Habitat selection by two species of small mammals in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil: Comparing results from live trapping and spool-and-line tracking

2010 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayme Augusto Prevedello ◽  
Renato Garcia Rodrigues ◽  
Emygdio Leite de Araujo Monteiro-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Line Tracking

scholarly journals Small mammal glucocorticoid concentrations vary with forest fragment size, trap type, and mammal taxa in the Interior Atlantic Forest

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Boyle ◽  
Noé U. de la Sancha ◽  
Pastor Pérez ◽  
David Kabelik
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Hair Shaft ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Trapping Methods ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractSpecies that live in degraded habitats often show signs of physiological stress. Glucocorticoid hormones (e.g., corticosterone and cortisol) are often assessed as a proxy of the extent of physiological stress an animal has experienced. Our goal was to quantify glucocorticoids in free-ranging small mammals in fragments of Interior Atlantic Forest. We extracted glucocorticoids from fur samples of 106 small mammals (rodent genera Akodon and Oligoryzomys, and marsupial genera Gracilinanus and Marmosa) from six forest fragments (2–1200 ha) in the Reserva Natural Tapytá, Caazapá Department, Paraguay. To our knowledge, this is the first publication of corticosterone and cortisol levels for three of the four sampled genera (Akodon, Oligoryzomys, and Marmosa) in this forest system. We discovered three notable results. First, as predicted, glucocorticoid levels were higher in individuals living withing small forest fragments. Second, animals captured live using restraint trapping methods (Sherman traps) had higher glucocorticoid levels than those animals captured using kill traps (Victor traps), suggesting that hair glucocorticoid measures can reflect acute stress levels in addition to long-term glucocorticoid incorporation. These acute levels are likely due to urinary steroids diffusing into the hair shaft. This finding raises a concern about the use of certain trapping techniques in association with fur hormone analysis. Finally, as expected, we also detected genus-specific differences in glucocorticoid levels, as well as cortisol/corticosterone ratios.

scholarly journals Microhabitat of small mammals at ground and understorey levels in a deciduous, southern Atlantic Forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 727-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
GERUZA L. MELO ◽  
BARBARA MIOTTO ◽  
BRISA PERES ◽  
NILTON C. CACERES
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Didelphis Albiventris

Each animal species selects specific microhabitats for protection, foraging, or micro-climate. To understand the distribution patterns of small mammals on the ground and in the understorey, we investigated the use of microhabitats by small mammals in a deciduous forest of southern Brazil. Ten trap stations with seven capture points were used to sample the following microhabitats: liana, fallen log, ground litter, terrestrial ferns, simple-trunk tree, forked tree, and Piper sp. shrubs. Seven field phases were conducted, each for eight consecutive days, from September 2006 through January 2008. Four species of rodents (Akodon montensis, Sooretamys angouya, Oligoryzomys nigripes and Mus musculus) and two species of marsupials (Didelphis albiventris and Gracilinanus microtarsus) were captured. Captured species presented significant differences on their microhabitat use (ANOVA, p = 0.003), particularly between ground and understorey sites. Akodon montensis selected positively terrestrial ferns and trunks, S. angouya selected lianas, D. albiventris selected fallen trunks and Piper sp., and G. microtarsus choose tree trunks and lianas. We demonstrated that the local small-mammal assemblage does select microhabitats, with different types of associations between species and habitats. Besides, there is a strong evidence of habitat selection in order to diminish predation.

scholarly journals Long-Term Trends in Small Mammals on a Right-of-Way in Pennsylvania, U.S.

2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-152
Author(s):  
Richard Yahner ◽  
Richard Yahner ◽  
Russell Hutnik
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Common Species ◽  
The State ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Right Of Way ◽  
Live Trapping ◽  
Long Term Trends

The State Game Lands 33 Research and Demonstration Area, Centre County, Pennsylvania, U.S., has been studied since 1953 with the objective of comparing the effectiveness of commonly used mechanical and herbicidal maintenance treatments on vegetation and wildlife on a right-of-way (ROW). Small mammals are important wildlife species on a ROW by consuming tree seeds, thereby reducing invasion of undesirable tree species, and these mammals are important components of a healthy ecosystem. As a follow up to a 2-year study of small mammals conducted 15 years earlier (1989 to 1990) on the State Game Lands 33 ROW, we initiated a 2-year live-trapping study in 2004 on small mammal populations on this ROW. The objectives of our study were to determine relative abundance and species richness (number of species) in six major cover types and in the adjacent forest. One hundred twenty-one individuals of eight species were observed in 2004 and 2005 combined; the most common species was the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). One of the most important cover types to small mammals on the ROW was forb-grass, whereas the forest cover type tended to be less diverse in terms of number of mammal species than in cover types on the ROW.

scholarly journals Richness, abundance, and mass in snake assemblages from two Atlantic Rainforest sites (Ilha do Cardoso, São Paulo) with differences in environmental productivity

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha ◽  
Helena Godoy Bergallo ◽  
Carla Fabiane Vera y Conde ◽  
Emerson Brum Bittencourt ◽  
Hilda de Carvalho Santos
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Total Mass ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Fruit Availability ◽  
Paulo State ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Capture Rates

We analyzed richness, composition and mass of snakes in two sites in the Atlantic forest of Ilha do Cardoso (25º 03' S and 47º 53' W), an island (22,500 ha), Cananéia municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. A monthly index of arthropod availability (in mm³) was estimated in each site through capture rates in pit-fall traps. Fallen fruits were collected along trails in the study sites (mass of fruit gave an index of fruit availability) and small mammals were sampled in grids with 120 traps which covered the lowland (5.2 ha) and in the slope forests (3.6ha). The abundance and mass of small mammals were standardized for the size of each sampled area (in g.ha-1). To sample snakes we established 20 pit-fall traps in each area and performed monthly transects in four consecutive days (totaling 1000 m long) along trails in the study sites. Snakes found were measured, weighted marked and released. Abundance and total mass of snakes were standardized by the size of each area. The areas differed consistently in in the productivity of arthropods, fruits and small mammals, and also in richness, composition and total mass of snakes. We found 36 individuals (total mass = 9884 g) of 12 snake species belonging to three Families (Colubridae, Elapidae and Viperidae) in the lowland forest, whereas in the slope forest we sampled only 9 individuals of 2 species (total mass = 1820 g). Our results suggest that the area of lowland forest, showing higher productivity of arthropods, fruits and small mammals, maintains a snake community with a higher richness, diversity and biomass than its slope forest counterpart.

Ticks on small mammals from an ecotone region impacted by rural activities in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 427-437
Author(s):  
Rafael Quirino Moreira ◽  
Vanessa Do Nascimento Ramos ◽  
Adriane Suzin ◽  
Diego Garcia Ramirez ◽  
Paulo Ricardo De Oliveira Roth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Tick Species ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Cerrado Biome ◽  
Didelphis Albiventris

We evaluated the role of communities of small mammals from three distinct areas in a region of Cerrado mixed with Atlantic Forest remains for maintenance of tick fauna. Thirty-nine marsupials (Gracilinanus agilis, n = 34; Marmosa paraguaiana, n = 4; Didelphis albiventris, n = 1) and 33 rodents (Oecomys cleberi, n = 10; Nectomys squamipes, n = 4; Calomys tener, n = 4; Hylaeamys megacephalus, n = 4; Akodon sp., n = 3; Rattus rattus, n = 3; Cerradomys subflavus, n = 2; Mus musculus, n = 2; Rhipidomys macrurus, n = 1) were captured. Solely G. agilis and the four rodent species (N. squamipes, R. macrurus, C. subflavus and Akodon sp.) were infested. Four tick species were collected (Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma sculptum, Ixodes loricatus and Ornithodoros mimon). A. dubitatum was the most abundant tick species on hosts. Capture success was higher in the dry season, but the infestation was similar in both seasons. Forested habitats, particularly riparian forests, resulted in higher number of hosts and ticks collected (from hosts and from vegetation), compared to pastures and anthropized sites. The association between C. subflavus and I. loricatus and between A. dubitatum and N. squamipes observed here is the first recorded in Cerrado biome. Areas with more patches of forest, including the Atlantic Forest fragments, tend to present a richest community of small mammals and associated ticks.

scholarly journals Small mammals of the Estação Ecológica de Bananal, southeastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil, with description of a new species of Brucepattersonius (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edson Fiedler de Abreu-Júnior ◽  
Alexandre Reis Percequillo
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Dental Morphology ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Intrapopulation Variation ◽  
Annotated List ◽  
A New Species

The Atlantic Forest harbors an impressive diversity of nonvolant small mammals. Despite having been the target of many ecological and taxonomical studies in the last decades, this group is still poorly known in several aspects – basic information on intrapopulational morphologic variation and proper diagnoses are lacking for many species, even for common taxa. This is related to the fact that large series of specimens from a single locality are extremely rare in scientific collections. A consistent sampling effort was conducted at Estação Ecológica de Bananal, northeastern São Paulo State, throughout seven field expeditions between 2003 and 2011, under the coordination of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, resulting in extensive series of nonvolant small mammals. We studied in detail the external and cranio-dental morphology of this sample (575 specimens), that we assigned to 31 known species besides one new species to science. Most species belong to order Rodentia (26 species) from the families Cricetidae (22 species) and Echimyidae (four species); the remaining (six species) are marsupials from the order Didelphimorphia, family Didelphidae. This is one of the most diverse assemblages ever recorded in this biome, and includes some of the rarest endemic rodents of the Atlantic Forest, such as Abrawayaomys ruschii, Blarinomys breviceps, Drymoreomys albimaculatus, Phaenomys ferrugineus, Phyllomys kerri and Rhagomys rufescens. This outstanding richness can be explained by the extensive sampling effort performed for a long period of time. Also, the capture success of the third expedition (8.25%) is among the highest rates obtained in the Atlantic Forest and the extensive use of pitfall traps was fundamental for trapping this high number of species. Herein, we provide an annotated list of nonvolant small mammals occurring at Estação Ecológica de Bananal, with comprehensive analyses of morphological variation and detailed diagnoses that will allow their proper identification, and will provide a sound basis for a better comprehension of the geographic variation of these taxa across the biome. We also present a formal description for a new species of Brucepattersonius from the mountain ranges along the Paraíba do Sul valley. For five species of sigmodontine rodents, we investigate the levels of ontogenetic and sexual variation, and while the first is accentuate in all analyzed species the second does not contribute significantly to intrapopulation variation.

Activity pattern of Atlantic Forest small arboreal mammals as revealed by camera traps

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (05) ◽  
pp. 563-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Gustavo R. Oliveira-Santos ◽  
Marcos A. Tortato ◽  
Maurício E. Graipel
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Activity Pattern ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Food Items

Even though the great majority of the biomass and diversity of mammals in tropical forests inhabit the canopy (Eisenberg & Thorington 1973), most knowledge of this group is based on forest-floor samples (Lowman & Moffett 1993). Studies that include trapping efforts in the canopy are becoming increasingly common (Grelle 2003, Lambertet al. 2005, Malcolm 1995, Pattonet al. 2000, Vieira & Monteiro-Filho 2003, Vosset al. 2001), but aspects on the ecology of arboreal small mammals still remain poorly understood. Many species of non-flying mammals co-occur in the canopy and, thus, are expected to use niche dimensions differently to permit coexistence (Cameronet al. 1979). Despite the difficulties of access to and in understanding the three-dimensional use of the arboreal strata by the different species (Emmons 1995), some studies have demonstrated that the differential use of the habitat (Cunha & Vieira 2002, Gentile & Fernandez 1999), of food items (Cácereset al. 2002, Santoriet al. 1995) or both (Leiteet al. 1996, Mauffrey & Catzeflis 2003), include strategies involved in the division of resources.

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