Non-volant small mammals at an Atlantic forest area situated nearby a limestone quarry (Limeira quarry), state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Our aim was to survey the non-flying small mammals inhabiting an Atlantic forest area situated nearby a limestone quarry (Limeira quarry), located at Ribeirao Grande municipality (SP), southeastern Brazil. Species were captured with pitfall and Sherman traps along eight pairs of 60 m transects distributed at four different distances from the quarry (60, 220, 740 and 1300 m). Between October 2005 and January 2008,20 small mammal species (11 rodents and nine marsupials) were captured through 4080 pitfall trap-nights and 2040 Sherman trapnights. The high values of richness, diversity (H' = 2.65) and equability (J = 0.88), and the presence of endemic and threatened species indicates a preserved study site and small mammal assemblage. Marmosops incanus, Monodelphis americana and Oligoryzomys nigripes were the commonest species at the study site. Trapping sites located closer to the quarry (60 and 220 m away from the quarry) presented lower richness and were dominated by disturbance-tolerant species, such as O. nigripes, that usually benefit from habitat alterations. On the other hand, sites located away from the quarry and closer to Serra do Mar Protected Area (740 and 1300 m away from the quarry) presented higher richness and diversity, and a higher abundance of disturbance-intolerant species. These results suggest a negative distance-dependent impact of quarrying on small mammal communities. In this way, our results point out to the importance of long-term monitoring of quarrying impacts on small non-flying mammal communities and populations, and the need of conservation strategies in order to ensure species persistence in these areas.124191197Companhia de Cimento Ribeirao Grande (CCRG)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal do Nivel Superio

Effects of resource availability on the use of space by the mouse opossum Marmosops paulensis (Didelphidae) in a montane Atlantic forest area in southeastern Brazil

Food supply is an important determinant of animal movements. In the present study we tested the occurrence of an inverse relationship between daily movements of Marmosops paulensis (Tate, 1931) and their food supply. This species is a member of the family Didelphidae, occurring in areas of high elevation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. M. paulensis moved mostly over the ground, although the understory was also used. Mean daily range of M. paulensis estimated through spool-and-line device was about 0.40 ha; no differences were noted between body sizes and sexes. As expected, there was an inverse relationship between daily movements and food supply. This relationship resulted from the clumped distribution of fruits, particularly Piper rather than the sparser distribution of arthropods.52219720

Seasonal variation in the diet of the Brazilian slender opossum (Marmosops paulensis) in a montane Atlantic forest area, southeastern Brazil

The diet of the Brazilian slender opossum (Marmosops paulensis) was determined through analysis of fecal samples collected in an area of montane Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. M. paulensis consumed insects, arachnids, gastropods, fruits, flower parts, and small vertebrates. The observed preference for Piper fruits could be related to the spatiotemporal predictability of this item, whereas the observed preference for the Coleoptera, the Blattodea, and the Opiliones could be due to overestimation of hard-bodied prey. Diet composition varied seasonally, with invertebrates and flower parts being consumed more during the dry season, probably because of their higher relative abundance when compared to fruits in this season. Diet was more diverse during the dry season, because of the inclusion of new fruit species and the reduced contribution of Piper fruits in the diet. We suggest that M. paulensis is more frugivorous than previously thought and that this species can be an important seed disperser of pioneer plants, especially of Piper species.88115816

Territoriality in females of the slender opossum (Marmosops paulensis) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)o TEXTO COMPLETO DESTE ARTIGO, ESTARÁ DISPONÍVEL À PARTIR DE AGOSTO DE 2015.25671675Parque Estadual IntervalesCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)FMBCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Semelparity and factors affecting the reproductive activity of the Brazilian slender opossum (Marmosops paulensis) in southeastern Brazil

Data on the reproductive patterns of the Brazilian slender opossum (Marmosops paulensis) were collected in an area of Montane Atlantic forest, southeastern Brazil, from August 2002 to July 2004. Reproduction occurred from September to March in both years, a period of high food supply, probably as a way to maximize survival of juveniles. There was nearly zero postmating survival, thus, no individual took part in more than I breeding event. This pattern characterizes a semelparous life history, which has been described in other small didelphids and dasyurids. Females were reproductively active during months with longer day lengths and abundant fruit supply. Breeding seems to be initiated by a 12L: 12D photoperiod and a rapid rate of change in day length, as demonstrated in semelparous dasyurids. Hence, the effect of photoperiodic cues on the onset of reproduction also may stand for other semelparous didelphids. We suggest that fruit availability controlled the length of breeding activity in M. paulensis, and it could play a role in the occurrence of semelparity in this species. However, semelparity may occur only due to phylogenetic constraints, whereas food supply works as a selective force maintaining this trait.89115315

Multiscale habitat selection by slender opossums (Marmosops spp.) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

The relative importance of factors that influence the habitats that animals select often varies with spatial scale. We evaluated the hypotheses that habitat selection by 2 sympatric slender opossums (Marmosops) is scale-dependent, and that coexistence in the gray slender opossum (Marmosops incanus) and the Brazilian slender opossum (M. paulensis) is enabled through differential use of habitat components or segregation in the use of vertical strata, or both. At a mesohabitat scale both species selected areas with dense understory, especially vertical obstruction 0-0.5 m above the ground. At a finer, microhabitat scale M. incanus preferred places with higher plant cover and vertical obstruction 0.5-1.0 m above the ground, and M. paulensis showed no evident pattern of selection. This result supports the hypothesis that habitat selection is scale-dependent. Although both species selected similar habitats at the mesoscale, we found segregation in the use of vertical strata, with M. paulensis being more terrestrial than M. incanus. Habitat segregation could reflect the intrinsic habitat preferences of each species or potential competition for space between the 2 congeners. DOI: 10.1644/09-MAMM-A-328.1.913561565Companhia de Cimento Ribeirao GrandeCoordenacao de Aperfei-coamento de Pessoal do Nivel Superior [4507070]Idea WildAustralian Research CouncilCoordenacao de Aperfei-coamento de Pessoal do Nivel Superior [4507070

On the sticky cobwebs of two theridiid spiders (Araneae : Theridiidae)

In this study we describe and illustrate a new species, Chrysso intervales n. sp., based on males and females collected in Parque Estadual Intervales, an area of Atlantic Forest in the State of S (a) over tildeo Paulo, Brazil. We present data on habitat selection, web architecture, thread adhesiveness, diet, and mortality due to fungi for both Chrysso intervales and the sympatric species, Helvibis longicauda. Both species build webs on vegetation close to river margins, but they were not found in forest sites away from these shaded and extremely humid corridors. The webs of both species are entirely composed of viscid silk lines, occupying the space between two or more large leaves. The construction of this web type by Helvibis and Chrysso, and the large amount of viscid droplets in their threads, indicate that the investment in adhesive components in theridiids may be dependent on the ambient conditions. We suggest that the costs of maintaining viscid silk lines in humid areas may be relatively low, explaining the habitat restriction observed in the species studied. By selecting humid habitats, however, these spiders are susceptible to attacks by fungi. The webs constructed by both species intercepted mostly Diptera, especially tipulids, but H. longicauda was also observed consuming a wide variety of prey types.404179529330