© Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

Mamm. biol. 66 (2001) 379-382 Mammalian Biology © Urban & Fischer Verlag http://www.urbanfischer.de/journals/mammbiol Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde

Short communication

New distributional records of small mammals at Beni Biosphere Reserve, BoLivia

By JULIETTA Vargas and J. A. Simonetti

CoLeccion BoLiviana de Fauna, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, La Paz, BoLivia and Departamento de Ciencias EcoLögicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Receipt of Ms. 29. 12. 2000 Acceptance of Ms. 30. 05. 2001

Key words: Bolomys, Marmosops, Mycroryzomys, Oxymycterus, Bolivia

The mammalian fauna of Bolivia is among et al. 2000). Currently, only 11 Speeles of the least known in South America (Pine small mammals have been registered, seven

1982). Fortunately, the knowledge about rodent and four marsupials (Cabot et al. the diversity and distribution of this fauna 1986; Anderson 1997). However, despite has been increasing in recent years (e. g., the efforts allocated to inventorying mam- Anderson 1997; Eisenberg and Redford mals at the EBB, ongoing sampling of 1999). Currently, 316 Speeles are recognized mammals at both a terra firme forest and for Bolivia, 71% of which are small mam- forest fragments at El Porvenir ranch, mals. The geographic distribution of most EBB'headquarters, have revealed four new

Speeles is based on a handful of records Speeles for the region. Here we present from a few sites (Anderson 1997). Conse- these noteworthy records. quently, new distributional records are Düring 1996 a small live-trapping sampling needed to clarify further the biogeography bout was allocated to three forest fragments of Bolivian mammals (e. g., Yensen et al. at El Porvenir (Yänez al. 1998). Two others 1994; Tarifa and Anderson 1997). have been sampled since 1999. Forest frag- Much sampling effort has been devoted to ments sampled during 1999 and 2000 are the northern highlands and La Paz Valley known as 'Taita B" (2.2 ha) and 'Airstrip B" (Ergueta and Sarmiento 1992). In the (0.3 ha) (14°51'37" S/66°19'68" W 163; Brace Amazonian region, the Beni Biosphere Re- et al. 2000). We also sampled the grassland serve (EBB) has received considerable at- neighboring a water course and marsh close tention in recent years (Herrera-Mac- to the forest fragment named 'Torv A\ The Bryde et al. 2000), including sampling of sampling site at the terra firme forest, known bats, marsupials, and rodents (Cabbot et al. as "Campo Monos" is located roughly 45 km 1986; Wilson and Salazar 1989; Ander- NW from El Porvenir (14°39'59" S/ son 1997; YÄNEz et al. 1998; Brace et al. 66°04'60" W and 130 m asl, see Moraes et al. 2000; see also Rumiz and Herrera 2000). 2000 for Vegetation description). During The reserve hes in the Llanos de Moxos re- 1999-2000, sampling consisted of live-trap- gion, a Center of high plant biodiversity. ping and collecting for four consecutive

Furthermore, it is regarded as a key area nights each time with 200 medium Sherman for the conservation of threatened birds in traps in linear transects, traps being 10 m the Neotropics (Brace et al. 2000; Moraes apart. We have also examined prey remains

1616-5047/01/66/06-379 $ 15.00/0. © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

380 JuLiETTA Vargas etal.

in 440 pellets of the barn owl ( Tyto alba) col- ber 2000. It was captured in a forest tract lected at El Porvenir (Vargas et al. unpubl.). with an understory dominated by HeUconia All specimens coUected have been deposited sp. In this habitat, Marmosops dorothea, in the Coleccion Boliviana de Fauna (CBF), Oecomys bicolor, Oryzomys capito. Philan- La Paz. der opossum and Proechimys spec. were also captured. Microryzomys minutus re- Marsupialia: Didelphidae presents 2% of the 52 individuals captured Marmosops dorothea (Thomas, 1912) is en- at Campo Monos, with a trapping success demic to Bolivia and regarded as threat- of 0.2% (one out of 424 trap/nights), sug-

ened by the lUCN (Nowak 1999) This mar- gesting it might be rare. supial has a disjunct distribution with There were no records of M. minutus at the records in the humid Yungas of La Paz Department of Beni. This record extends its (840-2 300 m asl) as well as in the arid low- known distribution roughly 150 km NW of lands of Santa Cruz (250-620 m asl; Ander- its previously recorded limits. Besides it son and Tarifa 1996). Known from 23 lo- biogeographical relevance, the record of calities and 46 specimens, the two areas of M. minutus is of medical concern for EBB distribution are over 400 km apart (Ander- human populations, as this Speeles might son 1997). This broad disjunction led An- be a reservoir of human cutaneous leishma- derson and Tarifa (1996) to suggest that niasis (Alexander et al. 1998). two taxa could be involved. However, we Oxymycterus spec. (Waterhouse, 1837): bur- coUected it at Campo Monos, a record in rowing mice inhabit open grassland, the middle of the distribution gap challeng- marshes, swamps, and grasslands being rare ing this contention. in humid forests (Emmons 1999). Three Spe- A Single subadult female (CBF 6442; TL 208, eles including five subspecies are known T 122, HF 15, E 18; 15 g) was captured (July from Bolivia, but their biology is unknown 1999) in a seasonally flooded forest, close to (Anderson, 1997). Of these Speeles, Oxy- the Curiraba river, the understory dominated mycterus inca iris (Thomas, 1901), dwells in by Heliconia sp, coinciding with known habi- the humid forest of the Amazonian low- tats of M. dorothea (Emmons 1999). The Sin- lands. In Bolivia it is known from 20 local- gle specimen represents 2% of small mam- ities and 63 specimens from La Paz, Santa mals captured in a total of 424 trap/nights. Cruz and the western portion of Beni. We

Besides M. dorothea, Oecomys hicolor, Or- recorded it as prey of T. alba at El Porvenir, yzomys capito, Philander opossum and Proe- extending its distribution 100 km NE. The chimys sp. were also captured in the same ha- Single skuU recovered represents 0.2% of bitat. the prey remains of T. alba over 1998-1999

(Vargas et al. unpubl.). Rodentia: Muridae Bolomys spec. (Thomas, 1916): a Single skuU Microryzomys minutus (Tomes, 1860): the of Bolomys spec. was found among the prey pigmy rice rat is known from high eleva- of T. alba (Vargas et al. unpubl.). While the tions (2500-3000 m asl) in the Andes of individual undoubtedly belongs to Bolomys,

Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (Eisenberg and it was not possible to assign it to any of the

Redford 1999). It has also been reported three Speeles known for Bolivia. Bolomys for the Monte Zerpa's cloud forest in Vene- amoenus (Thomas, 1900) is known from four

zuela (DiAZ 1994). In Bolivia, it is known locahties and just 13 specimens, being re- from 10 locahties and 28 specimens of the stricted to Cochabamba and Tarija at eleva- Yungas from Cochabamba, La Paz and tions from 3 800 to 4 000 m asl (Anderson Santa Cruz (Anderson 1997). Despite 1997). However, Anderson (1997) includes

being considered a highland Speeles (e. g., the southeastern portion of Beni in its distri- Nowak 1999), a subadult female (CBF bution with no further support. If our speci-

7078; TL 163 mm, T 90, E 14, HF 21, 12 g) men represents B. amoenus, this record will was coUected at Campo Monos in Septem- increase its distribution 260 km NW denot- © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

New distributional records of smaU mammaLs 381

ing also a notorious change of habitat. An- Anderson, S.; Tarifa, T. (1996): Mamiferos ende- other Speeles, B. lenguarurm (Thomas, micos de Bolivia. Ecol. Bol. 28, 45-63. Brace, R.; Hartley, J. C; Barnard, C. J.; 1898) is widely distributed in the lowlands, Hurst, J. L. Ecology, biogeography ineluding several records from western Beni (2000): and conservation of forest-island faunas in (Anderson 1997; Anderson and Oeds lowland Bolivia. In: Biodiversidad, conserva- 1989). If the skull recovered at El Porvenir ciön y manejo en la region de la Reserva de la belongs to B. lenguarum, it would represent Biosfera Estaciön Biolögica del Beni, Bolivia. a further 120 km E expansion of its known Ed. by O. Herrera-MacBryde, E Dallmeier, distribution. B. MacBryde, J. A. Comiskey, and C. Miranda.

Twenty-two percent of Bolivian mammals Washington, D.C.: SI/MAB series No. 4, are known from one to three localities (An- Smithsonian Institution. Pp. 171-202. derson 1997). The four Speeles reported Cabbot, I; Serrano, P; Ibanez, C; Braza, E here are hence comparatively better known (1986) Lista preliminar de ares y mamiferos de la reserva "Estaciön Biolögica Beni". Ecol. regarding their geographic distribution. Bol. 8, 37-44. Even though and although EBB could be DiAZ, A. (1994): The rodent Community of the regarded as a relatively well known region Venezuelan cloud forest, Merida. Polish Ecol. (Herrera-MacBryde et al. 2000), these Studies 20, 155-161. four new records clearly State that much Eisenberg, J. E; Redford, K. H. (1999): Mam- field work needs to be done to assess fully mals of the Neotropics. Vol. 3. The Central the diversity and distribution of Bolivian Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. mammals. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Emmons, L. H. (1999): Mamiferos de los bosques hümedos de America tropical. Una gma de campo. Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Editorial Acknowledgements EA.N.

Ergueta, P; Sarmiento, J. (1992): Fauna silvestre This work has been supported by Fondecyt de Bolivia: diversidad y conservaciön. In: 1981050 and 790003 to JAS. C. Miranda, EBB Conservaciön de la diversidad biolögica en Director granted permit for collecting specimens. Bolivia. Ed. by M. Marconi. La Paz: Centro Support and encouragement of our collegues de Datos para la Conservaciön and United A. A. Grez, M. Moraes, and R. O. Bustamente States Aid Mission to Bolivia. Pp. 113-164. is appreciated. We are indebted to I. Huareco Herrera-MacBryde, O.; Dallmeier, E; Mac- for field assistance. Bryde, B.; Comiskey, J. A.; Miranda, C. (eds.) (2000): Biodiversidad, conservaciön y manejo en la regiön de la Reserva de la Biosfera Esta- References ciön Biolögica del Beni, Bolivia. Washington, D.C.; Sl/MAB series No. 4, Smithsonian Insti- Aguirre, L. E; De Urioste, R. (1994): Nuevos re- tution. gistros de murcielagos para Bolivia y los De- Moraes, M; Ribera, M. O; Villanueva, E (2000): partamentos de Beni y Pando. Ecol. Bol. 23, La vegetaciön de la Reserva de la Biosfera 71-76. Estaciön Biolögica del Beni y su importancia Alexander, B.; Lozano, C; Barker, D. C; Mc- para la conservaciön In: Biodiversidad, con- Cann, S. H.; Adler, G.H. (1998): Detection servaciön y manejo en la regiön de la Reserva of the Leishmania (Viannia) brasilienzis com- de la Biosfera Estaciön Biolögica del Beni, plex in wild animals from Colombian coffee Bohvia. Ed. by O. Herrera-MacBryde, plantations by PCR and DNA hybridization. E Dallmeier, B. MacBryde, J. A. Comiskey, Acta Tropica 69, 41-50. and C. Miranda. Washington, D.C.; SI/MAB

Anderson, S. (1997): Mammals of Bolivia, tax- series No. 4, Smithsonian Institution. Pp. 59- onomy and distribution. Bull. Amer. Mus. 74. Nat. Hist. 231, 1-652. Nowak, R. M. (1999): Walker's Mammals of the

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J. A. CoMiSKEY, and C. Miranda. Washington. Authors' addresses: D.C.; SI/MAB series No. 4. Smithsonian Insti- Julieta Vargas. Colecciön Boliviana de Fauna, tution. Pp. 235-262. Casilla 8706. La Paz. Bolivia Tarifa. T.; Anderson. S. (1997): Two additional (e-mail: [email protected]) records of Glironia vemista Thomas. 1912 Javier A. Simonetti. Departamento de Ciencias (Marsupiaha, Didelphidae) for Bolivia. Mam- Ecolögicas. Universidad de Chile. Casilla 653. maha 61, 111-113. Santiago. Chile.