One of the components of the Life MICA program is DNA mapping. Here the migration routes of muskrats are visualized. The presence of muskrats has now been mapped until May.
This year, the current populations of Friesland and an area of 20 km around Friesland, including North Holland north, will be analyzed. In each atlas block (25 km2) we try to catch 3 muskrats: a male, female and juvenile. A genetic profile is made of all these muskrats. This profile is compared to the profile of the other muskrats. The aim is to establish the family relationships of the captured animals.
Collecting samples
Samples are now collected in the study areas. On this basis we can determine the migration and migration routes of the muskrats. Wageningen University will carry out these analyzes from February 2021.
Time schedule
The results of the study will be known at the end of 2021. With these results, smart camera traps will be set up along the migration routes in 2022 and 2023. Traps will be placed based on the observations made by these cameras.
Overview of the collected samples until April 2020
