Diet of some species of Neotropical small mammals

Dietary analysis was performed to determine the variations in diet of some small neotropical species of mammals collected in seasonal areas of the cerrado (a savannah-like grassland) and semi-deciduous forest. Food items were determined based on the analysis of stomach contents of 126 animals (one didelphid and five sigmodontine rodent species). Most species presented herbivorous-omnivorous habits, with a preference for the vegetative parts of plants. Akodon montensis Thomas (1913) was the most abundant species in the forest area and demonstrated a uniform consumption of animal and vegetal items through the year, and contained 65.7% plant material in its diet. Necromys lasiurus (Lund, 1841) was the most abundant in the cerrado with 72.6% of vegetation in its diet, but showed a high consumption of animal items during the rainy season. Oligoryzomys nigripes (Olfers, 1818) contained 95.1% of plant material, while Oxymycterus delator (Thomas, 1903) consumed 61.6% invertebrates, mainly insects. The didelphid Philander frenatus (Olfers, 1818) consumed invertebrates (47.7%), small vertebrates (7.3%) and plant material (44.9%).