Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data.
BackgroundThe role of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic agents, especially pathogenic bacteria such as Bartonella and Coxiella, has been discussed around the world. Recent studies have identified bats as potential hosts of species from the proteobacteria phylum. In Brazil, however, the role of bats in the natural cycle of these agents is poorly investigated and generally neglected. In order to analyze the participation of bats in the epidemiology of diseases caused by Bartonella, Coxiella, Rickettsia, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia, we conducted a descriptive epidemiological study in three biogeographic regions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.ResultsTissues of 119 bats captured in preserved areas in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Santa Catarina from 2014 to 2015 were submitted to molecular analysis using specific primers. Bartonella spp. was detected in 22 spleen samples (18.5%, 95% CI: 11.9–26.6), whose phylogenetic analysis revealed the generation of at least two independent clusters, suggesting that these may be new unique genotypes of Bartonella species. In addition, four samples (3.4%, 95% CI: 0.9–8.3) were positive for the htpAB gene of C. burnetii [spleen (2), liver (1) and heart (1)]. Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma and Ehrlichia were not identified. This is the first study reporting C. burnetii and Bartonella spp. infections in bats from the Atlantic Forest biome.ConclusionsThese findings shed light on potential host range for these bacteria, which are characterized as important zoonotic pathogens.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12917-018-1603-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
We analyzed the effect of density-dependent habitat selection and interspecific competition on the use of space by small rodent species in agroecosystems. We studied rodent abundance in cropfields and their borders, weedy margins less disturbed by agricultural activities. We could distinguish two kind of species : those habitat intolerants, Akodon azarae and Oil· goryzomys flavescens, which select the borders, and those habitat tolerants, Calomys laucha and Calomys musculinus. The two most abundant species in the community, A. azarae and C. laucha, differ in their habitat use : while the first has a clear preference for borders, the other is more equally distributed between habitats, although it is more abundant in fields. Both species show a shift towards an increased use of fields via density-dependent habitat selection with increasing abundance at some moments of the year. C. musculinus does not show habitat preference in any season, overlaping with the other species in both habitats. There is an interspecific effect on habitat use between A. azarae and C. laucha: While the first species cause a shift in habitat preference of C. laucha towards fields, this latter species affects the density-dependent habitat use of A. azarae. It is concluded that the pattern of habitat use of the studied species is affected by their differential preferences as well as by intra and interspecific density-dependent processes that change seasonally.Resume. -Nous avons analyse Peffet de la selection de l'habitat densite-dependante, et de la competition interspecifique sur 1'utilisation de 1'espace par les especes de petits rongeurs qui vivent dans les agroecosystemes. Nous avons etudie l'abondance des rongeurs dans les champs cultives et leurs limites, des bordures couvertes d'herbe moins perturbees par les acti-vites agricoles. On distingue deux categories d'especes : celles qui ne tolerent pas de variation de leur habitat, Akodon azarae et Oligoryzomys flavescens qui choisissent les bordures, et celles qui sont tolerantes, Calomys laucha et Calomys musculinus. Les deux especes les plus importantes dans la communaute, A. azarae et C. laucha, different dans leur utilisation de l'habitat. La premiere a une nette preference pour les bordures, tandis que 1'autre est repartie plus egalement dans les differents habitats, bien qu'elle soit plus abondante dans les champs. Les deux especes manifestent une tendance ä un usage accru des champs par intermediate d'une selection de l'habitat densite -dependante, avec une abundance qui s'accroit ä certains moments de 1'annee. C. musculinus ne montre en aucune saison de preference d'habitat, se trouvant avec 1'autre espece dans les deux habitats. II y a un effet interspecifique sur ('utilisation de l'habitat entre A. azarae et C. laucha: tandis que la premiere espece cause un changement dans la preference d'habitat de C. laucha vers les champs, cette derniere espece affecte l'utilisation de l'habitat densite-dependante de A. azarae. On conclut que le schema d'utilisation de l'habitat par les espe...
Abstract. Measures of traits are the basis of functional biological diversity. Numerous works consider mean species-level measures of traits while ignoring individual variance within species. However, there is a large amount of variation within species and it is increasingly apparent that it is important to consider trait variation not only between species, but also within species. Mammals are an interesting group for investigating trait-based approaches because they play diverse and important ecological functions (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, predation, grazing) that are correlated with functional traits. Here we compile a data set comprising morphological and life history information of 279 mammal species from 39,850 individuals of 388 populations ranging from À5.83 to À29.75 decimal degrees of latitude and À34.82 to À56.73 decimal degrees of longitude in the Atlantic forest of South America. We present trait information from 16,840 individuals of 181 species of non-volant mammals (Rodentia, Didelphimorphia, Carnivora, Primates, Cingulata, Artiodactyla, Pilosa, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla) and from 23,010 individuals of 98 species of volant mammals (Chiroptera). The traits reported include body mass, age, sex, reproductive stage, as well as the geographic coordinates of sampling for all taxa. Moreover, we gathered information on forearm length for bats and body length and tail length for rodents and marsupials. No copyright restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.
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