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Local abundance results from the interaction between populational and environmental processes. The abundance of the species in a community is also one of the most basic descriptors of its structure. Despite its importance, information about species abundances is fragmentary, creating a knowledge gap about species abundances known as the Prestonian Shortfall. Here we present a comprehensive data set of small mammal abundance in the Atlantic Forest. Data were extracted from 114 published sources and from unpublished data collected by our research groups spanning from 1943 to 2017. The data set includes 1,902 records of at least 111 species in 155 localities, totaling 42,617 individuals represented. We selected studies that (1) were conducted in forested habitats of the Atlantic Forest, (2) had a minimum sampling effort of at least 500 trap-nights, and (3) contained species abundance data in detail. For each study, we recorded (1) latitude and longitude, (2) name of the locality, (3) employed sampling effort, (4) type of traps used, (5) study year, (6) country, and (7) species name with (8) its respective abundances. For every locality, we also obtained information regarding its (9) ecoregion, (10) predominant vegetation type, and (11) biogeographic subdivision. Whenever necessary, we also (12) updated the species names as new species were described and some genera suffered taxonomic revision since the publication. The localities are spread across the Atlantic Forest and most of the small mammal species known to occur in Atlantic Forest are present in the data set, making it representative of communities of the entire biome. This data set can be used to address various patterns in community ecology and geographical ecology, as the relation between local abundance and environmental suitability, hypothesis regarding local and regional factors on community structuring, species abundance distributions (SAD), functional and phylogenetic mechanisms on community assembling.

The genus Oecomys Thomas, 1906 is currently composed of 16 species with unclear taxonomy and poorly known geographic limits. O. catherinae Thomas, 1909 is known to occur within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest from the states of Santa Catarina to Pernambuco (where the northernmost previously known specimen of Oecomys in the Atlantic forest was recorded), and along riverine forest into the Cerrado. To gain a greater understanding of its geographical and ecological distribution (mainly in Northeastern Brazil) and of its taxonomic characterization, we provide a short review of karyotypical and morphometrical data from specimens collected within the distribution range of the species. Specimens presented 2n = 60 and AN varying between 62 and 64. A table with external and cranial measurements of the analyzed specimens is provided. In this paper we also report the presence of O. catherinae in the semi-deciduous forests of the state of Paraíba, representing the northernmost records of the species in the Atlantic forest and thereby extending its known geographical limits. Oecomys Thomas, 1906 é um gênero atualmente composto por 16 espécies reconhecidas que apresentam taxonomia e distribuições geográficas ainda incertas. O. catherinae Thomas, 1906 é a espécie que ocorre ao longo da Floresta Atlântica brasileira dos estados de Santa Catarina a Pernambuco, onde se encontra o registro prévio mais ao norte para Oecomys na Floresta Atlântica, e ao longo de florestas de galeria no Cerrado. Pretendendo esclarecer aspectos relacionados à distribuição geográfica e ecológica de O. catherinae, com ênfase na região nordeste do Brasil, e auxiliar na sua caracterização taxonômica, fornecemos um breve resumo de dados morfométricos e cariotípicos de indivíduos coletados em diversos trabalhos ao longo da área de ocorrência da espécie. Os espécimens apresentaram 2n = 60 e NA variando entre 62 e 64. Uma tabela de medidas corporais externas e cranianas dos indivíduos analisados é fornecida. Também registramos pela primeira vez a presença de O. catherinae nas florestas semi-deciduais do estado da Paraíba, sendo atualmente os registros mais ao norte da espécie na Floresta Atlântica, estendendo os limites geográficos conhecidos para a espécie.

The analysis of owl pellets contents has long been used for inventorying small mammal communities and constitutes an important complementary method in addition to traditional surveys, because owls prey also on rare species or those with specific microhabitat requirements or behavioural traits, thus sometimes recording taxa that would have gone unnoticed with standard survey techniques (Martin 2005; Teta et al. 2006). Small mammals remains from Barn Owl pellets have also been extensively used in analyses of small mammals distribution throughout geographical gradients (Massoia et al. 1999; Torre et al. 2004). In Brazil, several studies have used this technique, but with one exception (Roda 2006), they were all conducted in southern, southeastern and central Brazil (e.g. MottaJunior 1996; Bonvicino and Bezerra 2003). The Atlantic Forest portion located north of the Sao Francisco River is considered an important centre of endemism in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest – the Pernambuco Endemism Centre (Costa et al. 2000; Silva and Castelletti 2003) and recent estimates indicate it has less than 12% of its original forest cover, composed mostly by small and

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The Atlantic forest of Brazil is nowadays reduced to less than 8% of its total original area and yet many species remain to be described. The Atlantic Forest north to the São Francisco river - The Pernambuco Endemism Center (CEPE) - has less than 2% of its original forest cover and yet the knowledge on small mammals is scarce. Aiming to assess the small mammal community of this region surveys were carried out in 12 forest fragments of different sizes in distinct geographic areas of the CEPE. The capture-mark-recapture technique was used with live-traps set along linear transects. We recorded 15 species, two of which are in the IUCN Red List, but not in the Brazilian List of Threatened Species. The highest richness and abundance indices were recorded in medium-sized fragments and in the rainy season. More marsupial species were recorded compared to rodents. Our results suggest that fragmentation caused the extinction of those most specialized species, currently remaining only those most tolerant to fragmentation and urbanization. It is recommended that urgent measures should be taken to reconnect and restore these fragments to allow recolonization and reestablishment of the gene flow among the populations.