposed on the front surface of the support 3 so as to be in contact with the lower part of the cylindrical body 2 with the lid (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the support bar 4 is preferably arranged so as to contact the right and / or left diagonally lower side of the lid-covered cylindrical body 2 when viewed from the lid direction (front) (see FIG. 1). As a result, the cylindrical body 2 with a lid can be supported with a simple structure and the nest box can be easily assembled and disassembled.
In addition, it is preferable to provide one or a plurality of protrusions 5 on the outer periphery of the lidded cylindrical body 2 so that the protrusions 5 are in contact with the support bar 4 above and / or below. By providing the projection 5 at least below the support rod 4, the lid-equipped cylindrical body 2 serves as a lock so that the lid-less cylinder 2 cannot be easily opened. As an example, when the support rod 4 is provided in the lower left portion of the cylindrical body 2 in the left open / close-type cylindrical body 2 as viewed from the front, the protruding portion 5 is in contact with the lower portion of the support rod 4. Is provided in the cylindrical body 2 with the lid, and the opening of the cylindrical body 2 with the lid in the left direction due to wind or the like can be suppressed. In this way, it is advantageous to obtain the ecological knowledge of small grasses in field surveys by arranging the support rod 4 and the protrusion 5 in accordance with the opening and closing direction.

The support 3 is preferably connected to the support 3 via the opening / closing member 6 by the cylindrical body 2 with the lid. Thereby, the cylindrical body 2 with a lid can be opened and closed by drawing an arc around the opening / closing member 6. By opening the cylindrical body 2 with the lid, it is possible to observe the inside of the living space of the small grass, and by closing it, the living space of the small grass is reduced in influence from the outside environment (FIGS. 3 and 4). reference). Furthermore, it becomes easy to continuously observe the small dormouse animals inside the nest box without collecting the nest box or decomposing it.
The opening / closing member 6 can be arranged so that it can be opened / closed in any direction, but it is easy to observe if it is arranged so that it can be opened / closed in the left / right or up / down direction, preferably left / right. It is advantageous in that it can be performed.
The opening / closing member 6 may be any member that can open and close the cylindrical body with lid 2 and the support 3, and examples thereof include a hinge and a binding band.
Among these, a flexible binding band made of nylon or polypropylene is preferable. By using the binding band, the lidded cylindrical body 2 and the support 3 can be easily connected (see FIG. 2), and the binding band is excellent in portability, weather resistance, and strength. As a method for connecting with the binding band, for example, holes are provided in the opening portion of the lidded cylindrical body 2 and the portion of the support body 3 adjacent to the opening portion, and the tips of the binding band are provided in these holes. The cylindrical body 2 with the lid and the support body 3 are coupled together. Thereby, the said cylinder body 2 with a lid | cover can be fixed to the support body 3. FIG.
By providing the support bar 4 and the opening / closing member 6 in this way, the lidded cylindrical body 2 can be easily opened and closed, and the support bar 4 is locked when the lidded cylindrical body 2 is closed. Because it plays the role of, it can secure the safety and comfort of the residential part. On the other hand, when the cylindrical body 2 with the lid is opened, the lower part of the cylindrical body 2 with the lid can be placed on the support rod 4, so that the internal residential space can be easily observed.

  The three-dimensional shape of the support 3 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a rectangular parallelepiped, a cube, and a cylinder, but a rectangular parallelepiped is preferable because it can be easily fixed to a tree or the like. At this time, since the cylindrical body 2 with the lid is made of plastic, it is preferable from the viewpoint of further weight reduction that the planar shape of the front surface in contact with the cylindrical body 2 with the lid is substantially square.

The said support body 3 has the channel | path 11 which connects the said living space and the exterior inside (refer FIG. 2 and 3). The shape of the passage 11 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an L shape and a T shape. Among these, an L shape is preferable. In addition, it is preferable to provide a slope in the passage 11. This makes it difficult for other animals, rain and snow, sunlight, and the like from the outside to enter the living space.
One or a plurality of entrances to the outside of the passage 11 may be used. The arrangement of the doorway may be provided on any of the left and right side surfaces, the upper surface, the lower surface, the front surface, and the back surface in contact with the tree of the support 3, but it is provided on either the left or right side surface that can be easily formed in the nest box manufacturing process. Is preferred.
The size of the passage 11 is preferably a size that allows the dormouse to move easily. Specifically, the diameter of the passage is preferably 20 to 30 mm so that animals other than the dormouse family are difficult to enter. .

  The support 3 is preferably provided with a mounting hole 7 for fixing to a tree or the like in a field survey area (see FIG. 1). Since the small dormouse nest box of the present invention is lighter than the conventional nest box, it is sufficient to pass the wire through the mounting hole 7 and wrap it around the tree or the like at the site of fixing to the tree or the like. It can be fixed and can maintain its position for a long time without falling from a tree or the like (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  By constructing the small dormouse nest box of the present invention, the small dormouse animals come and go through the passage 11 and rest in the living space 10. It is possible to observe this resting state and a resting trace by opening and closing the lidded cylindrical body 2. In this way, field surveys of small grasses are possible, and more ecological knowledge can be obtained.

  Specific examples will be described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

<Production of investigation birdhouse>
Two types, a vinyl chloride resinous nest box (hereinafter abbreviated as a PVC pipe nest box) and a wooden nest box for birds (hereinafter abbreviated as a wooden nest box) shown in FIG. 3 were used.
The PVC pipe nest box was manufactured as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 by combining a polyvinyl chloride resin pipe and cap for drainage, a South Sea wood (white wood), bamboo chopsticks, and a plastic binding band. Cut the pipe and south seawood to a suitable length with a cutting machine, and make a nest hole in the south sea wood with a tabletop drilling machine that makes the entrance L-shaped, and a hole for attaching a binding band / bamboo chopsticks and attaching to a tree. Assembled. Three different sizes of pipe and cap, PVC tube nest box with a capacity of 500 cm ³ and weight 300 g (large), PVC tube nest box with a capacity of 350 cm ³ and weight 250 g (medium), PVC tube nest box with a capacity of 200 cm ³ and weight 200 g (Small) was produced.
A wooden birdhouse was assembled from a commercially available birdhouse (birdhouse C assembly kit YS500K, cedar wood, wooden box shop dotcom), and had a volume of 2,520 cm ³ and a weight of 600 g. In order to make it difficult for birds to use, the doorway in front of the nest box was covered with wood and a 3 cm hole was made in the back of the nest box.

<Survey site overview>
The survey of the dormouse ( Glirulus japonicus ) was conducted by the 1-4 forest groups (about 190ha) of the Kawakami Exercise Forest, managed by the University of Tsukuba Agricultural and Forestry Technology Center in Gojohei, Kawakami-mura, Minamisaku-gun, Nagano Prefecture. I went for months.
In addition, we conducted a survey of the dormouse in Yatsugatake training forest managed by the University of Tsukuba Agricultural and Forestry Technology Center. However, the number of captures of dormouse was almost 10 times higher, so we omitted the survey results of the upstream training forest. It is shown in 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Small dormouse nest box 2 Cylindrical body 3 with a lid 3 Support body 4 Support bar 6 Opening and closing member 10 Living space 11 Passage

Claims (4)

A cylindrical body with a plastic lid that is the interior space,
A small dormouse nest box comprising a support body that supports the cylindrical body with a lid and has a passage that connects the living space and the outside.   The nest box for small dormouse animals according to claim 1, wherein the support is connected to the cylindrical body with a lid through an opening / closing member.   The small dormouse nest box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support body includes a support bar that is in contact with a lower portion of the cylindrical body with the lid and supports the cylindrical body with the lid.   4. The small dormouse nest box according to claim 1, wherein the passage is L-shaped and a slope is provided in the passage.

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