Vol. 53, 2014

Subsidies for a poorly known endemic semiarid biome of Brazil: non-volant mammals of an eastern region of Caatinga

Alexandra M R Bezerra^1,2*, Ana Lazar², Cibele R Bonvicino^2,3 and Adriano S Cunha⁴

¹Departamento de Zoologia, IB, Universidade de Brasília ‘Campus Darcy Ribeiro’, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil
²Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil
³Divisão de Genética, INCA, Rua André Cavalcanti, 37, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20231-050, Brazil
⁴Biolaw Consultoria Ambiental, Rua Domingos José de Almeida, 176, Porto Alegre, RS 90420-200, Brazil

Abstract
Background: The mammalian fauna of the eastern Caatinga, a Brazilian semiarid biome, was surveyed in the dry and wet seasons aiming to contribute to the knowledge of this poorly known region. Complementary live-trapsurvey methods were employed for sampling small non-volant mammals and transects along roads for medium and large mammals.
Results: Seventeen mammalian species were recorded, with five new records for Sergipe state, two being endemic to Caatinga. More individuals were captured in the dry season, although species number was the same for both seasons. Medium- and large-sized mammalian species were not encountered in the region, which was also true for some small-sized species hunted for consumption.
Conclusions: These findings corroborate the importance of using complementary methods for sampling small non-volant mammals in the Caatinga and indicate that the mammalian fauna of this region, suffering a severeanthropogenic pressure, requires strong measures for its preservation.

Key words: Conservation; Didelphimorphia; Inventory; Mammalia; Rodentia; Semiarid; Zoogeography.

*Correspondence: E-mail: amrbezerra@hotmail.com