SELEÇÃO DE LOCAIS DE ABRIGO POR Caluromys philander (DIDELPHIMORPHIA, DIDELPHIDAE), UTILIZANDO NINHOS ARTIFICIAIS, EM ÁREA DE MATA ATLÂNTICA, GUAPIMIRIM, RJ, BRASIL

Shelters are important resources for the biology of organisms, but the mechanisms by which individuals choose a particular shelter are poorly understood. Between 2004 and 2009, using the Artificial Nests (AN) method, we evaluated if there is shelter selection by Caluromys philander and which microhabitat variables influence this choice. The hypotheses tested were: (1) there would be a positive relationship between the most used AN and components of vegetation structure that favor the arboreal habit of the species and its access to AN, and (2) the most used AN would be located near habitat features used as food sources proxies, to reduce energy expenditure during foraging. We measured the Descriptive Microhabitat of the Trees containing AN station and the Descriptive Microhabitat around each AN. There were 63 AN station measured, containing three AN at three heights each (0 m, 2.5 m and 5 m). We evaluated 21 variables (11 of each microhabitat scale) and related it to the frequency of C. philander in the AN. Models were generated from Poisson regression, which were selected by Akaike’s Information Criteria. There were 118 records of 21 individuals of C. philander , 80% of them in the highest stratum (5 m of height). The trees selected by C. philander were tall, with thick trunks, and low bromeliads and lianas abundance, surrounded by dead trees, open canopy, and flat relief. Both hypotheses were denied, as C. philander selected shelters that may prioritize their protection, as they were positioned in inaccessible places except by using tree trunk itself. This positioning and the negative relationship with food sources proxy variables show that C. philander behave differently when selecting resting and sheltering sites from food source sites, and it is possible to expect this to be a widespread behavior in other related species of small Neotropical arboreal marsupials.