Rodents from southern Patagonian semi-arid steppes (Santa Cruz Province, Argentina)

The little-known mammalian fauna of southern Santa Cruz Province is studied by means of live-trapping and examination of owl pellets at 11 localities. Thirty-nine individuals of seven species were recorded in a total of 753 trap nights during the years of 2004 and 2005. Additionally, we identified 376 prey items from a total of 130 pellets cast by Barn owls (Tyto alba) and Magellanic horned owls (Bubo magellanicus). Abrothrix olivaceus [Waterhouse, 1839. The zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle. Part 11: Mammalia., London.] and Eligmodontia sp. were the most abundant trapped species and the best represented in pellet samples. Other rodents identified were Ctenomys sp., Euneomys sp., Loxodontomys micropus, Microcavia australis, Mus musculus, Notiomys edwardsii, Oligoryzomys magallanicus, and Phyllotis xanthopygus. The mammal sampling effected by live-traps and owls was rarely coincident, with some species collected only by traps or by owls. New recording localities for N. edwardsii and O. magellanicus enlarge the known distribution of these species in Santa Cruz province by 270 km west and 70 km north, respectively. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.