EFFICACY OF USING PASSIVE HAIR TRAPS FOR GENETIC SAMPLING A LOW DENSITY POPULATION OF THE EURASIAN BADGER MELES MELES IN THE STOBRAWA LANDSCAPE PARK (SOUTH-WESTERN POLAND).

Non-invasive genetic sampling has been increasingly used in studies of wild animal populations, although poor quality and quantity of the DNA samples can require repeated amplifications to obtain reliable genetic profiles of each individuals. Consequently, we performed a pilot study to test whether using wire hair traps and DNA genotyping could be a useful tool in estimating the abundance of a low-density population of the European badger (Meles meles) in Poland. We located thirteen badger main setts in different regions of the Stobrawa Landscape Park (south-western Poland) and collected hair DNA samples using non-invasive hair-trapping devices. Traps were placed above the setts' entrances and on badger paths. Sampling was performed during two seasons: autumn (15 October to 22 November 2010) and spring (28 April to 27 June 2011). Trapping effort, defined as the number of trap-nights needed to obtain one hair sample, was 47.6 in autumn and 55.65 in spring. In total we collected 156 hair samples, of which 72 were collected in autumn and 84 in spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]