sábado, 31 de março de 2012

Hábitos alimentares de marsupiais didelfídeos brasileiros: análise do estado de conhecimento atual

LESSA, L.G.; GEISE, L. 2010. Hábitos alimentares de marsupiais didelfídeos brasileiros: análise do estado de conhecimento atual. Oecologia Austral 14(4):901-910.

Abstract. We evaluated the current knowledge on the feeding habits of Brazilian didelphids, considering the available information on changes in diet composition between biomes. We also compared the results obtained from the principal methods used in studies of diet in the field. Seasonal variation in resource availability appears to have a strong influence on the composition of the diet for most species, although most studies are merely descriptive, not directly assessing the availability of resources in the environment. Species with wide geographical range may vary their diet between different habitats or biomes. Despite the increase in the number of studies with the Brazilian marsupials over the last three decades, fundamental information on dietary habits for most species is scarce or nonexistent.

quinta-feira, 29 de março de 2012

Curso de Coleta e Taxidermia de Pequenos Mamíferos Terrestres

A Sociedade Brasileira de Mastozoologia (SBMz) e a EMBRAPA - Pantanal estão promovendo o 1º Curso de Coleta e Taxidermia de Pequenos Mamíferos Terrestres. Este curso tem como objetivo introduzir os alunos a conceitos teóricos e a prática de trabalho de campo com pequenos mamíferos, com ênfase na prática de captura, eutanasia, taxidermia, e técnicas citogenéticas e moleculares.

Local: Fazenda Nhumirim, Campo Experimental da EMBRAPA Pantanal, Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul.
Data: de 29/06 a 04/07/2012 (após o encerramento do VI Congresso Brasileiro de Mastozoologia).
Professores: Cibele Rodrigues Bonvicino (FIOCRUZ, RJ), Marcelo Weksler (Museu Nacional, UFRJ), Ana Lazar Gomes e Souza (FIOCRUZ, RJ), Pâmela Antunes (EMBRAPA-Pantanal).
Carga horária: 44 horas durante 6 dias.
Limite de 10 vagas
Valores: R$ 500,00 para sócios da SBMz e R$ 600,00 para não-sócios. Os valores incluem transporte (ida e volta) de Corumbá, hospedagem, alimentação e material de campo.

Programa do curso: Procedimentos para obtenção da licença de coleta para pequenos mamíferos junto ao Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade; procedimentos junto à comissão de ética animal da instituição de origem para a realização da coleta; preparação do caderno de campo, etiquetas para meio seco e meio liquido e planilha para checagem das armadilhas; procedimentos de biosseguranca para coleta e preparação de pequenos mamíferos; preparação da isca, escolha das armadilhas; escolha dos locais, formação de trilhas, colocação e marcação de armadilhas, georeferenciamento das trilhas; procedimento de revisão e re-iscagem das armadilhas, transporte dos espécimes ao laboratório; procedimentos para eutanásia; procedimentos para taxidermia em meio seco, conservação em meio liquido, e transporte dos espécimes preparados; procedimentos para obtenção de células em suspensão, e coleta de tecidos para procedimentos moleculares; noções básicas de identificação dos pequenos mamíferos do Pantanal.

Requisitos básicos para participar do curso:  levar repelente, protetor solar, perneira ou bota de cano longo e roupas adequadas (calça comprida e camisas de manga comprida para andar no campo), e estar em dia com as vacinas.

INSCRIÇÃO
As inscrições estarão abertas até o dia 5 de maio. Para inscrever-se, enviar um email com seus dados (nome, identidade, formação, endereço) para: sbmz.diretoria@yahoo.com.br. Após a confirmação, basta fazer o depósito ou transferência bancária na conta da SBMz:
Banco do Brasil:
Agência: 3110-0
Conta corrente: 90100-8
e enviar o comprovante por email.
Depois é só aguardar a confirmação de sua inscrição.

sábado, 17 de março de 2012

Ecology of the water opossum Chironectes minimus in Atlantic forest streams of southeastern Brazil

GALLIEZ, M.; LEITE, M.S.; QUEIROZ, T.L.; FERNANDEZ, F.A.S. 2009. Ecology of the water opossum Chironectes minimus in Atlantic forest streams of southeastern Brazil. Journal of Mammalogy 90(1):93-103.

Abstract. We studied the population structure, spatial patterns, and activity patterns of the water opossum (Chironectes minimus) via capture-mark-recapture and radiotelemetry from October 2004 to October 2006 in Atlantic Forest streams in southeastern Brazil. We tested the hypothesis of reproductive seasonality, the usual pattern in neotropical marsupials, by examining recruitment of juveniles. The hypothesis was rejected, supporting the alternative hypothesis that breeding by water opossums was better explained by its habitat characteristics and prey availability than by its phylogenetic ancestry. The observed sex ratio was significantly biased toward males. The home lengths of individual water opossums varied from 844 to 3,724 m. Males had larger home lengths than females, and there were male-male and male-female overlaps. The longer home lengths for males may explain the observed sex ratio bias, because males are more exposed to capture. All individuals used stream stretches with preserved riparian forest, fast-flowing water, and stony substrate. The hypothesis that activity was homogeneously distributed throughout the night was rejected; activity began right after sunset and ended before sunrise, but with higher levels of activity in the first 6 h of the night. Because of anthropogenic alterations of hydrographic basins, water opossums may be threatened by reduction of their main habitat, streams with fast-flowing water and stony substrate.

sábado, 10 de março de 2012

Arboreal tropical forest vertebrates: current knowledge and research trends

KAYS, R.; ALLISON, A. 2001. Arboreal tropical forest vertebrates: current knowledge and research trendsPlant Ecology 153:109-120.

Abstract. We review the ecology and specialized methods required for studying arboreal mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and use faunal checklists from 12 tropical wet forest sites and an analysis of all articles published during the past ten years in 14 major journals to assess current knowledge and general research trends for these groups. The percentage of arboreal vertebrates was remarkably similar at the different sites (76.2+/-3.9%). Birds were the most arboreal group and amphibians and reptiles the least. The review of journals showed that primates were overwhelmingly the most studied group (336 papers), followed by bats (105), passeriform birds (73) and rodents (55). Judging by their portion of the arboreal vertebrate community and the number of papers surveyed, birds and amphibians and reptiles are vastly understudied compared to mammals, but this is largely due to the great number of primate studies. The number of publications on arboreal vertebrates has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years for all taxa except primates, which have seen a growth in publications. Canopy vertebrates from Brazil had by the most publications (120), followed by Madagascar (61), Costa Rica (55) and Indonesia (42). We conclude by highlighting the priorities we see for future studies on tropical canopy vertebrates.

sábado, 3 de março de 2012

Uso do espaço vertical por pequenos mamíferos no Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos, RJ: um estudo de 10 anos utilizando três métodos de amostragem

PREVEDELLO, J.A.; FERREIRA, P.; PAPI, B.S.; LORETTO, D.; VIEIRA, M.V. 2008. Uso do espaço vertical por pequenos mamíferos no Parque Nacional Serra dos Órgãos, RJ: um estudo de 10 anos utilizando três métodos de amostragem. Espaço & Geografia 11(1):95-119.

Abstract. In this study we analyze the use of forest strata by species of small mammals using three sampling methods: livetraps, artificial nests, and spool-and-line devices. With livetraps and a total effort of 69,525 trap-nights (17,550 in the canopy) there were 2,759 captures of 1,172 individuals of 15 species, eight marsupials and seven rodents. In the nests, the effort was 6,018 nest verifications, with 71 individuals of six species registered. With the spool-and-line devices, 53,000 m of line were tracked in 403 paths of 272 individuals of four species of marsupials. Sampling the canopy was essential to properly characterize the structure of the community, particularly regarding relative abundance of species. The results of the different sampling methods were complementary, each one with its own advantages and limitations to study the vertical use of the forest by small mammals. The combination of the three methods revealed that the small mammal community in Garrafão is clearly stratified, but the vertical use of the forest by small mammals is more complex and sophisticated than a simple classification by dominant strata used. Some species use predominantly the ground, others the canopy, but only these extremes are detected by livetraps. This method alone does not allow a detailed analysis of use of the understory and even the canopy by predominantly terrestrial or scansorial species.