Date: 28/05/2021
Author:
Download Protocol DNA sampling muskrat tail as pdf document
One of the components of the Life MICA program is DNA mapping. The aim is to visualize the migration routes of muskrats. The presence of muskrats has been mapped from Febryary 2020 – January 2021.
The current populations of Friesland and an area of 20 km around Friesland including Noord-Holland Noord are analyzed. For this purpose, in each atlas block (5 by 5 km) an attempt was made to catch 3 muskrats: a male, a female and a juvenile. A genetic profile is made of all these muskrats. These genetic profiles are with each other. The aim is to establish the family relationships of the captured animals from which migration routes can then be distilled.
The results are expected in the last quarter of 2021. Immediately afterwards, smart camara traps are placed along the migration routes to detect migrating muskrats.
Samples will be collected again in Friesland in 2022.