Mammals of the Caatinga: Diversity, Ecology, Biogeography, and Conservation

In this chapter we provide an updated checklist of Caatinga mammals, with a critical review of previous lists, and an overview of our current knowledge on the distribution and endemism patterns, ecology, behavior, evolution, and biogeography of these mammals. The Caatinga mammal fauna is composed of 183 species (including 11 endemics) that occur within its boundaries, mostly represented by rodents and bats. This list includes taxa with broad distributional ranges within the Caatinga only, those distributed in the Caatinga and in other regions, as well as taxa with very restricted distributions in the region, whether at its borders, in enclaves of specific vegetation types, or endemic to a particular region within the Caatinga. Ecology and behavior studies are still scarce for most species, and although there has been progress in assessing the relationship between precipitation and reproductive biology in small mammals and the physiological adaptations in selected taxa, there is a pressing need for more information on ecology, physiology, and behavior for most species. Caatinga mammals include taxa descending from forest ancestors as well as open area endemics that have been shown to be temporally heterogeneous, with divergence estimates ranging from Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene, leading to a complex evolutionary history for the Caatinga mammals. These mammals also show distinctive distributional patterns, posing challenges for conservation efforts, as these need to address the diversity of Caatinga vegetation physiognomies, such as transitional areas along its borders, humid forest enclaves, and dry formations in nearby ‘Serras’ and ‘Chapadas’, in order to preserve most of its richness.