The Merriam Mouse, for instance, requires mesquite and scattered brush in low elevation desert. The Bushy- tail Wood Rat is restricted to high mountains where it lives among rock slides, pines, and at the edge of cliffs. The California Vole specializes in marshy ground. This is a touchy subject. On the other hand, you'll never know or even believe what wonderful little critters these animals are if you don't experience them yourself.
Different traps work for different animals.
Some cheese, nuts, or other bait is placed in the back of the bottle. When the critter enters the bottle and passes toward the back, the bottle tips off the table. A string on the bottle keeps it dangling so that the opening remains up top, theoretically out of the rodent's reach. When the animal passes onto the ruler to get the bait, the ruler and animal together tumble into a tall trash can placed below. The trash can should be waist high, for many rodents jump very well, and the sides should be smooth to prevent climbing out.