Population Responses of Peromyscus leucopus and Blarina brevicauda to Emergence of Periodical Cicadas

-Periodical cicadas emerged in W-central Indiana in summer 1987, presenting forest-dwelling small mammals with an extremely abundant food supply. Population densities of white-footed mice Peromyscus leucopus did not increase in the year of cicada emergence compared with 7 yr without cicadas. However, the number of short-tailed shrews Blarina brevicauda increased by more than four-fold in the year of superabundant food.