KEY WORDS: fl oodplain forest, small mammals, capture-mark-recapture, spatial association SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL MAMMAL POPULATIONS IN DRAVA

In the present study we examined the spatial distribution of the small mammals of a fl oodplain forest by River Drava based on a three-year live trapping (capture-mark-recapture). We registered the presence of 5 shrew and 5 rodent spe-cies between 2001 and 2003. Of them Apodemus agrarius, A. fl avicollis, Myodes glareolus and Sorex araneus were gen-erally typical in the region. In our examination striped fi eld mouse was the most frequently recorded species. Th e hab-itat use of the Apodemus species was equal, however the habitat use of bank vole was the opposite, preferring the area between the river and the dirt road. Th is indicates the spatial segregation of the bank vole and the two mouse species. Striped fi eld mice travelled greater distances than bank voles did. Yellow-necked mouse individuals covered signifi cantly greater movement distances than striped fi eld mice. As suggested by our study, the dirt road as a dividing line of the trapped forests had no barrier eff ect on the movements of individuals of the three rodent populations