Expanding the frontiers of camera-trapping in Colombia: application of the “Mostela” system to gain knowledge on small non-volant mammals from an Andean cloud forest

Abstract Recently, the Mostela system emerged as an expansion of camera trapping to gain new insights into the assemblages of small-sized and cryptic mammals. Despite being an established technique to study the natural history and ecology of rodents, shrews and small carnivores in Europe, its potential in tropical areas remains unexplored. We present the results of a pilot hybrid survey with conventional trail cameras and Mostelas conducted in a private protected area situated in the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia. We installed eight Mostelas paired with an external trail camera 550 m apart from each other from May to October 2022 in the Mesenia-Paramillo Nature Reserve. The Mostelas recorded two species of small carnivores, the threatened and unknown Colombian weasel (Neogale felipei), and the Long-tailed weasel (Neogale frenata), including several small rodents and marsupials. Mostelas captured a larger proportion of small non-volant mammals that could at least be identified to genus level compared to conventional trail cameras. We found that using baits inside Mostelas yielded a greater number of detections and richness compared to surveys not using them. Finally, we encourage the use of this hybrid system to improve the monitoring of poorly known small non-volant mammals in the Andean cloud forests.