Fotos: Cryptonanus guahybae

Originalmente pensávamos que esse animal era um Gracilinanus microtarsus, mas posteriormente um membro do Museu de Zoologia da Ulbra viu a foto e disse que se tratava de um Cryptonanus guahybae. Fui checar e vi que era mesmo. Ele foi capturado no solo, em pitfall. Este é um marsupial didelfídeo relativamente raro, único do gênero no RS (pelo que me consta). Antigamente pertencia ao gênero Gracilinanus (como G. microtarsus guahybae).
Espécie: Cryptonanus guahybae (cuíca).
Fotógrafo: Maury S.L. Abreu.
Contato: maury.abreu@gmail.com

The role of forest structure, fragment size and corridors in maintaining small mammal abundance and diversity in an Atlantic forest landscape

PARDINI, R.; SOUZA, S.M.; BRAGA-NETO, R.; METZGER, J.P. 2005. The role of forest structure, fragment size and corridors in maintaining small mammal abundance and diversity in an Atlantic forest landscape. Biological Conservation 124:253-266.

Abstract. Using the abundance and distribution of small mammals at 26 sites in an Atlantic forest landscape, we investigated how species abundance and alpha and beta diversity are affected by fragment size and the presence of corridors. To account for the variability in forest structure among fragments, we described and minimized the influence of foliage density and stratification on small mammal data. Sites were distributed among three categories of fragment size and in continuous forest. For small and medium-sized categories, we considered isolated fragments and fragments connected by corridors to larger remnants. Small mammal abundance and alpha and beta diversity were regressed against site scores from the first axis of a Principal Component Analysis on forest structure variables. Residuals were used in analyses of variance to compare fragment size and connectivity categories. Forest structure influenced total abundance and abundance of some species individually, but not the diversity of small mammal communities. Total abundance and alpha diversity were lower in small and medium-sized fragments than in large fragments and continuous forest, and in isolated compared to connected fragments. Three species were less common, but none was more abundant in smaller fragments. At least one species was more abundant in connected compared to isolated fragments. Beta diversity showed an opposite relationship to fragment size and corridors, increasing in small and isolated fragments. Results highlight the importance of secondary forest for the conservation of tropical fauna, the hyper-dynamism of small isolated fragments and the potential of corridors to buffer habitat fragmentation effects in tropical landscapes.

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The Wildlife Society Bulletin is back - submit your manuscript today!
Once one of the most popular wildlife journals, the Wildlife Society Bulletin was recently re-launched. Published on the behalf of the Wildlife Society, the Wildlife Society Bulletin reaches the professional community of scientists, managers, educators, technicians, planners, and others who work actively to study, manage, and conserve wildlife and its habitats worldwide.

About the Wildlife Society Bulletin:

Editor: Warren Ballard
Published on behalf of The Wildlife Society
For wildlife practitioners, this publication effectively explores the practical application of scientific research in wildlife management and conservation, and also covers important policy issues. Wildlife Society Bulletin includes articles on contemporary wildlife management and conservation, education, administration, law enforcement, and review articles on the philosophy and history of wildlife management and conservation.

The Wildlife Society Bulletin seeks papers on a wide range of topics including: 

• Reports on practices designed to achieve wildlife management or conservation goals
• Presentation of new techniques or evaluation of techniques for studying or managing wildlife
• Retrospective analyses of wildlife management and conservation programs, including the reasons for success or failure
• Analyses or reports of wildlife policies, regulations, education, administration, and law enforcement
• Review articles on the philosophy and history of wildlife management and conservation
• Book reviews focused on applied research, policy, or wildlife management and conservation

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Fotos: Roedor cricetídeo em armadilha fotográfica

Foto de armadilha fotográfica. O que esses roedores não fazem por comida...
Espécie: roedor cricetídeo não identificado.
Fotógrafo: Maury S.L. Abreu (em armadilha fotográfica).
Contato: maury.abreu@gmail.com.

VI Congresso Brasileiro de Mastozoologia - Primeira Circular

A Sociedade Brasileira de Mastozoologia (SBMz) em parceria com a Embrapa Pantanal, a Prefeitura Municipal de Corumbá e o Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul tem o prazer de convidá-los a participar do 6° Congresso Brasileiro de Mastozoologia, que acontecerá de 25 a 29 de junho de 2012.

Nesta edição, a SBMz decidiu interiorizar o congresso, levando-o para Corumbá (MS), uma das principais portas de entrada do Pantanal brasileiro. Pesou também na escolha do local o fato de o Pantanal ser um dos poucos ambientes naturais do Brasil onde ainda é possível se ter um contato estreito com mamíferos silvestres.

A atuação humana tem provocado desequilíbrios ambientais que desencadearam a "sexta onda de extinção em massa", capaz de reduzir a biodiversidade de forma sem precedentes desde que o homem caminha sobre o planeta. Assim, apropriadamente o tema do congresso será "A mastozoologia e a crise de biodiversidade".

Os colegas que desejarem fazer sugestões sobre conferências e mesas redondas devem enviar mensagem ao endereço

O programa do congresso é sumarizado na página seguinte. Informações relativas às inscrições no evento, infra-estrutura e formas de acesso à Corumbá serão disponibilizadas na próxima circular e no sítio virtual do evento, que deverão estar disponíveis em meados de agosto de 2011.

Até breve, nos vemos no Pantanal!

Comissão Organizadora do 6° Congresso Brasileiro de Mastozoologia

Download da Primeira Circular em pdf

Niche overlap and resource partitioning between two sympatric fox species in southern Brazil

VIEIRA, E.M.; PORT, D. 2007. Niche overlap and resource partitioning between two sympatric fox species in southern Brazil. Journal of Zoology, London 272:57-63.

Abstract. Mechanisms that favour the co-occurrence of morphologically and ecologically similar species in South America are potentially relevant, because two or more species often occur in sympatry. In the present study, we investigated possible mechanisms of resource partitioning between two sympatric species of foxes, the crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous and the pampas fox Pseudalopex gymnocercus, in the National Park of Aparados da Serra in southern Brazil (29º10'S, 50º05'W). We considered three main niche dimensions – habitat, diet and time – and evaluated the overlap between the two species in these dimensions. We conducted the study from June 2000 to October 2001 in an area composed of open grasslands and Araucaria forests. We studied the foxes by using a combination of scat analysis and direct observation. A comparison of their diet indicated that it was very similar for both species in all seasons (Pianka’s indexes ranging from 0.920 to 0.957). The most common food item for both species of foxes was rodents, followed by coleopterans, birds and plant remains (seeds and fruits). As expected by the nichecomplementarity hypothesis, we detected differences along other niche axes. Pseudalopex gymnocercus seemed to occur only in open areas, including grasslands and dirt roads, whereas C. thous was more generalist in habitat use, occurring both inside and at the edge of forests. However, both fox species were common in grassland habitats, where they might compete for resources. The differences were more marked for activity time, with the crab-eating fox being significantly more nocturnal (circular mean of time of sighting=23:39 h, SE=56 min) than the pampas fox (circular mean=19:56 h, SE=64 min; Watson’s F=6.06, P=0.02). We suggest that the larger C. thous could be limiting the activity of P. gymnocercus by interference competition.

ARCGIS aplicado à Biologia da Conservação

O CALBio (Centro Acadêmico Livre da Biologia) da Unisinos esta realizando mais um curso de extenção que deve interessar não apenas os mastozoólogos, mas qualquer profissional da área de biologia interessado em bons mapas para seus artigos. Ministrado por Msc. Rafael Gomes de Moura, o curso de ARCGis Aplicado à Biologia da Conservação será realizado na Unisinos, entre os dias 26 de junho e 8 de julho (período noturno, entre 19h e 22h, comduração de 30 horas).
Maiores informações no site: www.unisinos.br/eventos.

Fotos: Mazama americana em armadilha fotográfica

Espécie: Mazama americana (veado mateiro).
Fotógrafo: Maury S.L. Abreu (em armadilha fotográfica).
Contato: maury.abreu@gmail.com.

Padrão de atividade de Akodon montensis e Oryzomys russatus na Reserva Volta Velha, Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil

GRAIPEL, M.E.; MILLER, P.R.M.; GLOCK, L. 2003. Padrão de atividade de Akodon montensis e Oryzomys russatus na Reserva Volta Velha, Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil. Mastozoología Neotropical 10(2):255-260.

Resumo. São apresentadas informações preliminares sobre o padrão de atividade de duas espécies de roedores em uma área de Floresta Atlântica do sul do Brasil. Sistemas com relógios analógicos foram usados para determinar o horário de captura de pequenos mamíferos e um modelo exponencial foi usado para transformar o número de capturas no padrão de atividade de cada espécie. Foram capturadas três espécies de roedores e três de marsupiais em armadilhas com estes sistemas, porém, analisou-se apenas o padrão de atividade das duas espécies mais abundantes, A. montensis e O. russatus. Os padrões de atividade destas duas espécies foram significativamente diferentes (p < 0,05). A primeira espécie foi caracterizada como possuindo padrão de atividade bicrepuscular enquanto a segunda como nortuna. Os padrões de atividade registrados para estas espécies simpátricas podem ter um importante papel na partição de recursos.

3rd Biological Evolution Workshop

Entre os dias 7 e 9 de novembro de 2011 ocorrerá em Porto Alegre o 3º Workshop sobre Biologia Evolutiva, no Auditório do Departamento de Genética da UFRGS. O evento trata de questões evolutivas em geral, não apenas sobre mamíferos. Uma das palestras, entretanto, fala sobre pigmentação adaptativa em vertebrados, e contará com a participação dos professores Thales R.O. de Freitas (da UFRGS) e Eduardo Eizirik (da PUCRS), dois mastozoólogos conhecidos por seus trabalhos no campo da genética.
Maiores informações no Departamento de Genética da UFRGS (prédio 43312, Campus do Vale) e no endereço http://www.biologicalevolution.com.br/.
Clique aqui para fazer download do pdf com a programação.

Seed removal by small mammals, birds and ants in semi-arid Chile, and comparison with other systems

KELT, D.A.; MESERVE, P.L.; GUTIÉRREZ, J.R. 2004. Seed removal by small mammals, birds and ants in semi-arid Chile, and comparison with other systems. Journal of Biogeography 31:931-942.

Abstract.

Aim. This study aims to evaluate the relative importance of birds, small mammals, and ants as seed predators at a semi-arid site in northern Chile.

Location. Northern Chile, in Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge (30º41' N, 71º40' W, c. 80 m elevation).

Methods. We studied the relative abilities of birds, small mammals, and ants to find and remove millet seeds either singly (i.e. background seed removal) or in bulk. Single seeds were set in shallow depressions in Plexiglas trays which were established in long and arbitrary transects, and were available either to birds (diurnally) or small mammals (nocturnally) or were covered by hardware cloth and therefore available only to ants. Bulk removal was evaluated with seeds in Petri dishes that also were established in long and arbitrary transects, and trays were either open diurnally (birds) or nocturnally (small mammals); a third set of trays was covered with hardware cloth cages to excluded vertebrates, and ants were given access to Petri dishes with twigs that were arranged across the edge of the dishes. All experiments lasted four days and nights, and trays and dishes were checked and replenished as needed in the morning and evening. In the former study vertebrate consumption was determined as the mean number of seeds removed from trays (within a given transect) minus the number removed from ant-only trays. Because ants were rarely seen in vertebrate access Petri dishes, however, we did not correct consumption there. Treatments were compared using repeated measures mixed model analysis of variance. In addition to evaluating patterns within this community, we compared our results against those obtained in similar studies in various arid regions.

Results. Diurnal seed consumption was significantly greater than nocturnal seed consumption, which in turn was significantly greater than consumption by ants. Diurnal consumption was highly seasonal, evidently corresponding to the seasonal arrival and departure of migratory birds. In general, South American sites exhibit much lower levels of seed predation than sites in the northern hemisphere, but removal at our site appears to be much greater and more strongly aviandominated than at other sites in South America. Our results are consistent with predictions based on a hypothesis relating precipitation to seed predictability.

Main conclusions. Both birds and small mammals were much more important seed consumers at our site than elsewhere in South America, whereas ants have been relatively unimportant at all South American sites studied to date. Although the dominant seed consumers differ across sites, overall levels of seed removal

appear similar in South America and Australia, and substantially lower than reported from sites in the northern hemisphere and Africa.

Fotos: Didelphis albiventris em armadilha fotográfica

Mais uma foto de armadilha fotográfica, desta vez em uma área quase urbana (em uma matinha bem no meio da cidade de São Leopoldo). Foi o único mamífero que registrei na área...
Espécie: Didelphis albiventris (gambá-de-orelha-branca).
Fotógrafo: Maury S.L. Abreu (em armadilha fotográfica).
Contato: maury.abreu@gmail.com.