TERRESTRIAL SMALL MAMMAL DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE IN TAI NATIONAL PARK, COTE D'IVOIRE

A terrestrial small mammal species survey was carried out in the Tai National Park from March to June 2010, using Sherman's live traps and pitfall traps. The aim of the study was to determine the diversity and distribution of rodents and shrews in three different habitats: primary, secondary and swamp forests. During the study period, 263 terrestrial small mammals belonging to 17 species (six Soricidae species and eleven Muridae species) were captured out of 8,610 trap-nights. For Rodents, the most frequent species were Malacomys edwardsi (n = 76) followed by Hylomyscus simus (n = 53), Praomys rostratus (n = 51) and Hybomys planifrons (n = 27). For shrews, the most frequent species was Crocidura buettikoferi (n = 12) followed by Crocidura eburnea (n = 7). The species richness (S) and diversity index (H') were higher in the secondary forest (S = 15; H' = 2.12) than the ones of the primary forest (S = 10; H' = 1.79) and swamp forest (S = 8, H' = 1.74) respectively. In the primary forest, the population of terrestrial small mammals was dominated by four species: Malacomys edwardsi (n = 32), Praomys rostratus (n = 21), Hylomyscus simus (n = 15) and Hybomys planifrons (n = 13). In the secondary forest, Hylomyscus simus (n = 29), Malacomys edwardsi (n = 23) and Praomys rostratus (n = 18) were the most abundant. In swamp forest, the most abundant species were: Malacomys edwardsi (n = 21), Praomys rostratus (n = 12) and Hybomys planifrons (n = 11). Of the listed species, two species are worthy for conservation, C. buettikoferi (NT) and G. buntingi (DD), and ten were endemic to the Upper Guinea forests. These results confirm once again the important animal diversity of the Tai National Park, which harbours numerous species endemic to the Upper Guinea forests.