Check List 8(2): 355-359, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (Available at Journal of Species Lists and Distribution
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Check List 8(2): 355-359, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Mammals of Serra do Cipó National Park, southeastern PECIES S Brazil OF E. M. V. C. Câmara 1,2 and L. C. Oliveira 1,3* ISTS L 1 Bicho do Mato Instituto de Pesquisa, rua Perdigão Malheiros, 222- Luxemburgo. CEP 30380-234. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. 2 Museu de Ciências Naturais PUC Minas, Avenida Dom José Gaspar 290, Coração Eucarístico. CEP 30535-740. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. 3 Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, UFRJ, CP. 68020. CEP 21941-590. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The mammals of the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna Biome) are still poorly known; only a few localities have been properly surveyed and studied. Hereby, we present a survey of the mammals of Serra do Cipó National Park, a protected area of Cerrado in Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. A total of 55 species from eight orders were listed, which have been captured, observed or recorded in the literature. Some mammals are endemic or listed as threatened either by IUCN’s conservation of Minas Gerais’ biodiversity, though there is little information on mammal diversity and distribution in the red list or by the national and regional red lists. Serra do Cipó National Park is an important site for scientific research and mammals and other vertebrates. park. We hope our study can help us fill this gap and improve the effectiveness of this national park in protecting Cerrado Introduction and endemic Cerrado mammals of Minas Gerais. The Cerrado is one of the most diverse and threatened ecosystems of the world ranking among the 34 biodiversity Materials and Methods hotspots (Mittermeier et al. 2005). Only about 20% of its Study area original forest cover still remains, and just 6.2% of the Serra do Cipó National Park is located within the remaining areas are protected (Myers et al. 2000). Despite municipalities of Santana do Riacho, Jaboticatubas, Itambé this current scenario, the Cerrado is well known for its do Mato Dentro, and Morro do Pilar, (22°30’ to 22°33’ S; high level of plant endemism (ca. 44% of 4 400 species), 42°15’ to 42°19’ W), state of Minas Gerais, southeastern and vertebrate diversity (ca. 1 270 species) (Myers et al. Brazil (Figure 1). It covers ca. 33 800 ha of Cerrado. The 2000). However, endemism is rare among vertebrates. vegetation is highly heterogeneous comprising campo For mammals, for example, from the 196 species that rupestre occur in the Cerrado, only 18 are endemic to this biome above 800 m a.s.l.), gallery forest, Cerrado sensu stricto (MMA 2002). The mammals of the Cerrado are still poorly (open savanna) (rocky andfield cerradão vegetation (forest that savanna). usually Averageoccurs known, in part because only a few localities have been temperatures range from 20 °C to 22 °C, with maximum adequately surveyed or subjected to long-term studies, values between 34 °C and 36 °C, and minimum between and most studies have been concentrated in the central 0 °C and 4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1622 mm and region of the biome. the altitude varies from 800 to 1 400 m a.s.l. (Meguro et al. Species inventories are extremely important for the 1996). elaboration of management plans for protected areas (Brito et al. 2004), as they provide basic information on Species inventory the geographic distribution of species. They represent Small non-volant mammals were sampled with live- the second most common research topic among abstracts traps (Model Young 40 X 16 X 16 cm) distributed in eight presented in the Brazilian Congress of Mammalogy (Brito areas with different vegetation types (campo rupestre: et al. 2009), but, despite the importance of inventories, N = 2, gallery forest: N = 2, Cerrado sensu strictu: N = 2, almost no studies do really come out as published papers cerradão: N = 1, and semi-deciduous forest: N = 1). The (Brito et al. 2009). trapping points, 10 in each area, were set up either 10 or Mammals are an important group for ecosystems due to 20 m apart from each other. There were two live-traps their roles as regulators of lower trophic level populations at each trapping point: one on the ground and the other (McLaren and Peterson 1994) and as seed predators and at 1.5 m on a tree branch, when possible. Each trap was dispersers (Asquith et al. 1997; Cáceres et al. 1999; Grelle baited with a mixture of banana, peanut butter, sardine oil, and Garcia 1999). Furthermore, several mammals are corn, and oat grains. In the areas of Cerrado sensu strictu and campo rupestre, two live traps were set on the ground popular support that helps create and maintain protected separated by 10 m at each trap point. Small mammals areas.considered Our goalas flagship is to present species, the in otherresults words of our they mammal attract survey in a protected area within the State of Minas tags (National-Band model 1005). The following data were Gerais, the Serra do Cipó National Park, and to discuss the recordedcaptured for theeach first individual: time were species, marked ear with tag codedcode, sex,ear importance of this area for the conservation of threatened weight, and site of capture. After being examined, animals 355 Câmara and Oliveira | Mammals of Serra do Cipó National Park, Brazil were released at the site of their capture. Each trapping capture success was 14%, with 2 985 captures of 1 014 session comprised four consecutive nights per month, and individuals (Table 1). The most abundant species was each area was sampled monthly for 36 months (July 2001 the rodent Cerradomys subflavus, followed by Rhipidomys to August 2003). At least one individual of each species mastacalis (Table 1). Other additional 30 species of mammals were recorded collection of the Museu de Ciências Naturais PUC Minas. in the literature or ad libitum Somecaptured specimens was collected were sent and to deposited Museu Nacional in the doscientific Rio de specimen of Alouatta clamitans was found dead (roadkilled) in the park. The specimen was deposited by our fieldin the team. Museu One de were also deposited in the Museu de Ciências Naturais Ciências Naturais PUC Minas in Belo Horizonte. A total of PUCJaneiro Minas for (Appendixidentification 1). byCaptures specialists, were aftermade which under they the eight orders, 20 families and 55 species of mammals were permits 049/2002, 074/2005 and 10838-1 granted by the recorded for Serra do Cipó National Park (Table 2). Several Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural of those species are listed as threatened at some level Resources. (local, national or worldwide) (Table 2). Any medium and large mammals observed within the The mammal richness found in the park was similar park while the traps were checked were also recorded to other Cerrado sites when comparing the same sampled in this study. In addition, we used information from the groups of mammals (Table 3). literature (Oliveira et al. 2003; Leal et al. 2008; Oliveira et The mammals recorded in Serra do Cipó National Park al. 2009) to complement our survey, especially concerning correspond to 27.5 % of the mammal species known for medium and large mammals that were not targeted by our the Cerrado (MMA 2002). However, future studies will sampling. In these studies, medium and large mammals surely document the presence of many other species, were recorded mainly in the region of the park open for especially if they sample bats, which were not included in tourist visitation (see Oliveira et al. 2009 for details). this study. Such future studies will be particularly useful if they use multiple additional sampling methods (e.g. mist Results and Discussion nets, ultrasonic detectors, and harp traps for bats, pitfall In a total of 21 360 trap nights, we captured 25 species and camera-traps for terrestrial mammals), and sample of mammals: eight species of marsupials, 16 species of in other areas of the park. Most species recorded have rodents, and one species of lagomorph. Two species of large geographical distributions and also occur in other marsupials (Cryptonanus sp. and Monodelphis kunsi) were biomes, such as the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest (Reis captured outside our sampling areas in a non-systematic et al. 2011). According to previous studies, the Cerrado has sampling of other areas inside the park’s limits. The less species and endemics than would be expected by its Figure 1. Serra do Cipó National Park, southeastern Brazil, showing our sampled areas. 356 Câmara and Oliveira | Mammals of Serra do Cipó National Park, Brazil size (Fonseca et al. 1999), but it is one of the biomes with on specimens collected in this park (Sazima et al. 1978; highest number of threatened species (Costa et al. 2005). Sawaya and Sazima 2003; Pugliese et al. 2004). For mammals we can highlight the description of the bat only two species endemic to the Cerrado, Thalpomys lasiotis, Lonchophyla bokermanni (Sazima et al. 1978), which is Our results are consistent with these findings. We recorded listed as Endangered in the state’s red list (Biodiversitas Brazil (Musser and Carleton 2005), and Monodelphis kunsi. whichAt the wassame until time, now we believedrecorded to10 be species confined listed to incentral both 2011). Since the description of this species in 1978, it national (Machado et al. 2008) and regional (Biodiversitas has2007) not and been considered observed as again Data Deficientin Minas worldwideGerais (Sampaio (IUCN 2007) red lists in the categories ‘Vulnerable’ and ‘Near et al.