Este estudo objetivou a caracterização da assembleia de pequenos mamíferos não voadores em termos de riqueza, abundância e sazonalidade na restinga do Parque Estadual Acaraí, localizado no nordeste de Santa Catarina. O sucesso total de captura foi de 2.78%, sendo 5.93% no inverno e 0.64% no verão. A espécie mais abundante e amplamente distribuída foi o roedor Akodon montensis (n = 71), com 56.35% dos indivíduos, seguido do roedor Nectomys squamipes (n = 42), com 33.33%, e do marsupial Marmosa paraguayana (n = 6), com 4.76%. O parque apresentou uma reduzida riqueza de espécies, ao ser comparado com outras áreas de restinga próximas.

This study aimed to characterize the community of non-volant small mammals in terms of richness, abundance, and seasonality in the restinga in the Parque Estadual Acaraí, state of Santa Catarina. The overall success of catch was 2.78% (5.93% in the winter and 0.64% in the summer). The most abundant and widely distributed species was Akodon montensis (n = 71), with 56.35% of the individuals, followed by Nectomys squamipes (n = 24), with 24.75%, and the marsupial Marmosa paraguayana (n = 6), with 4.76%. The park had reduced species richness compared with other nearby areas of restinga.

We investigated the density and activity of the oncilla, Leopardus tigrinus (Schreber, 1775), a threatened small cat, in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, using camera-trap data. We described differences in the activity of individuals occurring alone or in sympatry with larger cats. Oncilla presented low densities (7-13 ind./100 km²) and high flexibility in its activity. The oncillas were primarily nocturnal in the absence of other larger cat species - margay, ocelot and puma - but became more diurnal, with a cathemeral activity pattern, when the other cats were present. Oncilla is likely to be in a subordinate position in interactions with larger cats and changes its activity to decrease the chances for interspecific encounters. In this study, however, the presence of other cat species covaries with habitat changes (from coastal forest patches to dense evergreen forests). We also verified the highest oncilla relative abundance in an area with no sympatric larger cats, with abundance decreasing when it was in sympatry with margay, ocelot and puma. Our results, together with recent records of oncilla in other degraded landscapes of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, provide evidence that oncillas may thrive even in harsh environments where other cats have already been extinct. This raise interesting conservation insights, as in the absence of other cats, L. tigrinus may assume a top predator role of these impoverished vertebrate communities.

A falta de conhecimento acerca da biologia de Chironectes minimus provavelmente está relacionada com as dificuldades de captura. Assim, dois métodos usando armadilhas do tipo Young, com dois tipos de iscas, foram comparados com o método usual de captura (controle). O estudo foi desenvolvido de fevereiro a junho de 2003 em dois córregos do Parque Municipal da Lagoa do Peri, na Ilha de Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil. Quatro indivíduos foram capturados duas vezes e aspectos da biologia da espécie foram registrados. Todas as capturas ocorreram através do método controle. Armadilhas instaladas em passagens estreitas dos rios, em locais com maior quantidade de rochas e raízes, foram mais efetivas para a captura de C. minimus. O sucesso de captura, considerando apenas o método controle, foi de 4%. Aspectos positivos e negativos de todos os métodos foram apresentados e discutidos.

The lack of knowledge about the biology of Chironectes minimus is probably due to difficulties in capturing specimens. Therefore, two methods using "Young" traps with two types of live baits were performed and compared with the standard method (control). The study was carried out from February to June 2003 in two streams in the Parque Municipal da Lagoa do Peri, Santa Catarina Island in southern Brazil. Four individuals were captured two times and aspects of the biology of the species were recorded. All captures were made with the control method. Traps set on narrow passages of the river, with rocks and roots, were more effective to capture C. minimus. The capture success was 4% when only this method was considered. Positive and negative aspects of each method are discussed.

A two-year mark-recapture study of small mammals was conducted in an area of Atlantic Forest hillside in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Four species of marsupial and seven species of rodent were captured during 12 132 trap-nights. Aspects of population dynamics and natural history are discussed for each common species. The sex ratio was biased toward males for all species. Oryzomys russatus, Didelphis aurita and Akodon montensis had the highest population densities, the least amount of variation in population density and an inverse relationship between survivorship rates and population densities. Micoureus paraguayanus, Nectomys squamipes and O. angouya, registered the higher population densities after continual survivorship rates. The recruitment rates were low for most species (< 50%), with some, M. paraguayanus, Lutreolina crassicaudata, Oligoryzomys nigripes, O. angouya and Oxymycterus aff. judex, disappearing occasionally from the study area. The survivorship rates were high for most species (> 50%). Population densities of D. aurita, O. nigripes and O. aff. judex increased in cold and dry periods. The marsupials reproduced seasonally from late winter until the end of the summer, whereas rodents reproduced throughout the year. No species were long-lived, with average life-span < six months.

The mammal fauna from Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, is one of the least known of the country. Works on terrestrial mammals are scarce and new species of aquatic mammals have been registered in the last years. For that reason, a commented list of the mammals of Santa Catarina based on data gathered from scientific collections and bibliographical references are presented. One hundred and fifty-two species of confirmed occurrence, 59 species of possible occurrence and six species/subspecies with erroneous record for the state were registered.