ABSTRACT. Density and population size of game mammals in two Conservation Units of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Atlantic Rain Forest even though suffering intense devastation, shelters 261 species of mammals, 73 endemic. Large mammals were among the most vulnerable to hunting, loss of habitat, and wildlife trade. In the State of Rio de Janeiro there are only two Federal Biological Reserves of lowland Atlantic Rain Forest, the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve and the União Biological Reserve. The purpose of this study was to assess the presence and putative influence of illegal hunting on the mammals in these two Conservation Units. Surveys were conducted using a line-transect method; 375 kilometers were covered during the period between December 2003 and January 2005. The data for the population density estimate was analyzed using the program DISTANCE 5.0. Twelve species were confirmed through visual encounters during the surveys, whereas are regularly hunted in the region studied. The species that presented higher density were brown capuchin monkey (Cebus nigritus Erxleben, 1777), howler monkey (Alouatta guariba Lacépède, 1799), ninebanded long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus Linnaeus, 1758), and the seven-banded long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus septemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758). The most rare or absent species were the brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris Brünnich, 1771), the red brocket deer (Mazama americana Rafinesque, 1817) and the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari Link, 1795). In these two study areas both direct and indirect evidence of illegal hunting was observed, indicating that hunting is a common practice inside these Biological Reserves. The long-term survival of the hunted species is questionable, because the remaining populations living in fragments that are small and isolated, making them more susceptible to extinction even under low hunting pressure. Link, 1795). Evidências diretas e indiretas da ação da caça ilegal foram observadas nas duas áreas de estudo, indicando que a caça é uma prática comum nessas Reservas Biológicas. A sobrevivência a longo prazo dessas espécies é questionável, já que as populações remanescentes em fragmentos são pequenas e isoladas, o que as tornam muito susceptível à extinção mesmo sob uma baixa pressão de caça. KEYWORDS.

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We provide four news records of bats—Micronycteris hirsuta (Peters, 1869), Dermanura gnoma (Handley, 1987), Myotis riparius Handley, 1960, and Myotis lavali Moratelli, Peracchi, Dias and Oliveira, 2011 to the Piauí State, northestern Brazil. We also provide measurements and taxonomic comments about the species recorded. With these new records, 59 bat species are now recognized for the Piauí.

Patterns of bat distribution in Cerrado can be influenced by habitat heterogeneity and seasonal variation. We described the bat fauna in Cerrado landscape during an environment-monitoring program in Tocantins State, Northern Brazil. Additionally, we tested the influence of habitat heterogeneity and seasonality on the abundance and species richness of Phyllostomidae in this region by Generalized Linear Mixed Models. In 2010, we sampled 40 nights (rainy and dry seasons) in four vegetation types of Cerrado biome. Taxonomic identification was based on measurements and qualitative diagnostics. With a sampling effort of 43,965 m2·h, we captured 274 bats of 30 species, 22 genera and six families. Carollia perspicillata was the most abundant species captured. Colinas do Tocantins municipality was richer than Goiantins (26 and 19 species respectively). The best model for abundance was the interaction between heterogeneity and seasonality and the best model for richness was a mix between these two variables. We registered eight new species for the Tocantins including three species considered threatened with extinction at national level and one at global level. Such results highlight that this region is important for new investigations on the Cerrado biome.