Box and Bucket Camera Traps Yield Similar Detection Results for Small Terrestrial Mammals

Small terrestrial mammals are vital to ecosystems but receive less conservation attention than larger species. Camera trapping offers a non-invasive monitoring method but faces challenges in detecting small terrestrial mammals. We compared 3 camera-trap designs—open, box, and bucket—across 15 sites in Pennsylvania, deploying 45 cameras for 3375 trap nights. Box (n = 625) and bucket traps (n = 399) obtained significantly more images than open traps (n = 229) (P < 0.01). Open traps detected mice faster (1 median day to first detection, P < 0.01) but failed to detect voles or shrews. Box traps recorded the most mice (n = 537) and voles (n = 71), while bucket traps detected the most shrews (n = 23). Our findings highlight the effectiveness of enclosed designs in improving detection of small terrestrial mammals.