Adriana Bocchiglieri

Diet composition of Gracilinanus agilis (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in dry woodland areas of Cerrado in central Brazil

No abstract available

Ecological aspects of the Hypsiboas albopunctatus (Anura, Hylidae) in central Brazil

Aspectos ecologicos do anuro Hypsiboas albopunctatus foram estudados em uma area de cerrado de Brasilia (DF) ao final da estacao chuvosa de 2005. Foram coletados 70 individuos, dos quais 83% estavam ativos no periodo de 20:01 as 22:00h, sendo encontrados principalmente no chao as margens da lagoa (70%), e os que estavam sobre a vegetacao exploravam, principalmente, poleiros de ate 50 cm de altura. A dieta foi composta por 13 categorias de presas, sendo Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Aranae e Formicidae as mais abundantes, e Aranae e Coleoptera apresentaram maior IVI em decorrencia da maior contribuicao volumetrica das presas. A analise de correlacao canonica mostrou nao ser significativa a associacao entre as medidas da cabeca e as dimensoes das presas utilizadas. Palavras-chave: Hypsiboas albopunctatus , dieta, microhabitat, Brasil central.

Trophic and spatio-temporal niche of the crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766) (Carnivora: Canidae), in a remnant of the Caatinga in northeastern Brazil

Abstract Cerdocyon thous is widely distributed in South America and occurs throughout most of Brazil. However, little is known of its ecology in the semi-arid Caatinga biome, and this study aimed to characterise the ecological niche of the species in Sergipe, in the northeastern extreme of the country. The study was conducted over a period of 13 months, at the Grota do Angico Natural Monument (2138 ha), with monthly campaigns of 6 days in arboreal-shrubby caatinga, riparian forest, and grota (humid gallery forest). Sand plots and camera traps were used to collect records of the species, and faecal samples were collected whenever found during the monitoring of the plots. A total of 407 records of C. thous were obtained, with 308 in the plots and 99 in the traps. The species occurred throughout the entire study area, with no significant variation being found in the use of habitat (p=0.1123). The monthly records were not randomly distributed (p=0.009), being concentrated between November and June, although no clear seasonal pattern was identified (p=0.383). The diet was classified as omnivorous, with a predominance of arthropods and fruit. Activity was primarily nocturnal, with no records being collected between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Comunidade de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) no Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco, Sergipe, nordeste do Brasil

The order Chiroptera is the second in mammal species richness in Brazil and the Atlantic Forest is the biome with the best knowledge status for this group. In Sergipe, studies focused on bats are still scarce, being necessary to increase the research on such important taxon. This work aimed to conduct a bat inventory in the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco (RVSMJ), which is the second largest reserve of Atlantic Forest in the state of Sergipe. Samples were obtained during two nights per month from February 2011 to February 2012, except in June. With a sampling effort of 21,168 m2.h, we recorded 189 individuals of two families and 14 species. Among these, Artibeus planirostris, Chiroderma doriae, Myotis nigricans, Phyllostomus discolor, Trachops cirrhosus and Trinycteris nicefori are new occurrences for the location, being T. nicefori also new record for the state. Phyllostomidae was the richest and most abundant family, and A. lituratus (N = 67), Carollia perspicillata (N = 45), and Dermanura cinerea (N = 45) were the most abundant species. These three species accounted for 83.0% of all captured individuals, and were characterized as generalists in habitat use and diet. With respect to feeding guilds, most of the captured species are frugivores (57.1%), probably due to the methodology and existence of agricultural areas present in RVSMJ. The new records here assigned, along with the parameters obtained for richness, abundance and feeding guild, will increase our knowledge on the bats of Sergipe and can be used as a basis for conservation strategies and management at the studied site location.

A New Species of Amphisbaena Linnaeus, 1758 from a Cerrado Region in Bahia, Northeastern Brazil (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae)

Abstract:  A new species of Amphisbaena is described from a Cerrado area in the southwestern region of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The new species is distinguishable from all other congeners by having a rounded snout; slender body with visible lateral and dorsal sulci; two rounded precloacal pores medially located; 230–241 body annuli; 19–22 caudal annuli; 12–14 dorsal and 14 ventral segments to a midbody annulus; tail with a marked autotomic constriction at caudal annuli 6–8; tail tip laterally compressed; three supralabials followed by one postsupralabial, and three infralabials followed by one postinfralabial on each side of the head. Resumo:  Uma nova espécie de Amphisbaena é descrita de uma região de Cerrado no sudoeste do estado da Bahia, nordeste do Brasil. A nova espécie se distingue dos demais congêneres por possuir o focinho arredondado; corpo delgado, com sulcos laterais e dorsal bem visíveis; dois poros pré-cloacais arredondados localizados medialmente; 230–241 anéis corporais; 19–22 anéis caudais; 12–14 segmentos dorsais e 14 segmentos ventrais contados em um anel no meio do corpo; plano de autotomia caudal bem marcado entre o anel caudal 6–8; extremidade da cauda comprimida lateralmente; três supralabiais seguidas por uma pós-supralabial e três infralabiais seguidas por uma pós-infralabial em cada lado da cabeça.

An update on the distribution of the Brazilian Funnel-eared Bat, Natalus macrourus (Gervais, 1856) (Mammalia, Chiroptera), with new records from the Brazilian Northeastern

We present data on the geographic distribution, morphology, and biology of the Brazilian funnel-eared bat, Natalus (Gervais, 1856), with new records for the Brazilian state of Sergipe, filling a gap of approximately 800 km in the distribution of the species in Brazilian Northeast.

Spool-and-line in a backpack: a new technique for studying movement of small mammals

No abstract available

Limb abnormality in a neotropical scansorial marsupial, Gracilinanus agilis (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)

Abstract In this study, we describe a limb abnormality, possibly ectrodactyly, in a male adult gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), an arboreal species, captured in a fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Cerrado. The captured individual lacked the central rays of the right hindlimb and was the thinnest male adult captured. Despite the abnormality, the scaled mass index of the individual did not differ from other adult males captured in the study. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of limb abnormality for a didelphid marsupial, which indicates that this type of malformation may not negatively affect individual body condition.

Thyroptera discifera (Lichtenstein & Peters, 1854) (Chiroptera: Thyropteridae): first record in the state of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil

In Brazil, Thyroptera discifera, Peters’ Disc-winged Bat, occurs in the Amazon basin, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest. A lactating female was captured in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. This specimen represents the first record for this species from the state and increases to 46 the number of bat species known from Sergipe. Our record extends the northeastern distribution limit of the species by approximately 317 km (from the nearest previous record at Salvador, Bahia). This record also supports a rainy season to lactation period for this species.

Mollusca, Bivalvia, Corbiculidae, Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774): First record for the Caatinga biome, northeastern Brazil

Corbicula fluminea is native mollusk from China. In Brazil, this species was first recorded in Rio Grande do Sul state in the late 70’s, being also recorded in the Amazonia basin between 1997 and 1998. The present note reports the occurrence of C. fluminea for the first time in the Caatinga biome and extends considerably the geographical distribution of this invading species in Brazil and consequently in South America.