The
project ‘Petits mammifères de Bamako’ conducted by the Institute of Rural Economy (IER) and IRD between 2021 and 2024, aimed to
characterize the communities of commensal small mammals in the city of Bamako (Mali, West Africa) and its surrounding areas. Several trapping campaigns were first carried out across different quarters of Bamako and then extended to peripheral districts located in neighboring municipalities in a second phase continuing beyond 2024.
These data collected revealed that Mus musculus (house mouse), Rattus rattus (black rat) and Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) dominate the small mammal communities in central districts of Bamako. These three species are considered among the worst invasive alien species because of their extensive geographic spread and their significant ecological, economic and public health impacts. Introduced into West Africa during the colonial period, they spread inland from the Atlantic coast, through the expansion of transportation network and the growth of commercial trade.
Complementing a previously published dataset covering 14 districts in downtown Bamako (
https://doi.org/10.23708/UBPRJ5), the present dataset consists of results from small mammal sampling campaigns conducted across 8 peripherals districts of Bamako city. Monitoring these peripheral districts, where exotic rodents remain only marginally established, provides a valuable opportunity to document their ongoing spatial expansion within the city and its surrounding areas, and to evaluate their potential impacts on native small mammal communities.
The 8 study districts are located on both sides of the Niger River. As for central urban districts, they were selected to reflect the diversity of Bamako’s urban landscape and habitat heterogeneity. Trapping sessions were conducted in commensal environments, including residential buildings (bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, storage rooms, etc.) and workplaces (workshops, flour mills, food shops, offices, classrooms, etc.) over 5 consecutive nights in each district. Two complementary types of live traps were used: locally-manufactured wire-mesh traps (8.5 x 8.5 x 26.5 cm) and Sherman folding box traps (H.B. Sherman Traps, Inc., Tallahasse, Floride, USA) (8 x 9 x 23 cm). During each trapping session, one trap of each type was baited with a slice of onion coated with peanut butter and placed in every room. Each room where a trap was placed was georeferenced and characterized according to several variables, including room type, food availability, and the construction materials of floor, wall and ceiling. Captured animals were collected early in the following morning, and traps were reset in the evening for the next trapping night.
Overall, thes dataset represents a trapping effort of 7,433 trap nights and includes 835 captured small mammals. Rodents accounted for 74,73% (n = 624) of captures, and were represented by seven species: Arvicanthis ansorgei, Cricetomys gambianus, Mastomys natalensis, Mus musculus, Proamys daltoni, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus. The remaining 25,27% (n = 211) consisted of insectivores (Atelerix albiventris and Crocidura olivieri). (2026-05-26)
