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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Abstract. Patterns in distribution and local abundance of species within a biome are central concerns in ecology and allow the understanding of the effects of habitat loss on rates of species extinction; provide support for the creation and management of reserves; and contribute to the identification and quantification of the processes that allow niche partitioning by species. However, despite the importance in the conservation and management of the ecosystems, most systematized information on the abundance and distribution of small mammals is restricted to the northern hemisphere or forest ecosystems. For tropical biomes, an important part of this information remains dispersed and difficult to access in the form of theses, technical reports, or unpublished data sets. Here we present a comprehensive data set of abundance and richness of small mammals in the Cerrado, the largest Neotropical savanna. This data set includes 2,599 records of 446 sites from 96 studies. More than 50% of references in this data set are peer-reviewed journal articles, but 45.78% of communities were compiled from theses. The data set comprises 24,283 individuals of 55 genera and at least 118 species of small mammals including 29 marsupials, two lagomorphs (one exotic), and 87 rodents (three exotic). Local species richness ranged from 1 to 26 species (5.82 AE 3.55, average species richness AE SD). We observed hyperdominance of a few species; the 10 most abundant species in this data set represented 60.19% of all recorded individuals. The hairytailed bolo mouse (Necromys lasiurus) represented over than 20% of all individuals and occurred at more than 50% of sites. Furthermore, we identified 18 environments, 16 native vegetation types, and 2 anthropic environments. Typical savanna and gallery forest were the most frequently sampled vegetation types (comprising 46.94% of all sampled sites) and the most speciose ones (57 species for typical savanna and 53 species for gallery forest). The information contained in this data set can be used to analyze ecological questions such as the relationship between local abundance and regional distribution, the relevance of local and regional factors to community structuring, and the role of phylogenetic mechanisms in community assemblage. It can also be useful in conservation efforts in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright, proprietary, or cost restrictions apply. Please cite this paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

The mammals of the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna Biome) are still poorly known; only a few localities have been properly surveyed and studied. Hereby, we present a survey of the mammals of Serra do Cipó National Park, a protected area of Cerrado in Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. A total of 55 species from eight orders were listed, which have been captured, observed or recorded in the literature. Some mammals are endemic or listed as threatened either by IUCN’s red list or by the national and regional red lists. Serra do Cipó National Park is an important site for scientific research and conservation of Minas Gerais’ biodiversity, though there is little information on mammal diversity and distribution in the park. We hope our study can help us fill this gap and improve the effectiveness of this national park in protecting Cerrado mammals and other vertebrates.

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.