ISSN 1809-127X (online edition) © 2010 Check List and Authors Chec List Open Access | Freely available at www.checklist.org.br Journal of species lists and distribution Non-volant mammals, Parque Nacional do Catimbau, PECIES S Vale do Catimbau, Buíque, state of Pernambuco, Brazil, OF with karyologic data ISTS L Lena Geise 1*, Roberta Paresque 2, Harley Sebastião 3, Leila T. Shirai 3, Diego Astúa 4 and Gabriel Marroig 3 1 Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Mastozoologia. Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Maracanã. CEP 20550-900. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. 2 Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Centro Universitário do Norte do Espírito Santo. Rua Humberto de Almeida Franklin, 257, Universitário. CEP 29933-480. São Mateus, ES, Brazil. 3 Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Biociências. Laboratório de Evolução de Mamíferos, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva. CP 11.461. CEP 05508-090. São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 4 Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Mastozoologia. Avenida Professor Moraes Rego, s/n. Cidade Universitária. CEP 50670-420. Recife, PE, Brazil. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: We report the results of a terrestrial small mammal survey at one National Park in the northeastern Brazil, in the state of Pernambuco. The Catimbau National Park is located within the Caatinga domain with the characteristic thorn scrub vegetation. Our sampling encompasses several different vegetation/habitat types within the park area. All specimens collected were prepared as vouchers to be deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo. Karyotypes of marsupials and seven of rodents - and added new occurrence localities for several small mammal species of this region, providewere obtained karyotypic for all information representative and purported register an species undescribed collected. species We report of arboreal here the rat results of the ofgenus this first Rhipidomys survey –. Thistwo speciessurvey illustrates the need for extensive and planned sampling of the Caatinga domain. Introduction cooperation between the “Serviço Nacional de Peste” The Caatinga is the only biome fully within the Brazilian (SNP - National Plague Service) and the Museu Nacional, territory, with an extension of ca. 735,000 km2, located where they are now housed, thanks to efforts of Dr. João mainly in northeastern Brazil. It is characterized by its Moojen (Oliveira and Franco 2005). Some localities in the xerophytic, deciduous vegetation, which is directly related Chapada do Araripe region were also studied by a team to its extreme climatic variables, such as intense solar from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Willig radiation, low nebulosity, high mean annual temperatures, and Mares 1989; Oliveira et al. 2003), while more recent and mainly low, irregular, and highly concentrated surveys have focused mainly in the humid enclaves called precipitation levels (Prado 2003; Leal et al. 2005). “Brejos de Altitude” (Sousa et al. 2004). Thus, despite the Early studies based on some Caatinga localities volume of specimens collected, they come from a limited suggested that its mammal fauna is poor, with a single number of localities, and most of the Caatinga is still endemic species, the caviid rodent Kerodon rupestris unknown regarding its mammals fauna diversity. As an (Willig and Mares 1989). However, subsequent works, example, bat records from the “Universidade Federal de including taxonomic revisions or analyses using Pernambuco” mammal collection indicate that only 13 % cytogenetic or molecular tools, are showing increasing of the Pernambuco Caatinga municipalities have ever been levels of endemism in a previously unnoticed fauna. sampled. Besides, only three of these localities have more Endemic Caatinga mammals now include the sigmodontine than ten bat species recorded (Astúa and Guerra 2008). rodent Wiedomys pyrrhorhinus (Gonçalves et al. 2005), a Here we present the results of a non-volant small recently described phyllostomid bat, Xeronycteris vieirai mammal survey conducted at the Parque Nacional do Catimbau (PARNA do Catimbau), Vale do Catimbau, Buíque, restricted distributions within the Caatinga such as the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, providing new and important echimyid(Gregorin rodentand Ditchfield Trinomys 2005),yonenagae and (Rochaspecies 1995),with veryand data on this group for the Caatinga of Pernambuco. the sigmodontine Rhipidomys cariri, that did not occur in the Caatinga, but isolated in the “brejos” (Tribe 2005). As a Materials and Methods whole, Oliveira (2003) have recognized up to 19 mammal Study Site taxa that could be considered endemic or with most of The PARNA do Catimbau was created in 2002, their distribution within the Caatinga. being one of the seven National Parks that includes Our current knowledge of Caatinga mammals is caatinga vegetation, and the only National Park in state restricted to a few localities. Large series of small of Pernambuco (excluding the marine National Park of mammals were collected in some localities, through the Fernando de Noronha). With an extension of 62,554 ha, Check List | Volume 6 | Issue 1 | 2010 180 Geise et al. | Non-volant mammals, Parque Nacional do Catimbau, Pernambuco, Brazil the PARNA do Catimbau occupies part of Buíque, Ibimirim and Tupanatinga municipalities (Figure 1), situated in the transition between the “agreste” and the “sertão”, in the São Francisco River basin. The climate in the PARNA do Catimbau is semi-arid tropical, with annual median temperature of 23 °C, and annual median precipitation of 300 to 500 mm. Vegetation is typical of Caatinga, with high diversity of species and structure. However, the area also includes species from Cerrado, Rupestrian Fields, Atlantic Forest and Restinga along with those typical from the Caatinga (IBAMA 2007). Shrub trees characteristic to Chapada Diamantina as well as some bromeliads, cacti and “babaçu”, and “buriti”rupestrian palm fields trees. (state The of PARNABahia) alsodo Catimbauoccurs in thatis also region, the second major archaeological site in Brazil, with rupestrian Figure 1. Location of PARNA do Catimbau, Vale do Catimbau, Buíque, paintings and other human artifacts, dated from at least state of Pernambuco, Brazil, and trap lines (for more information, see 6,000 years, and 30 registered archaeological sites (IBAMA 2007). Over 150 bird species are known for the Catimbau Table 1). Modified from IBAMA (2007). to Northeastern Brazil, the “maria-macambira”, and the analysis, as similar external morphologies occur among “picapauzinho”,region. Among those,rare in we the can Northeast cite the andgoldfinch, endemic endemic to the themwere (Geisealso identified et al. 2005). to Morphologicalspecies level charactersby karyological (skin Caatinga. comparison to previous descriptions for Didelphimorphia Data Collection (Vossand skull) et al. were2005) considered and Rodentia for species(Bonvicino identification and Weksler in Field work was carried out from March 5th to 11th 1998; Bonvicino et al. 2002; Gonçalves et al. 2005, Tribe 2007, in a rainy period, with full moon. The small 2005; Percequillo et al. 2008). The nomenclature follows mammals capture was accomplished with 223 live traps, Wilson and Reeder (2005) and Gardner (2007). 96 Sherman® (30.4 x 9.5 x 7.6 cm and 23 x 7.5 x 8.5 cm) and 77 Tomahawk® (40 x 12 x 12 cm), being set Results and Discussion mainly on the ground, and on trees or bushes whenever A total of 72 small mammal specimens from the orders possible. Traps were set in distinct lines named from A to Didelphimorphia (two genera and two species) and H, separated according to available habitats, with trapping Rodentia (three families, seven genera and seven species) lines encompassing different microhabitats (Figures 1 and were collected. 2, Table 1). Used bait was banana/manioc/peanut butter. Chromosome preparations were obtained from 22 Trap lines were kept open during seven consecutive nights, with a total of 1,391 traps-nights effort, being checked below. One female specimen of Mus musculus was also every morning. Trapping was carried out with license trapped,specimens, near identified a residence, by a star not (*), included in the speciesin the accountspecies number 02001.007214/2006-26 IBAMA. account. F = females, M = males , and U = undetermined. Karyotypes from selected specimens were prepared Order Didelphimorphia, Family Didelphidae, with in vitro culture (culture of bone marrow grown Subfamily Didelphinae in theDulbecco´s field. Chromosomes MEM with 10 in %metaphases fetal bovine were serum obtained and colchicine), following incubated in KCl 0.075M solution at Gracilinanus agilis Burmeister, 1854 (Figure 3a) (methanol: acetic acid, 3:1), dropped onto clean slides and air-dried.37 °C by 30 Conventional minutes, centrifuged, coloration fixed with in Giemsa Carnoy 5 solution % was All captured with traps on trees in this survey. used to observe diploid (2n) and autosomal (NA, excluding Karyotype:Specimens account:Specimens (F –karyologic LEM 17*, 46*).analyses showed 2n sexual chromosomes) numbers and chromosome = 14, NA = 20. The karyotype is similar to that described morphology variation. This analysis was carried out by Carvalho et al. (2002), but we are here considering the using an optic photomicroscope (Hund Wetzlar - H500 number of autosomal arms as 20, as both last pairs can LL HP100 and Olympus BX 60), and karyotypes were set not