Small mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia) in the Atlantic Forest area in northeast Brazil
Pinto, Italy Tainá dos SantosBocchiglieri, Adriana
Abstract Several patterns can occur in a community, one of which is that a few species show high dominance, which is also evident in small mammals. This group had a wide distribution in the Brazilian territory, presenting variations in richness and abundance, which may be related to seasonality, habitat structure, and changes in resource availability. The objective of this study was to characterize the small mammal community and analyze the influence of precipitation on the capture of species in the Atlantic Forest area in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. The study area is in the municipality of Itabaiana, Parque dos Falcões, and campaigns were conducted monthly on three consecutive nights between August/2022 and July/2023. 120 Sherman traps baited on the ground and understory were used in this study. Capture effort success, and estimated richness were calculated. A simple linear regression was performed between the number of captures and monthly precipitation. Additionally, a circular analysis was carried out with the most captured species to verify uniformity distribution in the monthly capture frequency. 44 captures were made of three species of rodents and six of marsupials were made after an effort of 4,320 traps-night (1% trap success). Approximately 70% of captures were from Marmosa demerarae, Cerradomys vivoi, and Didelphis albiventris. The invasive species Rattus rattus was captured. Despite the greater number of captures in rainy months, there was no influence of precipitation on these captures. Uniformity in species capture was observed during the sampling months for M. demerarae, C. vivoi, and D. albiventris. Marmosa demerarae was most captured in the area, and is reported in literature as having a broad and opportunistic diet. The uniformity of the temporal distribution of the species may be related to the regularity of precipitation during the study period. The presence of invasive species reflects anthropization close to the sampled area, affecting native species and highlighting the vulnerability of surrounding environments.
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