Attempted Predation of Live-captured Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) by Strix varia (Barred Owl) and Buteo jamaicensis (Red-tailed Hawk) in Kentucky

Makayla E. Beckner^1,*, Karen E. Powers², and Luke E. Dodd¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475. ²Department of Biology, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 30, Issue 3 (2023): N48–N53

Abstract
We documented multiple attempted predation events of Neotoma magister (Allegheny Woodrat) by Strix varia (Barred Owl) and Buteo jamaicensis (Red-tailed Hawk) using camera traps paired with live-traps. Given our observations, the life histories of these predators and how they relate to Allegheny Woodrats needs to be further investigated. Pairing passive monitoring tools with live-trapping efforts will not only improve the safety and efficacy of live-trapping practices, but can also elucidate temporal activity patterns of study species and provide natural history observations as outlined here.

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