DOI: 10.48443/64q9-hy64
title: Rodent pathogen status, tick-borne (DP1.10064.002)
title: RELEASE-2026

description: This data product contains the quality-controlled, native sampling resolution data from NEON's testing of blood and ear samples from individual small mammals for tick-borne pathogens. Small mammal blood samples were tested for hantaviruses from 2014-2019 and those data can be found in the Rodent pathogen status, hantavirus data product (DP1.10064.001). This data product begins in 2020 with a focus on tick-borne diseases found in rodent tissues (blood and ear). The blood and ear samples are collected as part of the mark-recapture, box trapping effort for small mammals (i.e., rodents (Rodentia) < 600 grams), with the field capture results available separately via the Small mammal box trapping data product (DP1.10072.001). Small mammals are sampled at regular intervals by NEON field technicians. Blood and ear samples are collected from individuals of target species of rodents, including all species in the families Cricetidae, Muridae, and Dipodidae. Blood samples are collected up to once per bout, only when an individual weighs more than 10 grams and is in good physical condition. Ear samples that are approximately 2mm in diameter are collected once over the lifetime of an individual. In a typical year, only a subset of blood and ear samples collected will be tested, up to approximately 140 samples per NEON site, with the remaining samples archived. The sample identifiers for the ear and blood samples allow users to link the pathogen test results provided in this data product to the field collection information, including taxonomic identification of the capture, to the Small mammal box trapping data product (DP1.10072.001). For additional details, see the user guide, protocols, and science design listed in the Documentation section in this data product's details webpage.

Latency:

The expected time from data and/or sample collection in the field to data publication is as follows, for each of the data tables (in days) in the downloaded data package. See the Data Product User Guide for more information.

rpt2_pathogentesting:  270

rpt2_pathogenqa: 30
description: Small mammal sampling is based on the lunar calendar, with timing of sampling constrained to occur within 10 days before or after the new moon. Sites are typically, sampled 4 times per year, when season-length allows. Small mammals are sampled using box traps (models LFA, XLK, H.B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahassee, FL, USA). Box traps are arrayed in four to six (depending on the size of the site) 10 x 10 grids with 10m spacing between traps at all sites.  Blood samples for pathogen testing are collected only once per individual per sampling bout, but an individual may be resampled in subsequent bouts. Ear samples are collected once per lifetime of the individual. Rodent pathogen status data are typically only collected on three of the mammal trapping grids at each site, with these grids designated as 'pathogen grids'. Pathogen grids are trapped for three consecutive (or nearly) nights per sampling event to facilitate the generation of robust density estimates. The remaining grids, 'diversity grids' are only sampled for one night per sampling event. Once a grid has been designated as a pathogen grid (after an initial assessment period of two years), that classification will apply for all subsequent trapping seasons for consistent, long-term data collection. Data from samples collected in 2020 represent a pilot study with results for 5 sites (HARV, SCBI, TREE, KONZ and ORNL) to determine the optimal tissues and sample sizes for testing for each pathogen type. Data from samples collected in 2021 and after will be returned for all sites included in the study area description below. Instrumentation: