From June 2005 to November 2010, 43 small mammals encompassing 6 species of Didelphimorphia, 8 species of Rodentia, and 1 species of Lagomorpha were found parasitized by ticks in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Nine tick species, in total 186 specimens, were identified as follows: Amblyomma cajennense (larvae and nymphs) on opossums and rodents; Amblyomma ovale (nymphs) on rodents; Amblyomma parvum (nymphs) on rodents; Amblyomma coelebs (nymphs) on opossums; Amblyomma dubitatum (nymph) on opossums; Ixodes amarali (females, nymphs, and larvae) on opossums and rodents; Ixodes loricatus (male, females, nymph) on opossums; Ixodes schulzei (female) on rodents; and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (female) on rabbits. Most of the tick-host associations found in the present study have never been 123Exp Appl Acarol (2012) 58:159-166 DOI 10.1007 recorded in the literature; those include three new host records for I. amarali, four for A. cajennense, one for A. dubitatum, two for A. ovale, and one for A. coelebs. In addition, we provide the first record of A. coelebs in the state of Minas Gerais.

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The occurrence of anomalous coloration (albinism, leucism and melanism) in mammals is a rare phenomenon in nature, but this phenomenon has been reported for several species of mammals. In this study, we report on the occurrence of leucism in Eira barbara by examining three road-killed individuals and two sightings of live animals in Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça, southeastern Brazil. In addition, we examined tayra specimens housed in mammal collections from Brazil and USA. The animals found dead and those sighted had a whitish yellow fur on the body and head, resulting in lighter coloration than the coloring pattern commonly observed in tayras. Despite these lighter color pattern, the specimens showed parts of soft tissue, such as iris and the skin, with pigmentation very similar to that present in individuals with the typical color pattern. This set of factors indicates the specimens recorded were in fact leucistic and not albino. Among the specimens examined in the scientific collections, we found nine individuals from different localities that presented the whitish yellow color pattern. Some studies attribute the higher frequency of cases of leucism due to small populations and / or with some mechanism of reproductive isolation. Thus, analysis of the genetic variability of populations containing individuals with such characteristics should be considered. On the other hand, the occurrence of polymorphic color phenotype in tayras indicates that hypotheses related to the fixation of recessive characteristics, or on possible environmental adaptive advantages of these phenotypes can be tested.

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal‐central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation‐related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue investigar la prevalencia de infestación de ectoparásitos asociados a mamíferos pequeños del Cerrado en el Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. De abril a septiembre de 2007, capturamos 95 mamíferos pequeños, los cuales representaron nueve especies: seis pertenecen al Orden Rodentia: Cerradomys subflavus (Wagner 1842), Nectomys squamipes (Brants 1827), Thrichomys apereoides (Lund,1939), Rhipidomys mastacalis (Lund 1840), Necromys lasiurus (Lund 1841), Oligoryzomys nigripes Olfers 1818, y tres al Orden Didelphimorphia: Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister 1854), Marmosops incanus (Lund 1840) y Didelphis albiventris (Lund,1841). Identificamos ectoparásitos de cinco órdenes: Ixodida, Gamasida, Phthiraptera, Siphonaptera y Diptera y varias especies de ectoparasitos como: Amblyomma sp, Laelaps paulistanensis Fonseca 1936, Laelaps differens Fonseca 1936, Laelaps manguinhosi Fonseca 1936, Tur lativentralis (Fonseca 1936), Gigantolaelaps goyanensis Fonseca 1939, Gigantolaelaps vitzthumi Fonseca 1939, Androlaelaps (Haemolaelaps) fahrenholzi (Berleze 1911), Eubrachylaelaps rotundus (Fonseca1936), Mysolaelaps parvispinosus Fonseca 1936, Ctenophthirus cercomydis Ferris1922, Hoplopleura imparata Linardi 1984, Eogyropus lenti lenti Werneck 1936, Tunga penetrans (Linnaeus 1758) y Poligenes tripus (Jordania 1933). Para el parque, son nuevos todos los registros de ectoparásitos y agregamos también algunos hospederos.PALABRAS CLAVEBrasil, Cerrado, Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó, mamíferos, ectoparásitos.