Camera trap surveys of Atlantic Forest mammals: A data set for analyses considering imperfect detection (2004-2020).

Camera traps became the main observational method of a myriad of species over large areas. Data sets from camera traps can be used to describe the patterns and monitor the occupancy, abundance, and richness of wildlife, essential information for conservation in times of rapid climate and land-cover changes. Habitat loss and poaching are responsible for historical population losses of mammals in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot, especially for medium to large-sized species. Here we present a data set from camera trap surveys of medium to large-sized native mammals (>1 kg) across the Atlantic Forest. We compiled data from 5380 ground-level camera trap deployments in 3046 locations, from 2004 to 2020, resulting in 43,068 records of 58 species. These data add to existing data sets of mammals in the Atlantic Forest by including dates of camera operation needed for analyses dealing with imperfect detection. We also included, when available, information on important predictors of detection, namely the camera brand and model, use of bait, and obstruction of camera viewshed that can be measured from example pictures at each camera location. Besides its application in studies on the patterns and mechanisms behind occupancy, relative abundance, richness, and detection, the data set presented here can be used to study species' daily activity patterns, activity levels, and spatiotemporal interactions between species. Moreover, data can be used combined with other data sources in the multiple and expanding uses of integrated population modeling. An R script is available to view summaries of the data set. We expect that this data set will be used to advance the knowledge of mammal assemblages and to inform evidence-based solutions for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. The data are not copyright restricted; please cite this paper when using the data.

As armadilhas fotográficas tornaram­se o principal método de observação de muitas espécies em grandes áreas. Os dados obtidos com armadilhas fotográficas podem ser usados para descrever os padrões e monitorar a ocupação, abundância e riqueza da vida selvagem, informação essencial para a conservação em tempos de rápidas mudanças climáticas e de cobertura do solo. A perda de habitat e a caça furtiva são responsáveis pelas perdas populacionais históricas de mamíferos no hotspot de biodiversidade da Mata Atlântica, especialmente para espécies de médio e grande porte. Aqui apresentamos um conjunto de dados de levantamentos com armadilhas fotográficas de mamíferos de médio e grande porte (>1 kg) em toda a Mata Atlântica. Compilamos dados de 5.380 armadilhas fotográficas instaladas no nível do chão em 3.046 locais, de 2004 a 2020, resultando em 43.068 registros de 58 espécies. Esses dados acrescentam aos conjuntos de dados existentes de mamíferos na Mata Atlântica por incluir as datas de operação das câmeras, que são necessárias para análises que lidam com detecção imperfeita. Também incluímos, quando disponíveis, informações sobre importantes preditores de detecção, como marca e modelo da câmera, uso de isca e obstrução do visor da câmera que pode ser medido a partir de imagens de exemplo em cada local da câmera. Além de estudos sobre os padrões e mecanismos por trás da ocupação, abundância relativa, riqueza e detecção, o conjunto de dados aqui apresentado pode ser usado para estudar os padrões de atividade diária das espécies, nível de atividade e interações espaço­temporais entre as espécies. Além disso, os dados podem ser usados em combinação com outras fontes de dados em diversas análises com modelagem populacional integrada. Um script R está disponível para visualizar um resumo do conjunto de dados. Esperamos que este conjunto de dados seja usado para aumentar o conhecimento sobre as assembleias de mamíferos e usado para informar soluções baseadas em evidências para a conservação da Mata Atlântica. Os dados não são restritos por direitos autorais e, por favor, cite este documento ao usar os dados.

New karyotype information for Ctenomys (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) from Midwest and Northern Brazil.

Its wide karyotypic variation characterizes the genus Ctenomys, and in Brazil, the genus is distributed in the country's southern, Midwest, and Northern regions. Recently, populations of Ctenomys have been found in the Midwest and northern Brazil, with two new lineages named C. sp. "xingu" and C. sp. "central". This work combines classical cytogenetic and molecular analyses to provide new chromosomal information on the boliviensis group distributed in Northern and Midwestern Brazil. This includes the validation of the karyotype of C. bicolor and C. nattereri, and the description of the karyotype of C. sp. "xingu" and C. sp. "central". We found three different karyotypes: 2n=40 for C. bicolor; 2n= 36 for C. nattereri, and specimens from a locality belonging to C. sp. "central"; 2n=34 for the lineage C. sp. "xingu" and specimens from a locality belonging to C. sp. "central". Furthermore, GTG-banding revealed homologous chromosomes between species/lineages and allowed the identification of the rearrangements that occurred, which proved the occurrence of fissions. Considering our results on the variation of 2n in the boliviensis group, we found two possibilities: the first, deduced by parsimony, is that 2n=36 appeared initially, and two fissions produced gave rise to 2n=40, and an independent fusion gave rise to 2n=34 from 2n=36; moreover, the second explanation is that all karyotypes arose independently.

Oxidative status of Ctenomys flamarioni (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) in natural areas with different levels of anthropic activity in southern Brazil.

Rampant urbanization in coastal environments turns areas close to the seafront into a highly impacted ecosystem, possibly affecting the health and well-being of resident animal species. The tuco-tuco Ctenomys flamarioni is an endemic and endangered subterranean mammal from southern Brazil, and the anthropic influence was considered one of the main threats to the species. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the patterns of oxidative status of the species in natural areas with different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We evaluated two populations of C. flamarioni, one located in an area with intense anthropogenic impact due to urbanization and tourist activity, and the other in a non-impacted area. Oxidative injury parameters (lipid peroxidation and carbonylated protein levels), and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase and carboxylesterase were measured. Individuals inhabiting the impacted area had lower G6PDH activity and higher levels of carbonylated proteins. This combination of higher level of oxidative damage and lower antioxidant activity is an indication that the oxidative status of animals in the impacted population is possibly being affected as a consequence of anthropogenic activities in this environment. The values of the parameters obtained in the current study can be used as a reference of the oxidative state of C. flamarioni in future studies with tuco-tucos.

Ecological specialization and niche overlap of subterranean rodents inferred from DNA metabarcoding diet analysis.

Knowledge of how animal species use food resources available in the environment can increase our understanding of many ecological processes. However, obtaining this information using traditional methods is difficult for species feeding on a large variety of food items in highly diverse environments. We amplified the DNA of plants for 306 scat and 40 soil samples, and applied an environmental DNA metabarcoding approach to investigate food preferences, degree of diet specialization and diet overlap of seven herbivore rodent species of the genus Ctenomys distributed in southern and midwestern Brazil. The metabarcoding approach revealed that these species consume more than 60% of the plant families recovered in soil samples, indicating generalist feeding habits of ctenomyids. The family Poaceae was the most common food resource retrieved in scats of all species as well in soil samples. Niche overlap analysis indicated high overlap in the plant families and molecular operational taxonomic units consumed, mainly among the southern species. Interspecific differences in diet composition were influenced, among other factors, by the availability of resources in the environment. In addition, our results provide support for the hypothesis that the allopatric distributions of ctenomyids allow them to exploit the same range of resources when available, possibly because of the absence of interspecific competition.

Hybridization between subterranean tuco-tucos (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae) with contrasting phylogenetic positions.

Reproductive compatibility usually decreases according to increasing genetic difference and the time of divergence between species. However, the amount of modification required to influence hybridization may vary in different species. Thus, it is extremely important to conduct studies that seek to understand what and how variables influence the reproductive isolation of species. We have explored a system involving two species of subterranean rodents that present morphological, karyotypic, and evolutionary history differences and are capable of generating hybrids. To gain insight into the karyotype organization of genus Ctenomys, we examined the chromosome evolution by classical and molecular cytogenetics of both parental species and hybrids. Furthermore, we have used different approaches to analyze the differences between the parental species and the hybrids, and determined the origin of the hybrids. The results of our work demonstrate unequivocally that some species that present extensive differences in chromosome organization, phenotype, evolutionary history, sperm morphology and genetic, which are usually associated with reproductive isolation, can generate natural hybrids. The results also demonstrate that females of both species are able to generate hybrids with males of the other species. In addition, the chromosome-specific probes prepared from Ctenomys flamarioni provide an invaluable tool for comparative cytogenetics in closely related species.

Neotropical carnivores: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peerreviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non‐detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio‐temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other largescale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.

Sharing the space: distribution, habitat segregation and delimitation of a new sympatric area of subterranean rodents.

Subterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys usually present an allopatric or parapatric distribution. Currently, two cases of sympatry have been recognized for the genus in the coastal dunes of southern Argentina and southern Brazil. In this context, they are ideal models to test hypotheses about the factors that delimit the patterns of space use and to understand interspecific interactions in small mammals. We investigated the vegetation structure, plant biomass and soil hardness selected by two species of subterranean rodents (Ctenomys flamarioni and C. minutus) when distributed in sympatry and allopatry from nine different areas along the line of coastal dunes in southern Brazil. In addition, our work presents a new record of a third area of sympatry for the genus Ctenomys. Ctenomys flamarioni and C. minutus show habitat segregation in the area where they occur in sympatry. These species show segregation in their selection of microhabitats, differing in relation to soil hardness, plant biomass, and plant cover. Ctenomys flamarioni showed a distinction in habitat selection when occurring in allopatry and sympatry, whereas C. minutus selected the same habitat characteristics under both conditions. A possible explanation to the observed pattern is that these species have acquired different adaptations over time which allows them the ability to exploit different resources and thus avoid competitive interactions all together.

Diversity of small land mammals in a subtropical Atlantic forest in the western region of the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil / Diversidade de pequenos mamíferos terrestres em floresta Atlântica subtropical na região oeste do estado de Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil

Small land mammals possess features that significantly influence the dynamics of ecosystems and participate in various levels of the food web. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest the richness of these animals is high, which makes them even more ecologically and numerically relevant in this environment. In this context, we investigated the species composition of small mammals in an unexplored area of southern Brazil, and compared the species composition of this area with other Atlantic Forest regions in order to understand how this community is related to others. The study area was located in an interior Atlantic forest formation, at a transition region between deciduous and Araucaria forests. Small mammals were captured at five collection points using pitfall traps. We compared the species composition found in our studied area with the composition of other 11 studies in different regions by a cluster analysis, and we investigated the presence of spatial autocorrelation between communities with a Mantel test. We recorded 779 individuals from 21 species of small rodents (15 species) and marsupials (six species) during the 13 months of the collection period. This richness was high compared to other studies conducted in the Atlantic Forest formations near to coastline and in interior forest formations. This may be a result of the conditions provided by this transition area (deciduous and Araucaria forests), where could be found elements of the both forests formations, which probably allows the establishment of small mammal species from both forest types. Despite differences in sampling effort of the studies, our results suggest that the interior forest formations may harbor a number of species comparable to the formations near the coast. The species composition of this area was similar to those found in other interior forest formations with the same phytophysiognomy characteristics and at nearby regions, and it was less similar to the distant formations located in southeastern and northeastern Brazil and nearby to the coastline. This can be a result of both the spatial autocorrelation (i.e. more nearby communities tend to have more similar species composition) and the differences of forest characteristics among regions.

Pequenos mamíferos terrestres possuem características que influenciam significativamente a dinâmica dos ecossistemas, participando em vários níveis da teia trófica. Na floresta Atlântica brasileira a riqueza desses animais é alta, o que os torna ainda mais ecológica e numericamente relevantes neste ambiente. Neste contexto, nós investigamos a composição de espécies de pequenos mamíferos em uma área não estudada, e comparamos a composição de espécies desta área com outras regiões de floresta Atlântica de modo a entender como esta comunidade de pequenos mamíferos é relacionada a outras. A área de estudo está localizada em uma formação de floresta Atlântica de interior, em uma transição entre floresta decidual e floresta com Araucária. Os pequenos mamíferos foram capturados em cinco pontos de coleta por meio do método de armadilhas de interceptação e queda. Nós comparamos a composição de espécies encontrada em nosso estudo com a de outros 11 estudos realizados em diferentes regiões através de uma análise de agrupamento, e nós investigamos a presença de autocorrelação espacial entre comunidades por meio de um teste de Mantel. Nós registramos 779 indivíduos de 21 espécies de pequenos roedores (15 espécies) e marsupiais (seis espécies) durante um período de 13 meses de coleta. A riqueza é alta comparada com outros estudos em formações de floresta Atlântica próximas do litoral e formações de interior. Isso pode ser o resultado das condições fornecidas por esta área de transição (floresta decidual e floresta com Araucária), onde podem ser encontrados elementos das duas formações florestais, o que provavelmente permite o estabelecimento de espécies de pequenos mamíferos dos dois tipos de floresta. Apesar das diferenças no esforço amostral entre os estudos, esses resultados são uma boa indicação de que as formações de floresta Atlântica de interior podem abrigar um número de espécies comparáveis a de formações próximas da costa. A composição de espécies desta área é mais similar a de outras formações Atlânticas de interior com as mesmas características florestais e de regiões espacialmente próximas, e é menos similar as formações localizadas no sudeste e no nordeste do Brasil, e de regiões próximas da costa. Isso pode ser o resultado de autocorrelação espacial (i.e. comunidades mais próximas tendem a ter uma composição de espécies mais similar) e das diferenças nas características florestais entre as regiões.