Ecology of small mammals in the semiarid Brazilian Caatinga. I. Climate and faunal composition

Abstract

Environmental unpredictability has been the predominant characteristic of the Caa- tinga region of northeastern Brazil in both evolutionary and ecological time. The geo- graphic center of the Caatinga harbors a relatively depauperate small mammal fauna, including nine species of rodents in four families and three species of marsupials in a single family. Basic ecological and behavioral information are presented for each species of this little-known fauna.