Abstract

HANNIBAL, Wellington; FIGUEIREDO, Valquiria V  and  DA CUNHA, Nicolay L. Population seasonal variation of Gracilinanus agilis (Mammalia: Didelphidae) in semi-deciduous forest fragments. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2016, vol.23, n.1, pp.81-86. ISSN 0327-9383.

Population fluctuations of small tropical mammals are often related to temporal and environmental variations in resource availability. Here, we aim to associate population variation of Gracilinanus agilis with seasonality, and type and position of traps in fragments of semi-deciduous forest in Southern Goiás, Brazil. We conducted a mark-recapture study from August 2013 through August 2014. We set wire-cage and Sherman^® traps in four transects, with five stations per transect, during three consecutive nights per month. Each station consisted of 1 wire cage and 1 Sherman^® trap, placed alternately on the ground and in the understory (1.5- 2 m height). We registered 66 individuals in 121 captures (7.8% capture success). Gracilinanus agilis was more abundant during the dry season in the understory. Males were more abundant in the dry season and females in the wet season. Data reported here are of great value for understanding population and behavioral patterns of G. agilis in the Brazilian savanna.

Keywords : Age class; Dry season; Sex class; Sherman^® traps; Understory.