Distribuição geográfica de pequenos mamíferos não voadores nas bacias dos rios Araguaia e Paraná, região centro-sul do Brasil

We collected small mammals in two hydrographic basins in central Brazil, namely the Paraná and Araguaia basins, with the aim of examining the composition of forest dwelling small mammal species and to compare their geographic distributions. Fourteen sites were sampled, eight in the Paraná basin and six in the Araguaia basin. A total of 20 species of small mammals was registered (8 marsupials and 12 rodents), 16 of them in live traps (5,253 trap-nights) and eight in pitfalls (224 trap-nights), adding to a total of 161 captures of 139 individuals. The Paraná basin showed 16 species (trap-nights: 3,115 and 104 respectively) and the Araguaia basin 11 species (trap-nights: 2,138 and 120 respectively), being both richness similar when the rarefaction method was applied. Seven (35%) out of the 20 species recorded occurred in both basins. The marsupial Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 was the most abundant species. The marsupials species recorded were D. albiventris, Caluromys philander (Linnaeus, 1758), Cryptonanus cf. agricolai Voss, Lunde & Jansa, 2005, Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister, 1854), G. microtarsus (Wagner, 1842), Lutreolina crassicaudata (Desmarest, 1804), Marmosa murina (Linnaeus, 1758), and Philander opossum (Linnaeus, 1758). The rodent species recorded were Akodon gr. cursor, Calomys tener (Winge, 1887), Nectomys rattus (Pelzen, 1883), N. squamipes (Brants, 1827), Oecomys bicolor (Tomes, 1860), Oryzomys maracajuensis Langguth & Bonvicino, 2002, Oryzomys cf. marinhus, O. megacephalus (Fischer, 1814), Oligoryzomys fornesi (Massoia, 1973), Oligoryzomys sp., Proechimys longicaudatus (Rengger, 1830) and P. roberti (Thomas, 1901). The range extension of some species is discussed, in addition to biogeographic considerations. The Caiapós Mountains may have been a geographic barrier for some small mammal species in the face of the retraction and expansion of forests in the past

Potential geographic distribution of Hantavirus reservoirs in Brazil

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is an emerging zoonosis in Brazil. Human infections occur via inhalation of aerosolized viral particles from excreta of infected wild rodents. Necromys lasiurus and Oligoryzomys nigripes appear to be the main reservoirs of hantavirus in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. We estimated and compared ecological niches of the two rodent species, and analyzed environmental factors influencing their occurrence, to understand the geography of hantavirus transmission. N. lasiurus showed a wide potential distribution in Brazil, in the Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Highest climate suitability for O. nigripes was observed along the Brazilian Atlantic coast. Maximum temperature in the warmest months and annual precipitation were the variables that most influence the distributions of N. lasiurus and O. nigripes, respectively. Models based on occurrences of infected rodents estimated a broader area of risk for hantavirus transmission in southeastern and southern Brazil, coinciding with the distribution of human cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. We found no demonstrable environmental differences among occurrence sites for the rodents and for human cases of hantavirus. However, areas of northern and northeastern Brazil are also apparently suitable for the two species, without broad coincidence with human cases. Modeling of niches and distributions of rodent reservoirs indicates potential for transmission of hantavirus across virtually all of Brazil outside the Amazon Basin

Maintenance and breeding of Thrichomys (Trouessart, 1880) (Rodentia: Echimyidae) in captivity

South American histricognath rodents Thrichomys apereoides laurentius and Thrichomys pachyurus are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, agent of Chagas disease. We established breeding colonies of these species to serve as experimental models in various parasitological studies. Both species of Thrichomys have all the requirements necessary to become excellent laboratory models: they can be easily maintained in the standard laboratory conditions and breed throughout the year and they do not have any special dietary demands and can be fed by standard food pellets designed for laboratory mice. Both species produce precocious offspring that have their eyes and ears open, teeth erupted, fur well developed, and can eat solid food in the first week of life. T. a. laurentius has larger litter sizes and lower body masses at birth and weaning than T. pachyurus. Moreover, females of T. a. laurentius reach puberty earlier and with lower body mass than T. pachyurus