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Since 1957, zoologists of the Kharkiv Sanitary and Epidemiological Station have been conducting annual monitoring of small mammals in Kharkiv Oblast. To assess the current state of populations of mouse-like rodents and shrews, we analysed a dataset for the period from 2000 to 2018. The small mammal fauna was studied at 117 sites in 27 districts (raions) of Kharkiv Oblast. Various types of oak forests, dry and floodplain meadows, riparian vegetation, steppe areas, forest stripes, gardens, fields, and haystacks were examined. Four species of insectivores and 16 species of mouse-like rodents were identified. The dominant and widespread species in the region are Sylvaemus uralensis, Apodemus agrarius, Sorex araneus, Microtus levis, Myodes glareolus, and Sylvaemus tauricus. Some species are less common and in some areas of the region have not yet been identified, including Sorex minutus, Sylvaemus sylvaticus, Crocidura suaveolens, Micromys minutus, Cricetulus migratorius, and Microtus oeconomus. The least common species with single records include Neomys fodiens, Mus spicilegus, Lagurus lagurus, Terricola subterraneus, Dryomys nitedula, and Arvicola amphibius. Indigenous species of the region include seven species, another seven species are those that increased their number and range, three species have recently appeared in the region due to dispersal from adjacent territories, while, on the contrary, the abundance and range of three species have declines. Microtus oeconomus is characterised by a current southward range expansion. Myodes glareolus, which was mentioned in the last century north of our region, is now widely distributed throughout the region and further south. Lagurus lagurus is an invasive species with periodic population outbreaks in the region and currently is rarely recorded.

For many years, research on the species composition of small mammals and monitoring of their abundance on the basis of Donetsk biostation (Zmiyiv district Kharkiv region) have been conducted by students of Kharkov University during summer practice and by employees of the Kharkiv Regional Sanitary-Epidemiological Station. Despite the large amount of accumulated data, recent research did not cover the whole range of habitats typical for this area and, accordingly, modern ideas about the small mammals of these places are extremely incomplete. During 2017–2018, 10 types of habitats were investigated including different types of oak forests, meadows, forest edges, and agricultural lands. Subsequently, 9 species of mouse-like rodents and 3 species of insectivores were recorded, among which Sylvaemus tauricus, Myodes glareolus, Apodemus agrarius, and S. uralensis dominated. Using the method of trapping by vertical cylinders, the species Neomys fodiens was first recorded for the studied territory and Terricola subterraneus, which has not happened here for the past 10 years. It is worth noting that the T. subterraneus avoided getting into the traps of Hero, which were repeatedly placed near its colonies. Sylvaemus uralensis was noted only in floodplain biotopes and did not occur in the oak forests. For some species, in particular, the Myodes glareolus and Sorex araneus, their migration to wetter habitats is indicated in the summer. The largest species of small mammals is noted on the meadows surrounded by the oak forests, if they have not been systematically disposed of. In the summer, the largest share of caught individuals was recorded in agrocenoses, in particular, especially in crops of early grain crops. A rather low number of caught specimens is noted on the edges of the oak forests, which border on the floodplain meadows — there are mainly two types of mouse — Sylvaemus tauricus and S. sylvaticus. Results suggest a significant decline in the abundance of small mammals in 2018 compared to previous year, which was manifested by the complete lack of caught individuals in the spring and a slight increase in numbers in the second half of 2018.