Species composition and richness of anurans in Cerrado urban forests from central Brazil

Brazil harbors the greatest diversity of amphibians on the planet although there are few studies dealing with urban fauna. The objective of this study is to describe the species composition and richness of anurans in urban Cerrado fragments from Campo Grande municipality, Mato Grosso do Sul state, central Brazil. The specimens were sampled in three stages through pitfall traps and visual/acoustic surveys. Seventeen species were recorded (17.7% of anuran species registered in Mato Grosso do Sul), with Leptodactylidae and Hylidae being the most represented families. The existence of a high number of green areas and water bodies in the urban area likely favors anuran species in the region. The anuran communities in urban areas of Campo Grande were dominated by species which use a broad range of habitats. In this study there was the record of a new species of anuran, Proceratophrys dibernardoi, for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The forest fragments that had the highest similarity for species composition were those with similar environmental conditions. The knowledge of the fauna that occurs in urban areas is important because natural habitats suffer severe fragmentation and degradation and species present in these areas may disappear in a shorter period of time

Variação espacial de atropelamentos de mamíferos em área de restinga no estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil

Millions of wild animals die run over every year in Brazil. Various taxonomic groups are affected, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. However, few studies have quantified and identified which animals are the most vulnerable. This work aims to describe the abundance, the species composition and the richness of mammal road kills over a road stretch, in southeast Brazil. It was also assessed if there is any difference in the number of road kills between the rainy and the dry seasons, and the spatial distribution of collisions along the highway. The road kills were recorded over four years and 10 months. A total of 258 individuals belonging to 22 species, 13 families and 7 orders were recorded. The most recorded species were Didelphis aurita, Cerdocyon thous and Procyon cancrivorus. There was no significant difference in the mortality of mammals between the rainy and the dry seasons. Three stretches, with 86, 32 and 31 records, had the highest numbers of road kills. In these places the highway borders or crosses conservation units and forest fragments that are not legally protected. The high number of road kills between km 40 and 50 is probably due to the existence of concrete barriers that separate highway strips.Keywords: roads, mammals, mortality.Milhões de animais silvestres morrem atropelados todos os anos no Brasil e diferentes grupos taxonômicos são afetados, incluindo anfíbios, répteis, aves e mamíferos. Porém, há poucos estudos identificando e quantificando os grupos mais afetados. Os objetivos deste trabalho são descrever a abundância, a composição de espécies e a riqueza de mamíferos atropelados em um trecho de rodovia no estado do Espírito Santo, Brasil. O estudo avaliou, também, se houve diferença no número de atropelamentos entre estações e a distribuição espacial das colisões. Os animais atropelados foram registrados durante quatro anos e 10 meses. Foram registrados 258 indivíduos pertencentes a 22 espécies, 13 famílias e sete ordens. As espécies com maior número de registros foram Didelphis aurita, Cerdocyon thous e Procyon cancrivorus. Não houve diferença significativa na mortalidade de mamíferos entre as estações chuvosa e seca. Três trechos da rodovia, com 86, 32 e 31 casos, apresentaram alto número de atropelamentos. Nesses locais, a rodovia margeia ou atravessa unidades de conservação e fragmentos florestais que não estão legalmente protegidos. O elevado número de atropelamentos entre os km 40 e 50 deve-se, provavelmente, à existência, nesse trecho, de barreiras de concreto separando as faixas de rolamento da rodovia.Palavras-chave: estradas, mastofauna, mortalidade