Abstract
The population dynamics and reproduction of Cricetid rodents of the Urucum Mountains were analyzed in a region poorly known in terms of life history characteristics of mammals. Animals were obtained from a museum’s mammal collection, but were originally captured using pitfalls. Data collection was performed for five days every month in three areas, from December 2000 to September 2002. The most frequent species found were the rodents Akodon toba, Calomys callosus, Euryoryzomys nitidus, and Oecomys bicolor. These species were usually more abundant in the rainy season and in the beginning of the dry season. However, there were differences between young and adults for A. toba and E. nitidus, with both species showing a peak of young in the rainy season, followed by a posterior peak of adults in the early dry season. Thus, there was a correlation between the population variations of A. toba and C. callosus, and between E. nitidus and O. bicolor. The seasonal availability of resources should be influencing the reproduction rate as well as the occurrence of young in the populations, since the climatic seasons are well defined in the region. Calomys callosus showed the largest litter size and presence of sexual dimorphism in size and mass. The species showed mostly similar responses to climatic seasonality, but differed in attributes related to their specific life histories.Key words: reproductive effort, abundance, sexual dimorphism, sex ratio, small mammals, litter size, seasonality response, male reproductive condition.
Highlights
O estudo foi realizado em uma encosta de morro (Morro Santa Cruz) de floresta estacional, que inclui tanto elementos amazônicos quanto de outros tipos vegetacionais (Veloso et al, 1992), localizado no maciço do Urucum e à margem direita do Rio Paraguai, no Estado do Mato Grosso do sul, Brasil (19o 12’ S, 57o 34’ W)
The population dynamics and reproduction of Cricetid rodents of the Urucum Mountains were analyzed in a region poorly known in terms of life history characteristics of mammals
Data collection was performed for five days every month in three areas, from December 2000 to September 2002
Summary
O estudo foi realizado em uma encosta de morro (Morro Santa Cruz) de floresta estacional, que inclui tanto elementos amazônicos quanto de outros tipos vegetacionais (Veloso et al, 1992), localizado no maciço do Urucum e à margem direita do Rio Paraguai, no Estado do Mato Grosso do sul, Brasil (19o 12’ S, 57o 34’ W). O clima na região se caracteriza por duas estações bem definidas: um período de seca (abril a setembro) e um período de chuva (outubro a março)
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