Small mammals play a role in plague transmission as hosts in all plague endemic areas.
Information on distribution and diversity of small mammals is therefore important for plague surveillance
and control in such areas. The objective of this study was to investigate small mammals’ diversity and their
distribution in plague endemic area in the West Usambara Mountains in north-eastern Tanzania. Landsat
images and field surveys were used to select trapping locations in different landscapes. Three landscapes
with different habitats were selected for trapping of small mammals. Three types of trap were used in
order to maximise the number of species captured. In total, 188 animals and thirteen species were
captured in 4,905 trap nights.
Praomys delectorum
and
Mastomys natalensis
both reported as plague hosts
comprised 50% of all the animals trapped. Trap success increased with altitude. Species diversity was higher
in plantation forest followed by shrub, compared to other habitats, regardless of landscape type. It would
therefore seem that chances of plague transmission from small mammals to humans are much higher
under shrub, natural and plantation forest habitats.
