Most nature documentation these days is done electronically through the submission of sightings and photographs. But in earlier times, it frequently meant collecting and cataloging actual specimens. In this semi-regular series, we’ll uncover some of these older artifacts.
The Daniel Smiley Research Center at Mohonk Preserve in New York maintains an active and extensive collection of long-term research data, including 86 years of natural and cultural history observations and 123 years of daily weather data. The specimen catalog includes 139 mammals, 107 birds, 140 butterflies, 400 arthropods, and over 3,000 plants.
The mammal collection includes four specimens of the gray-squirrel-sized Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister), the second largest North American rat. The preferred habitat of these nocturnal vegetarians is within talus boulder fields. Daniel Smiley, Jr. compiled numerous reports of trapped Allegheny woodrats and/or scat within the vicinity of Mohonk from the 1930s through the 1970s, and he was the first in the state to notice their population decline. By 1987, Allegheny woodrats were considered extirpated in New York State. Mohonk’s historic woodrat data was used in a 1993 Department of Environmental Conservation study that looked into the population decline. Researchers released 30 radio-collared woodrats around Mohonk, all of which were found to be dead within a year of release. The primary cause of death was found to be raccoon roundworm (Balyisascaris procyonis).
The Daniel Smiley Research Center is currently embarking on a multi-year digitization effort. High-resolution images, along with transcribed label data, will be uploaded to online open-access databases, which will improve accessibility for research, education, and outreach.