SMALL MAMMALS (RODENTIA AND DIDELPHIMORPHIA) FROM SERRA DO OURO BRANCO: SOUTHERN PORTION OF ESPINHAÇO MOUNTAIN RANGE, MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Serra do Ouro Branco is located at the south portion of Espinhaco Range, at a transition area between Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Here, we surveyed small mammals communities from Parque Estadual Serra do Ouro Branco and Monumento Natural Estadual do Itatiaia, two protected areas, and compared them with the diversity recorded in the remaining Espinhaco mountain range. Sampling occurred over 24 months (2009-2010) using pitfall traps. Nineteen species, 13 rodents and six marsupials, were recorded in 6,664 traps /night. The study area has low similarity with other areas of Espinhaco Range; high dissimilarity was the main pattern found, as revealed by the large number of singletons (40%) and few species found at least in half of the areas (17%). Thus, the elevated richness and diversity registered allied to the singularity in composition of species in each area and the scarcity of data for the north and mainly for the central region of Espinhaco, reinforce the importance and urgency of more studies and inventories of small mammals in all mountain range extension.